Justin and I were first introduced to the Forlorn Hope wines at one of our favorite neighborhood wine shops about 3 years ago. The wines are intoxicating blends of mostly old world varietals (mostly from Portugal, Austria, and Spain), grown in California. The winemaker, Matthew Rorick, is quirky and his wines are phenomenal, but also a little quirky. When breaching our wine list we wanted to pick wines that were affordable and approachable from an event standpoint (i.e. appealing to many guests and not too hard for bar staff to explain). In addition, like any person with sight, we like a catchy label (as long as the wine underneath lives up to the promise). After seeing that mustachioed label, we were excited to taste.
Dexter Lake is a blend of organic grapes from Medocino and Suisun Valley. It contains Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Petite Verdot, and Touriga - a Portuguese grape most commonly associated with port. Although mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine does not exhibit the big oak tannins that many associate with California reds. It has a lot of blueberry and plum on the palate from the Touriga, and the Petite Verdot softens the tannins a little. It is a round wine that would pair well with barbecue, fruit sauces, and pork.
And did we mention that there is a Dexter Lake fan club. They are just about to harvest the 2012 grapes, but we're currently pouring the 2009 for your drinking pleasure.
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1 comment:
I think organic grapes make some of the best wines. The flavor is rich and I can taste the difference when I am drinking an organic wine. I have never heard of Dexter Lake, but I will have to put them on my list of wines to try out in the future.
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