Upon doing my usual deep dive on the wines I came across this on the Viña Cobos website. I feel like you all the deal of the century on the wines. Talk about inflation.
For the Sapphire white wine this month I picked the 2022 Viña Cobos 'Vinculum' Chardonnay, The word vinculum has a couple meanings-one refers to the connecting band of tissue, such as attaching a flexor tendon to the bone. In this case it refers to the mathematical definition-" a horizontal line drawn over a group of terms in a mathematical expression to indicate thay they are to be operated on as a single entity by the preceding or following operator."
The grapes that make up this wine come from the famed Uco Valley, about and hour south of Mendoza, Argentina. Uco Valley produces terroir driven Malbecs and even thought it isn't widely planted, there have been some great results from Cabernet Franc. The cool climate allows Chardonnay and Torrentés-two other varietals produced in the region-to slowly ripen and produce more sophisticated juice. The Vinculum Chardonnay is a great example. The nose jumps out of the glass, floral notes, with hints of white peach. The palate is balanced with vivid mineral notes and a long lasting finish.
Both fish dishes The Bluebird offers (Halibut and Salmon) would pair beautifully with this wine.
Now off the the other side of the world. Specifically the Stellenbosch region of South Africa.
Vineyards cover the gently rolling hills around Stellenbosch, multiple mesoclimates allow for a lot of variation in wine style and multiple grape varieties can be found, although Cabernet Sauvigon is the most widely planted grape varietal. Which brings us to the Sapphire red selection.
Neil Ellis has been described as the doyen (most respected or prominent person in a particular field) of the South African wine industry. He started in the 1980's as a négociant seeking parcels to make exceptional wines under his own name, to a well-established family enterprise.
"The art of wine is blending and selection, but only science can give you quality...I am not trying to make a certain style to suit opinion formers. Let the sites drive the style. In terms of winemaking, it is about applying a management within that environment to protect and
enhance what the vineyard can give."
Neil Ellis-
The Sapphire selection this month is the 2018 Neil Ellis Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon. Right away the deep, dark red color is the first you'll notice. Brambly ripe blackberry notes justify the color. Slight hints of pepper in the mid-pallet is followed up by a toasty oak finish.
We ran this Lamb Shank special last week and this wine would have/will pair amazing with this dish. If you weren't able to make it in, keep an eye out on Facebook and Instgram for a menu update.