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Feb
2015
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Wines of the Week: Feb. 9-15

Weeknight: Albariños have caught on in a rather large way of late, but there is so much more in the Can Feixeswhite-wine realm coming out of Spain. The 2013 Can Feixes Penedes Blanc Selecció ($12) has a positively gorgeous nose, fabulous citrus and pear flavors, spot-on acidity and a refreshing finish. It’s a blend of 40 percent parellada, 30 percent macabeo, 20 percent chardonnay and 10 percent malvasia de sites (and no, I don’t know much about most of those grapes, either), grown on slopes 1,300 feet above sea level in a vineyard that has produced wine since 1690. The mouth-watering aspect of this wine makes it a star at the dinner table with almost anything but red meat. Such a harmonious wine warrants the melodic melding that oily siblings like the Louvin Brothers can bring.

Occasion: I loves me some cabernet franc, and the 2012 Broc Cellars Central Coast Cabernet Franc ($20) Brocis one of the finest domestic renditions to pass through my palate. And it was a smooth but hearty passage, with the requisite herby, earthy elements but also a range of fruit flavors, starting red and then plunging into pure Blueberryland. This Berkeley-based outfit has been a winery to watch for a while, and now it’s one to just enjoy. An herby roast chicken or pork loin would provide pairing perfection, as would winter or spring veggies and a BLT. The odd but thoroughly likable new album of Bob Dylan channeling Ol’ Blue Eyes is an apt soundtrack.

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