Core Wine Company "Hard Core" 2003
The previously mentioned broker, Jeff Pierce (J.P.) sent some wine from L.A. for me to try. The Core wine looked interesting so this evening with enchiladas, we are Hard Core!
This Santa Maria company makes several wines, mostly blends, sourced from the Santa Barbara and Fresno areas.
The Hard Core from 2003 is one of those blends, and is comprised of Mourvedre, Grenache, and Cabernet. The current release is 2004 so J.P. found last years release in some hidden gem of a wine store.
The wine is a voluptuous burgundy in the glass, thick and leggy, with a touch of cloudiness showing an aversion to filtering and fining that many of the better winemakers have these days. That's not a bad thing in my mind. For many, the act of filtering removes too much body and flavor so the wine is allowed to settle first in the barrel, then bottle storage over time causes much of the cloudiness to fall out of solution and adhere to the bottle sides.
Although cosmetically, I prefer filtered wines, which also tend to be a tad smoother and less chewy when young, there are so many unfiltered bottles out there, you just can't be finicky any longer. I have found some filtered wines to be as tasty as unfiltered, but I suspect the decision lies with the quality of the grapes and the desires of the winemaker.
The Hard Core has a nose that presents the Grenache and Mourvedre more so than the Cabernet, which I suspect is there to smooth the usual edges of the other fruit. There is also a hint of greenness in the wines smell which does not carry into the taste but is nonetheless a slightly disconcerting odor I am not used to. It may just be the soil speaking or the method of pressing the grapes taking in some stem and seed overtones.
The berry flavors are indicative of warmer climates, with the tannins saying "store me". This wine can easily go several years with gentle, cool, beauty rest. Mostly in my cellar...
It is a mildly edgy wine, with a full mouth of flavor, that like a hearty Zinfandel seems to be ample enough to go along side spicy and full flavor foods, like my dinner tonight! The 14.5% alcohol is nicely hidden behind the wealth of taste.
275 cases produced. Moderately priced.
Thanks Jeff!
This Santa Maria company makes several wines, mostly blends, sourced from the Santa Barbara and Fresno areas.
The Hard Core from 2003 is one of those blends, and is comprised of Mourvedre, Grenache, and Cabernet. The current release is 2004 so J.P. found last years release in some hidden gem of a wine store.
The wine is a voluptuous burgundy in the glass, thick and leggy, with a touch of cloudiness showing an aversion to filtering and fining that many of the better winemakers have these days. That's not a bad thing in my mind. For many, the act of filtering removes too much body and flavor so the wine is allowed to settle first in the barrel, then bottle storage over time causes much of the cloudiness to fall out of solution and adhere to the bottle sides.
Although cosmetically, I prefer filtered wines, which also tend to be a tad smoother and less chewy when young, there are so many unfiltered bottles out there, you just can't be finicky any longer. I have found some filtered wines to be as tasty as unfiltered, but I suspect the decision lies with the quality of the grapes and the desires of the winemaker.
The Hard Core has a nose that presents the Grenache and Mourvedre more so than the Cabernet, which I suspect is there to smooth the usual edges of the other fruit. There is also a hint of greenness in the wines smell which does not carry into the taste but is nonetheless a slightly disconcerting odor I am not used to. It may just be the soil speaking or the method of pressing the grapes taking in some stem and seed overtones.
The berry flavors are indicative of warmer climates, with the tannins saying "store me". This wine can easily go several years with gentle, cool, beauty rest. Mostly in my cellar...
It is a mildly edgy wine, with a full mouth of flavor, that like a hearty Zinfandel seems to be ample enough to go along side spicy and full flavor foods, like my dinner tonight! The 14.5% alcohol is nicely hidden behind the wealth of taste.
275 cases produced. Moderately priced.
Thanks Jeff!
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