It’s also a good time to pick up the last of this year’s crop of rosé before the shelves are empty until spring.
Corsican wine — made on the Mediterranean island of Corsica — is not well-known in Oklahoma yet, and it’s pretty rare on wine lists, although Ludivine has featured the Domaine Maestracci wines a few times at its 805 N. Hudson Ave. location. Maestracci wines are utterly unique in terms of the flavor and the blend of grapes used.
The Domaine Maestracci E Prove is one of the most interesting rosés available in the metro. A blend of two Corsican grapes, the wine is chewy and structured with good fruit and good tannins for a rosé. It’s available at Broadway Wine Merchants, 824 N. Broadway Ave.
Also new to the metro, and one that will get you thinking about what wine to pour for the holidays, is Charles de Cazanove brut Champagne. This affordable bottle of bubbles over-delivers in the price-toquality ratio. Wine Spectator awarded it 92 points and described it as “elegant, but with good intensity and a moderate, nut-tinged finish.”
It hasn’t made its way onto many lists yet, but that will change as the winter months approach. Right now, try it by the glass at The Metro Wine Bar & Bistro, 6418 N. Western Ave.
An unusual varietal that is showing up more often in the metro is Picpoul. This traditional, southern French wine makes a lean, very bright white wine with outstanding tropical and citrus fruit flavors. It’s also affordable.
Paul Mas Estate Picpoul de Pinet has the distinction of being a single vineyard Picpoul, a very rare category.
In fact, it’s the only one available in the state. Grab a bottle at Coffee Creek Wine Shop, 775 W. Covell Rd. in Edmond; Byron’s Liquor Warehouse, 2322 N. Broadway Ave.; and Spirit Shop, 1117 Garver St. in Norman.
Champagne, rosés and white wines are all great, but fall really is the time of year to pour the big reds. It’s nearly a seasonal indulgence that rivals pumpkin-flavored everything. Given their density and structure, they don’t make for good companions in Oklahoma’s hot summers.
Amici Cabernet, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from two Napa regions, is new to the metro and a good way to kick off the return of reds. The wine has a very small percentage of Petit Verdot (a grape classically used in Bordeaux blends), adding nice layers of complexity. It’s restrained and structured, and a solid value. It’s available at Spirit Shop.
Finally, they’ve taken a long time to get here, but the Mount Eden Vineyards wines are now available in Oklahoma. The wines are produced from vineyards that were first planted by the legendary winemaker Martin Ray in 1945. The list of winemakers who have produced bottles from these vineyards is a miniature Who’s Who of Napa winemakers.
The Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is really a Bordeaux-style blend, composed of 82 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Wine Advocate awarded it 93 points and called it “impeccably balanced.” This is not a bombastic Napa fruit explosion. It is subtle, balanced and elegant. It’s available at Freemans Liquor Mart, 4401 N. Western Ave., and Edmond Wine Shop, 1520 S. Boulevard in Edmond.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2013.