CLOS du BOIS Merlot

Wine Name: CLOS du BOIS

Type: Merlot
Country: USA	Region: California North Coast
Rating: Good	Price: Around US$18
Recommendation: Recommended

This week we are featuring a wine from Northern California in the U.S.A, the winery is called CLOS du BOIS  and is located in Sonoma County. While I have never made it to the Sonoma region, I have been to San Francisco and the Bay Area and consider San Francisco to be among the most beautiful cities in the world.

Travelling north from the San Francisco airport it is almost impossible not to notice the stunning San Francisco Bay at some stage. Heading towards Sonoma, the drive will take you directly over the famous Golden Gate bridge. The routes from other airports in the region such as Oakland and San Jose may not directly take you over Golden Gate. San Francisco is flanked by the Bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. The ocean and the local currents contribute to several interesting  weather patterns such as fog and strong winds. The area is renowned for cool summer and mild winter climates. Leaving San Francisco behind and heading towards Sonoma, the city gives way to rolling hills, mountain vistas and valleys. Sonoma County has rugged coastlines and beaches to the west, rolling hills, rivers, redwood forests, plenty of grapes and of course wineries. Sonoma is the largest wine producing county in the “California wine region”, apparently producing larger quantities than the more famous Napa valley.

The CLOS du BOIS winery grows some of their own grapes and sources others from various locations in the region. The wine is a Merlot that has a deep ruby color and is a medium to heavy red. It is a smooth wine with hints of dark cherries and a resemblance of chocolate. The label says a hint of cinnamon and that could be chocolaty taste we identified. The wine is very low in acidity and has minimal oak to speak of. It is a very subtle, smooth and warming wine. It would go well with pastas, pizza, tomato based dishes and dark meats. If you want a decent strength, smooth, non-overbearing red, this is a good wine for you. Frankly I’m a fan of this wine. Available at most larger supermarkets like Target, H.E.B and also at Specs.

For the accompanying food, we went with another simple recipe, we cooked steaks on the grill (barbeque) marinated in Chimichurri Sauce. The sauce emanates from Argentina and can be used as a marinade or a sauce.  We prefer to use it as a marinade and typically add the steaks no less than one hour before cooking, although most recipes state around 3 hours. The marinade can apparently be used with other meats such as chicken, fish and I even read that it works with pasta. Go ahead, go crazy experimenting with it.

Chimichurri Sauce (Marinade)  

               

1 ½ Cups chopped Cilantro Sprigs            

2 Teaspoons dried thyme

1 Cup White vinegar (Some recipes use red wine vinegar)
2 Teaspoons black pepper

3/4 Cup chopped onion                                 

1 Teaspoon salt

2 Teaspoons ground cumin                          

6 Cloves garlic Chopped

2 Teaspoons dried oregano                         

3 Bay leaves

Open the wine to allow it breath, combine all marinade ingredients in a Zip Lock bag, add the meat, shake and refrigerate until you are ready to cook. If some wine happens to "fall" from the bottle into your glass while the meat is marinating, all the better.

Rating: Good.                  Winery Web Site: www.closdubois.com