lxv-wines
2022 Meso Cabernet Franc by LXV Wines – Dark, Alluring, Poetic and Intense
Photo from LXV Wines Website
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
There is a fine line between poetry and wine. Add the rich and proud heritage of Indian culture, the descriptions become intertwined. When thinking about Indian poetry it conjures up rich imagery and philosophical depth. Adding a lyrical poetry element and you have an appropriate description of this wine!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First, Meso refers to mesoclimate for a specific vineyard site influenced by elevation, proximity to water and land gaps. It is between the larger macroclimate (region) and smaller microclimate (specific area within a vineyard). The 2022 Meso by LXV Wines Cabernet Franc is 100% Cabernet Franc. It comes from the Willow Creek District of the Paso Robles AVA. It was aged in 50% new French oak barrels (Quintessence Montpensier and Darnajou) and 50% used French oak.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes the almost black coloring of deep rich fruits entices one to partake of this elixir. Once the aromas waft from the glass, one is excited beyond ordinary expectations like a child on Christmas morning. On the palate, blackberry, ripe plum and soft vanilla pipe tobacco swirl about in the mouth. LXV Meso is all about textural experience and this on the palate exemplifies this with both sharp and embracing tannins. Counterbalanced with the concentrated and lively fruit. The long-lasting finish provides that rhythmic and lyrical enticement mentioned earlier with the similarity to poetry.
It is 100% Cabernet Franc and lists at $150/bottle. This year at the 6th Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition it received scores of Gold and Double Gold from two different sets of judges. One of the more enticing and rich Cabernet Franc wines tasted. It will make my annual Best Wines tasted for 2025.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with a beef filet mignon. Seasoned, seared and then BBQ’ed to medium rare. Danish Blue cheese crumbles topped off the steak. Accompanied by roasted potatoes with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and garlic French bread. Also, a fresh garden salad with Danish Blue cheese, fresh Roma tomatoes and green onions. The tannins cut through the tender meat and provided a perfect food and wine pairing.
The Winery and Wine Tasting Experience
LXV provides a unique tasting experience. So much so that they were rated one of the Top 10 tasting experiences as rated by USA Today. LXV, besides holding regular wine tasting, provide an optional spice pairing. The spice pairings are far reaching with Peruvian, Mystic Orient, Smolder Notes, Turkish Shores, Shmeli Suneli and many more spice packets. One is whisked away with their proprietary blends to capture the adventures of different cultures and culinary treats.
Photo of Neeta Mittal from their website
The idea of exotic spices started with Neeta’s mother in a town south of Mumbai. Her mother would regularly visit the spice markets to purchase fragrant herbs and spices to go with their handmade Tandoori Masala. One of the goals of spice tasting is to open the confined discussion of pH and acidity of wine to a broad horizon of international flavors.
Today they offer besides a variety of “Bordeaux influenced wines”, others like Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Syrah and many more. For more information you can read a previously published story:
Sláinte,
Michael
2012 Lineage Wine and a Christmas Holiday Dinner With Friends
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Aristotle in his writings 2,372 years ago in his book on Metaphysics stated, “in the case of all things which have several parts and in which the totality is not, as it were, a mere heap, but the whole is something besides the parts”. Then Euclid with his mathematics approach from his book Elements, Common Notion, stated “The whole is greater than the part(s)”. So, it is the same with the 2012 Lineage Wine. I will explain in detail below.
The Wine Maker
Steven Kent Mirassou, as a 6th generation family winemaker has set high goals. He set as his pinnacle development to produce the best “Bordeaux style” wine California could produce. A lofty and perhaps extreme goal for one man in Livermore Valley. After many years as a successful winemaker at Steven Kent Winery, he decided to make 3 to 5 barrels a year of the absolute premier “Bordeaux style” wine. We just opened his 2012 vintage, which is the sixth of the Lineage releases. The blend which changes year to year based on flavor profiles, consisted of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon (Clones 30 & 7); 14% Cabernet Franc; 10% Merlot; 4% Petit Verdot.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While blending is an “artistic” endeavor, Steven also is analytical in his pursuit of the perfect Bordeaux blend. Here is Steven’s write-up on why these varietals and clones were chosen. It is like an artist mixing paint colors for the right shading and expression of a painting.
“Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 30: Dark cherry and cassis flavors, fine-grained tannins and acidity. Less opulent but more age worthy than Clone 4.
Cabernet Franc: Not as “big” as CS but with more finesse and an aromatic palate of sandalwood and chocolate. Acidity is the watchword of this variety. Its acid-based red fruit flavors marry well with the darker more tannic Cabernet Sauvignon to enliven and length Lineage’s finish.
Petit Verdot: Contributes tannin, color, and grapey aromas and flavors of violet and black fruit. This variety helps to build density in the mid-palate of the wine.
Merlot: Noble variety of Bordeaux’s Right Bank; as counterpoint to CS’s austere structure, Merlot is fleshy and opulent; ripe red/dark cherry flavor, a touch of herbal complexity which adds to Lineage’s rich mid-palate.”
The key take way on blending is that it is extremely selective and requires rigorous decision making of not only varietals, but the correct Clones of the varietals to get the flavor profile. Add another step of both winemaking and personal craftsmanship and abracadabra you have a gorgeous and refined Bordeaux blend called Lineage. I am sure Steven wished it was that simple, but this is the shortened version.
Two of many other detailed undertakings are his hand selection of French oak barrels (Taransaud, Le Grand and Francois Freres) and his constant monitoring of the development of the wine in the barrel.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
2012 was marked by nearly perfect weather throughout the growing season, and the temperate year produced perfectly ripe and balanced fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon contribution had a significantly larger role by percentage than it did in the previous releases and shows in Lineage and generous structure. Again, Cabernet Franc beautifully serves its role as the contributor of verve, style, and vitality. Merlot provides a great mid-palate roundness while Petit Verdot adds tannin and exotic fruit. The overall feel of Lineage is one of beauty and elegance with a fairly low alcohol level of 13.9%. The suggested maturity of this wine is recommended from 2018 to 2030. The wine was harvested from the Ghielmetti Estate and Home Ranch Vineyards in Livermore Valley. This library wine today from Lineage goes for $245. The current release is 2018 and available for $195. The 2018 was given 97 points immediately by Wine Enthusiast and the 2017 received 100 points from Steve Heimoff.
The flavor profile and experience of this wine is truly remarkable. First on the eye you see a medium to medium-dark red tint and medium viscosity wine. Very different than some of the bolder Cabernet Sauvignon’s coming out of Napa Valley. Your first impression is perhaps this may be a bit light. But hold on until you get your first whiff which reveals “black fruits, exotic woods and spice aromatics”.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine was double filtered and decanted for two hours before tasting.
On the palate, you get all the above characteristics that Steven proposed in his selection of varietals and clones to produce a crescendo of semi-sweet mocha, dark cherry, dark roasted coffee, sweet tobacco, violets, black fruit, etc. You are a bit mesmerized in trying to dissect each essential trait in this wine drinking experience. But it is a wine to simply enjoy and savor the existential engagement and relationship of such a rare and eloquent treat.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photos ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening dinner with a dry rubbed seasoned prime rib, mashed potato casserole with bacon, cheddar cheese and topped with parsley, meatballs, mesquite chicken breasts, roasted Brussel sprouts with reduced balsamic vinegar, a scrumptious holiday honey crisp salad with thinly sliced apples, Romaine lettuce, candied pecans, dried cranberries and blue cheese with a fresh apple cider vinaigrette dressing and for dessert a freshly baked carrot cake topped with crushed candied pecans.
An excellent food and wine pairing shared with friends this evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We also enjoyed a few other very good and fun wines with the meal.
Sláinte,
Michael