Maybe you’ve been to the Finger Lakes and enjoyed yourself some palatable Pinot. Praise to you on the great sommelier gods of rabid red wines. Or maybe you’re all about just the Pinot Noir, the godfather of red wine. Here’s an offer you can’t refuse….
So listen up. And don’t forget the cannoli.
10. Carson Ridge Cabernet Paso Robles — Like a mexican gangster, this red beast straight out of Paso Robles on the central coast of California will hit you with the richness of oak and berries touched with the spice red wines are known for. What goes well with it? Anything full flavored. And don’t forget your favorite cheeses.
9. Saladini Pilastri Rosso Piceno — Que bella…. Now we’re talkin’ like weah in New Yawrk, but know this: you’ll get your sultry Marches, Italy, sun-kissed sweetness of all red wines with 30% Montepulciano and 70% Sangiovese. Sounds like a mouthful? It is. Think strawberries and black cherries. And enjoy this wine with an earthy, spicy veal marsala.
8. Valserrano Rioja Crianza — Ever had a red wine of many red wines sporting the taste of fountain pen ink? Don’t lie to yourself. You love that aroma, and it exists in this fine, delectable delight, along with some hints of licorice and supple leather spiced with the ripe fruit laced with peat and the dampness of Earth. This would be a red wine Don Corleone would drink!
7. Line Shack Cabernet San Antonio Valley — Doesn’t that make you want to sail away on a bamboo raft? Or maybe just lay on a hillside over in Monterey, California, as those medium tannins and long finishes of this red wine permeate your soul. Think the richness and body of clay, with a hint of limestone — balanced with blackberries, currants, plums and even mocha. You’ve got this red wine down pat.
6. Wildhaven Red Blend Untamed Columbia Valley — You might go feral with the taste of this blood-red wine…. Maybe not. But you’ll like it nonetheless! Straight out of Columbia Valley in Washington, this reserve gets its untamed taste from the spice and cedar latent in its aroma, mixed with blueberry and blackberry and some crisp tannin to make you howl at the moon.
5. Sextant Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles — Back to Paso Robles we go with the red wines, and the Sextant won’t disappoint much at all, revealing the velvet and smooth of baking spices with cranberries and blackberries. Like you’re drinking a bottle of baked pies for dessert. The beck and call of a true red wine, in our opinion.
4. Chateau Feret Lambert Bordeaux Superieur — Here we are in Bordeaux, France. Where it all should be, right? This Chateau won’t disappoint the Godfather much at all either, deep and bountiful with the plush plum taste and cassis notes touched with that French toast flavor. That’s amoreeeee….
3. Flichman Malbec Tupungato — Why not take a trip to Argentina, a bit of a turn of ambience with a flair of oak, smoke and some great blends for a red wine? Here’s Flichman — a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. What kind of blends, you say? Try vanilla and some other spices to boot. A red wine with an Argentinian kick to it.
2. Domaine Loubejac Pinot Noir Willamette Valley — Who knew that Oregon had it going with red wines? Well, they do with this particular seemingly French Pinot Noir, sporting cherry, raspberry, rose petals and sweet herbs for a robust fun and flavorful sweetness. You want liveliness, this is the red wine to bring it. And it goes quite well with salmon, pork, lamb or even filet mignon.
1. Montoya Cabernet Napa Valley — Sorry, other countries and U.S. states, but California has it in Napa Valley, hands down. This Montoya Cabernet brings the horse’s head into the bed on any Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Saturday, Andiamo! And while this one’s elegant and smooth, you’ll feel the fire of oak as well, so this wine knows balance with blackberries, plums and currants galore. It’s such a hardy red wine with the sweetness as well that it can even go quite well with grilled steak, lamb or sausage. A man’s wine!
Opinions are opinions. And the joy of trying out all of these wines is that you might find your soul, your personality, in any one of them. That makes the wine unique. That makes you unique. And that certainly makes you your own godfather of red wines. Refuse this offer? Michael Corleone says NO.
