Another Texas Wine Club (more) selection from a Texas Hill Country Winery. Kuhlman Cellars is located in Stonewall, Texas (more).
Texas Wine Club says:
This 5-year old wine is vibrant and intense. The garnet hue leads he nose first to aromas of herbs, cassis, and white pepper, followed by a floral bouquet. The full-bodied wine exhibits intense tannins and a well-balanced texture, pairing well with cassoulet, duck or a holiday brisket.
What I’d say:
Not bad with the chicken ginger-soy stir-fry on a Thursday night.
Before I say more, let me just say this smells exactly like what you’d expect a Malbec-Merlot blend to taste like.
That’s right – dust! With some very light berry and maybe a pluot or plum with cinnamon and allspice.
Jokes aside – it’s a great blend. And since the grapes are from the Texas High Plains the earthy (dusty) notes don’t surprise me. It’s dry and fruity but velvety on the tongue. (Ok, velvety is a wine geek word – in real life – you know how your tongue feels when you let ice cream sit on it – not Blue Bell – the soft serve from DQ… that smooth, creamy texture – that’s velvety in wine.)
The ginger-soy spice in stir-fry brought out the spice in the wine. It might be my pairing choice – but the food brings out more of the merlot than the malbec. Although, as a lover of malbecs, this would likely pair well with a steak and have more of the malbec richness.
Final Thoughts
I would advise decanting this one. It’s better as it breathes and opens up more so you get more than just the earth notes – the fruitiness and spice really come out. It is very high in tannins – so if you don’t like tannic wine (or it doesn’t like you) then maybe just sip a glass.
I love it when food or wine evokes a memory. This reminded my husband of a Halal Moroccan restaurant in Irving, TX – specifically the spice in the lamb dishes. Which was likely cinnamon, allspice and Zaatar – so I can see that.
Regardless, it’s a great Tuesday to Thursday wine. You could share it with friends and family if you want – but they need to be wine lovers to appreciate it.
