Good signs

We were recently asked by a reader - and have been asked several times previously - if there is some predictable pattern to good years and not-so-good years for domestically produced wines. A related question we have received a number of times is whether a good year here in "the States" equates to a tough year in Europe.

The short answer to both is no. It is all weather dependent. As we have written so many times, there are a host of things that can go wrong throughout the growing season, from bud break all the way up to harvest. While it seems at times there is a relation to good years "here" versus bad years "there," it has happened when both Europe and the U.S. have either good or bad growing years. Any relation of weather patterns oscillating between the grape-growing regions of the U.S. and Europe might better be directed to climatologist Cliff Harris.

There are some very good signs showing up for wine consumers, though. 2010 and 2011 were two of the most challenging back-to-back vintages we have seen in our time as wine consumers. We know that the weather conditions in 2012 were a great improvement. We are just starting to learn how good 2012 was. The growing conditions were near ideal, producing ripe fruit in large quantities from most every appellation. After the tough and small harvests of 2010 and 2011, wineries are releasing the 2012 reds to the market more quickly to fill the void. In the past weeks, we have tried some and, in short, we are very impressed.

The reds we have tasted are dense and rich, layered with ripe fruit flavors and finely tannined. We have found that alcohols, while higher than the two previous cool vintages, are by no means out of control. Chemistry seems to be well balanced too, with the wines depending on wine-making having enough acid to hold the wine together, but not amped up to the point where they taste thin.

We have had the Alexandria Nicole Jet Black Syrah ($26) on the shelf for three vintages now, including the soon-to-arrive 2012. We have always been impressed with the wine from this Prosser winery and customers like it too, based on buying patterns. The 2012 reaches a whole new level. It is quite literally "jet black:" the fruit is dense and rich, showing ripe cherry flavors throughout, fine grained tannin and a finish that does not quit.

Routestock from St. Helena in the Napa Valley produces several different wines, each with the highway route number on the label for the road that runs through the area the grapes come from. The 29 is Napa Cabernet, named for the main road that runs through the heart of Napa Valley. The 2012 vintage of the Routestock 29 ($23) is flat-out delicious. We were so impressed with the wine, we put it in our wine club. The wine is balanced and elegant, hitting all of the notes one hopes for from Cabernet produced in the heart of this most well-regarded of Cabernet appellations. It is loaded with plum and cherry flavors on the palate, hints of cedar spice box on the nose, and a firm finish.

The 2012 Clayhouse Cabernet ($14) and their 2012 Malbec ($14) from Paso Robles are both wonderful. While we tasted the Cab with our distributor, we were turned on to their Malbec by one of our customers. The wines - like others from that year - are rich and ripe, showing loads of fruit and enough structure to hold the wines together: a joy to drink.

For wine consumers, the 2012 vintage will present many great opportunities, with great quality and ample supplies. We are just at the beginning of the releases, so there will be many chances to try wines from this year in the coming months and years. Our lone concern is the age-worthiness of the wines, given the ripeness of the year. In many cases though, how well a wine will age is winemaker-dependent.We look forward to learning more about the longevity of the wines as we taste through more of what we believe will be many great wines from 2012.

If there is a topic you would like to read about, or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party, a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George has also worked as a judge in many wine competitions; his articles are published around the country and is the wine editor for Coeur d'Alene Magazine (www.cdamagazine.com). You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles, as well as other great wine tips, by friending us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.