Previous Top Picks from John O.

Ricardo Santos Malbec - $17.99

Ricardo Santos is a world-renouned winemaker with a passion for Agentinian wine and Malbec.  The former owner of the Norton Winery has continued his quest for excellence by founding a new winery of his own.

Wine Enthusiast in August 2008 gave 91 points to the Ricardo Santos Malbec, writing that it is one of  "a select group of under-$20 Malbecs from Argentina that really do make the country and the varietal proud.  They found the wine "easy and ripe on the nose, with lovely cola, berry and herb aromas. The palate has a natural feel and bright black-fruit flavors..."

The grapes originate on a vineyard 2,800 up the slopes of the Andes.  The taste is rich, lush and elegant and full of ripe fruit reminiscent of blackberry, cherry and plum.

Famiglia Meschini Malbec Syrah 2008 - $9.99

A superbly layered and rich blend, filled with crisp mineral and flower tones and spice, followed by black currant, blueberry and black cherry. This wine has very good structure for a low price.  It is excellent on its own, or paired with lamb or any other hearty dish.

Famiglia Meschini grows wine in Mendoza county Argentina and resides in the Twin Cities; they operate the winery as a family business.  Here is a link to an article by Bill Ward.

Granziano Mendocino County Zinfandel 2006 - $14.99

A bold and elegant red Zinfandel.  Fantastic with spicy pasta dishes or a grilled burger.  Excellent structure, with flavors of plum, pepper, spice, and a balanced acidity.

An outstanding value from a historical vineyards.  The Graziano family has been making wine in Mendocino county since 1918.

This wine was also featured in a PassionVinesTV episode.  You can watch the review here, and then stop by Ken and Norm's to try it for yourself. 

Cono Sur Sustainable Agriculture Cabernet / Carmere 2008

A blend of 60 percent cabernet sauvignon and 40 percent carmenere.

Certified in its organic adherence by BCS Oeko Garantie GmbH, this earthy wine offers a robust and very expressive nose, with notes of strawberries, berries and plum. In mouth this Cabernet Sauvignon / Carmenere is absolutely concentrated. Black and red fruits are in complete harmony with soft tannins. It displays an integrated character, with slight final touches of toasted wood.

Cono Sur Sustainable Agriculture Cabernet / Carmere goes well with all kinds of red meats, pâté, lamb and game included. It’s also a great choice to serve next to stews, casseroles, and legumes.

Stop in at Ken and Norm's and pick up a bottle for yourself!

Le Grand Blanc by Henri Milan

Le Grand Blanc is a Rhone-style blend of Grenache, Chardonnay, Rousanne, Vermentino and Muscat; each of these components is pronounced and recognizable on both the nose and palate. It offers a complex melange of lemon, melon, grapefruit, wildflower, thyme, and rosemary with persistent fruit and excellent structure.

From Wine and Spirits Magazine, June 2009:

90 Points!

From a biodynamically run estate in St-Rémy-en-Provence, this wine requires patience. Give it a half hour in a decanter and serve at nearly room temperature to fully appreciate all the flavors; only then does the deep, golden wine rise out of its oxidative tones to reveal fresh poached pears an succulent salted caramel notes. It’s a big wine, a blend of grenache blanc, roussanne, chardonnay, muscat and rolle that spends a year on its lees.

Come in to Ken and Norm's and get a bottle today!

Can Blau Celler "Can Blau" Montsant

91 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:
"Dark purple. Sexy aromas of blackberry, blueberry, Asian spices and smoked meat. Supple and open-knit, with sweet dark berry preserve flavors, velvety texture and good mineral bite. Manages to be both nervy and concentrated, with very good finishing clarity and cut. Leaves strong blue fruit notes behind and repeats the spicy quality."

90+ points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2007 Can Blau is purple-colored with a nose of cedar, mineral, baking spices, blueberry, and black cherry. This leads to a full-bodied wine with layers of flavor, enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years, and a pure, fruit-filled finish. It will be at its peak from 2010 to 2018."

90 points from Wine & Spirits:
"This wine's sweet flavors of blueberries and cloves meld into the smoky notes of oak. It's a robust and tannic wine with powerfully concentrated flavors of wild forest fruits. Still young, it needs at least a couple years in the bottle to mellow."
                                         
Stop by Ken and Norm's today and pick up two bottles: one to try and one to keep!