A mix of Colorado varietals: taste these Colorado wines at The Capital Grille.
Author | Robbins, Claude |
Position | Recommended wines |
The wines featured on this page can be sampled January through March at The Capital Grille, 1450 Larimer St., in Denver. Menu suggestions for each wine are supplied below.
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SPECIAL COLORADO WINE PAIRING DINNER EVERY EVENING AT THE CAPITAL GRILLE
Call (303) 539-2500 for reservations.
www.thecapitalgrille.com
TWO RIVERS, MESA COUNTY, CHARDONNAY 2003
WINE EVALUATION: This wine is fairly rich and buttery, showing the malolactic fermentation and oaking it has received. Lots of classic Chardonnay character: ripe apple, apricot and a hint of tropical fruit. Good viscosity and reasonable balance between oak and wine structure.
SERVING TEMP: 55-60F (don't serve this one too cold)
FOOD IDEAS: Serve this wine with meats and fish that can match the richness of the wine. This would include lobster and crab cakes or French onion soup, a veal chop with Roquefort butter, broiled lobster, grilled sword-fish Jardiniere, and sesame seared tuna. Relatively fat Chardonnays like this one will also go well with red meats (it's a red wine disguised as a white wine) such as steak Tartar or a rare (to mid-rare) filet mignon.
READINESS TO DRINK: Drink now or cellar for a year to two.
COTTONWOOD CELLARS, COLORADO LEMBERGER, 2003
WINE EVALUATION: Lemberger is a grape that seems to do quite well in Colorado (Blaufraunkisch is the Austrian name). Cottonwood Cellars Lemberger is one of the best produced in Colorado. On the nose it has mineral earthiness, along with pronounced cinnamon and spice, some red cherry and a hint of smoke. Soft oak tannins and fruit round out this wine.
SERVING TEMP: 58-60F
FOOD IDEAS: This is a medium bodied red wine that will work with a wide range of foods. This would include Bleu Cheese and crumbled bacon salad, roasted chicken and seared Salmon with mustard sauce. It will work great with a steak, so long as it is rare to mid-rare.
READINESS TO DRINK: Drink now or cellar for a year to 18 months.
MESA GRAND VINEYARDS, GRAND VALLEY CABERNET FRANC, 2004
WINE EVALUATION: This is a surprisingly well-balanced Cabernet Franc with just the right amount of extract and tannins. Ripe black cherry and cassis on the nose with a hint of pencil shavings (you know, cedar and pencil lead) and a little earthiness. It also has a hint of green pepper, but not enough to make you worry that it's over extracted.
SERVING TEMP: 62-65F
FOOD IDEAS: You could put together an entire meal, except dessert, with this wine. How about starting with a...
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