Three More Wines Reviewed With Thanksgiving in Mind

Originally, when I received six wines from Frederick Wildman and Sons, I had planned to review each one separately in its own little post. It was suggested by F. W. and Sons, that these wines would be good to have with Thanksgiving, so I was trying to taste them before that date and get the reviews out as well. Well, I managed to taste them all over the course of a few days, but I do not have enough time, at this point, to do a post for each before the holiday. I decided to cram the last three into this post so I can move on to other things.

I had previously tasted the 08 Folonari Pinot Grigio, the 04 El Coto Rioja Riserva, and the 07 Castello Monaci Primitivo. On the docket today are the Trapiche Broquel Chardonnay, the 05 Jaboulet Parallèle 45 and the 07 Hugel Gewurztraminer. I've had all of these in previous vintages so I am fairly familiar with each style of these wines. The Broquel has tended to be tropical and oak-y. The Jaboulet tends to be simple but can offer a good value. The Hugel tends to be about varietal correctness, precisely spicy.

Broquel is a brand owned by Trapiche. Trapiche, in Argentina, is probably the most widely exported of all brands from that country and has been around, in some form, for over 120 years. They own over 1000 hectares of vineyards in Mendoza.

2007 Trapiche Broquel Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina - Clear, pale golden color with thin fast legs. The nose is fairly intense and shows tropical fruits, pineapple and papaya. There is a butterscotch aroma as well, with some nuttiness, almost slight oxidation in the background. The palate has some structure. There is quite a bit of acidity which I found slightly out of balance with the fruitiness. I also got lemons, pineapple, spices, nutmeg and butter. The wine also seemed to have salinity that stayed with the moderate finish. I generally like a wine with bright acidity, but this seemed out of control or contrived. Aged in French and American oak for nine months. Real cork closure. Alcohol as stated on the label is 14%. Retails for about $14.99. I would rate this Good-. While I personally would not care for this on Turkey Day, I think that for folks who like tropical Chardonnays, this would pair fairly well with traditional Thanksgiving fare. Besides it is an American wine, South American.

Twenty plus years ago, before I know very much about wine, I used to recommend P45, as we in the industry call it, all the time. It was a great value at around $5 a bottle. The price has doubled since then and I have generally found it to be a fairly reliable quaff. Paul Jaboulet Aine have been making wines for over one hundred and fifty years in the Rhone Valley. Their flagship wine, Hermitage "La Chapelle", is consistently rated one of the best wines of the world. Unfortunately, that isn't what I am reviewing here. They have been owned by the Frey family, who also own Ch. La Lagune, since 2006.

2007 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône "Parallele 45", France - Clear, light purplish red, with hints of blue on the edges. The nose has a light intensity of grapes, raspberries and a hint of dry earth. A bit reticent, it has slightly more intensity after some time. Flavors are primary and simple. Red fruits, touch of earth. Very light weight, flat texture, and honestly, not much more substance than a Beaujolais Nouveau I tasted recently. No length to speak of. 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, fermented in stainless steel. Real cork closure. Alcohol as stated on the label, 14%. Retails for about $12.99. I would rate this Fair-. Again, I would not personally have this on Thanksgiving, and actually would skip this vintage for this wine altogether, but, if you were planning on having Beaujolais Nouveau, this could work for you as well.

Hugel et Fils has been around in some form or another since 1639. A producer in Alsace, they have their own vineyards largely on Grand Cru slopes. They also purchase grapes from growers, with whom they have long standing contracts. The wine I am reviewing is one of their "Generic" Hugels, which is made from grapes grown by other folks.

2007 Hugel et Fils Gewurztraminer, Alsace, France - Color is clear and resembles very pale lemon juice. It is almost colorless. The nose has a medium intensity initially, then becomes fuller with time. Lychees, pear, coriander and rose petal. The palate is very pure and precise with fruity nectarine and pear flavors, licorice and Asian spice, all held up nicely with good acidity. Very well balanced, the wine has a dry finish with very good length. 100% Gewurztraminer, fermented in temperature controlled vats. DIAM composite cork closure. Alcohol as stated on the label, 13%. Retails for about $23.99. I would rate this Very Good. If it weren't for the fact that I am doing exclusively American wines for Thanksgiving, I would be more than happy to serve this with dinner.


I am going to be drinking American wines this Thanksgiving. I don't always do this, but for the last few years this has been the route I took. Some work, some don't. The fun is in the experimenting. Whatever wines you have on Thanksgiving, don't stress about the choices. Drink what you like. Cheers!

Disclaimer: I received all of the above wines from Frederick Wildman and Sons as samples.