THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Like the seasons, my mood for wine changes (although usually with more frequency). Sometimes I prefer soft and elegant, like a Pinot Noir. Other times I'll want something complex and structured, like a Bordeaux or California Cabernet. And then, there's the past couple of weeks, where I've been in the mood for big and bold.

The first one of these was a "Thunder from Down Under" style of Australian Shiraz, the 2007 Mollydooker, "The Boxer". This is another great wine from the wonderful team of Sarah and Sparky Marquis. Check out their web site; it is rather entertaining. So are their wines. Some wines are just fun to drink, and that is certainly the case here. "The Boxer" has a full-throttle style that never lets up. Inky and purple in color, with loads of dark, sensuous and concentrated fruit, with just the right amount of floral and wooden notes to give it balance and complexity. Jay Miller from The Wine Advocate scored it at 93. The price tag is around $25-$30 ($28 at Tivoli Wines).

The next two wines are both from Orin Swift. I have been a huge fan of winemaker/proprietor Dave Phinney since he launched Orin Swift. The first is the inaugural release (2007) of Saldo; a wine consisting of 85% Zinfandel, 10% Syrah, and 5% Petite Sirah. Mr. Phinney has created a gorgeous wine using grapes from Sonoma, Napa, Amador, Mendocino, and Contra Costa counties. This wine is full of ripe raspberry and boysenberry, with layers of smoke, pepper, anise and licorice, and zesty tannins round to out the finish. Quite tasty, and worthy of the 91 points it received from The Wine Spectator.

Last but certainly not least, we come to Orin Swift, The Prisoner. This was the first Orin Swift wine I ever tried. I remember walking around the California section at Wally's, and saw this new wine with the bizarre name and even more bizarre label. Then I looked at the blend: Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Charbonno. This is what I call a "mad scientist wine". Other people call them "kitchen sink wines". Regardless, they are certainly original concepts. I had bought three bottles of the 2005 The Prisoner, and this represented the last one, so it was not without some lament that I popped the cork. But what a wine! It was rich and decadent, with copious blackberry and boysenberry fruits, accents of spice and tea, tobacco, mocha and vanilla. When I came back to it the next night, however, the opulence had given way to a more elegant style, with a silky texture. The flavors were all still there, but instead of a "mosh pit", they were now dancing a Waltz, all in perfect step with one another. This wine scored a 93 from The Wine Spectator, and ranked 17th on their Top 100 for 2007.

Now that is what I call Bold and Beautiful!


"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."
~WM. SHAKESPEARE, Henry IV Part 2