On the Road with the Grape Guy
Report from - A tasting of the Wines of Catena (Laura & Ernesto) ... September 14, 2009
21 Sep 2009- Details
- Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
It’s not often you go to a tasting of 11 wines and walk away with a favourable impression of 10 of them – and the only reason the 11th didn’t make the grade is that the packaging promised more than the wine delivered (meaning I just expected more from this wine because of it’s awesome label).
Let’s take a few seconds to discuss that. Sometimes you see a real unique, inspired label, you buy the wine, take it home, pop the cork and the product inside just doesn’t live up to the expectations you had for the wine. It’s not to say the wine is bad, off or poorly made; it just underwhelms with respect to the ‘wow’ packaging. Of course, sometimes the reverse is true, lackluster packaging can wow you with the wine inside. We all come to the table with our own prejudices and preconceived notions.
Today I came to a table full of Laura Catena and Ernesto Catena wines. Our host for this tasting, Celeste Pesce, Assistant Winemaker and Export Manager, told us that the two make completely different wines based and the styles run along their personality line. Laura is exact and precise, because of her medical background; while her brother Ernesto, is all about the free spirit, the creativity and the artistry. At first glance you can see these traits come out on their labels – Laura’s classic and clean, Ernesto’s creative with a touch of mystery and whimsy. Both are making exceptional wines.
And now without further ado I’ll list my top six wines with notes – 4½ stars and above ... (to read about these wines, including three 5-star offerings and one of the best value wines I have tasted, click here )
