As promised last week, today I will share with you a few more new wines that have rcently hit our local markets. Almost every importer has new wines landing on the island. We got to taste some of the early samples and here is what we liked.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Hands of Time

When a wine lover opens a box of wine samples and glimpses a bottle with the storied Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars on the label, there is a certain level of excitement nudging you to open that bottle first.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars helped to put California wines on the world stage in the 70s with its positive showing at the Judgment of Paris, where its 1973 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon won first place among ten top French and California red wines in a blind taste test by leading French wine experts.

After that memory lane moment evaporated, I then noticed another name on the label “Hands of Time”, I pause, my heart sinks a bit and I wonder if this is just another generic red blend. Not exactly, this wine, a Bordeaux-Style blend, was inspired by the many ‘hands’ of great wine personalities. winemakers and viticulturists who at one time or another had worked at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and “lent a hand” in the winery’s success. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 4% Petite Verdot, ripe cherry and currant berry fruit on the nose, black raspberry and some peppery spice and herbaceous notes on the nose. A bit of that herbal nuance on the finish, light tannins, a smooth and approachable wine with a short but pleasant finish.

Motto Wines Backbone Cabernet Sauvignon

Next in the box was another interesting label, with an equally interesting name – Backbone Cabernet Sauvignon. Motto Wines is a Ste Michelle Wine Estates project which is a collection of fruit-forward California wines in three varietals – Backbone Cabernet Sauvignon, Unabashed Zinfandel and Gung Ho Red Blend. They were created by the Ste. Michelle winemaking team using the same approach as that employed for its Washington wines, but with California grapes. This wine was made with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit

Verdot and 10% Petite Sirah. A very approachable wine, bold, fruit-forward, very similar to the new wave of red blends on the market.

Avalon Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Our final wine has no great stories, just a great bottle of Napa Cabernet. Wines for the Soul, original and uncut, is what the winery says. This 2012 Napa cabernet was 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc from the Rutherford AVA, Atlas Peak AVA, Chiles Valley District and Coombsville AVA in Napa Valley, California. Complex and vibrant aromas of juicy plums, boysenberries that mingle with deeper notes of violet, vanilla and toasted oak. A smooth, silky texture on the palate frames generous flavours of ripe red raspberries and dark cherries with notes of vanilla and toasted oak. Smooth rich tannins with hints of Rutherford Dust are beautifully integrated with the dark fruit flavours creating a rich, smooth, lingering finish.

Christopher Reckord – Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Instagram: @chrisreckord Twitter: @Reckord