Metropolitan Report
  • HOME
  • DINING
  • TRAVEL
  • SPIRITS
  • WINE TRAIL
  • BEAUTY / FASHION
  • CULTURE / NIGHTLIFE
  • GIFTS / TECHNOLOGY
  • FOOD & WINE NEWS
  • CONTACT
  • CHATEAUX

Wrath Wines and Their Connection to Ancient Italy

Picture

By Michael Hepworth

The Wrath Winery is located in North Monterey County in the area of the Santa LuciaHighlands, or to be more specific in Soledad. Wrath is a relative new company only created in 2007 by winemaker Michael Thomas who took over the San Saba Vineyard from his stepfather. This archeologist and art historian has produced some very nice wines in a price range of $19-$49 which include chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah. Incidentally the name Wrath originates from a Led Zeppelin tune, and I assume that Thomas must be a huge fan of the legendary rockers.

In fact there is an interesting story here about Michael Thomas and his fascination with Italian wines. He plants Falanghina in his vineyard-one of the most ancient varieties in history. He and his archeological team have been exploring and appraising two OplontisVillas near Pompeii, excavated several decades ago but never fully explored. This was all part of his duties as Director of the Center for the Study of Ancient Italy at theDepartment of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Austin.
He discovered that the region had many individual vineyards in ancient times, and found evidence that wine was transported throughout the region by carts making or picking up deliveries in a big leather sack known as a culleus. Rome at the time had about 1 million citizens, many very wealthy, so shipping wines up the coast at the time must have been a very profitable business venture.

Wine Spectator gave high scores in the nineties to three of the Wrath wines, the 2011 Syrah Monterey Ex Anima, the 2011 Syrah Monterey San Saba Vineyards and the 2011 Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands KW Ranch. The reason that the 2011 wines have such high ratings is that the Santa Lucia Highlands escaped the heavy rains in the region during harvest time. The overall impression after tasting these wines for several weeks is a strong fruity presence, nice balance and full bodied.

This certainly applies to my favorite, the Wrath Ex-Anima 2011 Pinot Noir ($29) which is a stainless and neutral oak estate grown pinot. Top of the line at $49 is the San Saba Vineyard Pinot Noir, a limited production run from select barrels of

the estate grown pinot. This wine offers Burgundian complexity combined with California richness and a combination of  Swan, 667, 828 and Pommard 4 clones.

The Syrah’s are particularly fruity and include a list of fruits embroiled in the overall taste such as exotic plum, blackberry, red berry, fig and cherries. Combine this with 
Picture
savory herb, game meat, rhubarb and tobacco leaf and the limited production of no more than 170 cases for each variety, and it is amazing they can keep the prices so low.

There are two Chardonnays in the collection, with the Ex-Anima version which is unoaked at $19. The more expensive version at $35 is the 3 Clone Chardonnay that uses the 3 clones grown in the San Saba Vineyard.

www.wrathwines.com
By Michael Hepworth

​
What exactly is GRAND BRULOT I thought to myself as I opened the bottle for the first time just around the time this lockdown took effect. Well, Grand Brulot is listed as a VSOP Cognac Café and it can be used in Bloody Mary’s, Manhattans, Negronis, Martinis, spritzes and sidecars , just for starters. It is a blend of Ugni Blanc & Colombard that is crafted into 80 proof VSOP. Then 100% Robusta Ecuadorian coffee bean essence is extracted and blended with brandy to meld for a few months and finally, it is blended with the VSOP Cognac. There is also a whiff of peppermint, nutmeg and hot cocoa in the drink. The retail price is $42.99.

The idea for the drink was instigated in 2015 by John Bernbach who asked for the help of industry veteran Francisco Tonarely to investigate the potential of a cognac/brandy drink blended with coffee. Three year later in August 2018 Grand Brulot was launched. This cognac comes from the Tardy Cognac Group and the grapes come from its single estate. Grand Brulot also plays homage to a New Orleans specialty of the same name that is still served around town.  The name Grand Brulot was inspired by the famous French pirate Jean Lafite who helped New Orleans repel the British invaders in 1812. He would order coffee, pour cognac in the saucer, set it alight and mix it with the coffee.
Recipes:

THE RISE AND SHINE
2 oz Grand Brulot
Orange Twist

Just pour Grand Brulot over ice and the orange will highlight the flavors
of the spirit.

BRULOT BLACK MANHATTAN
1 oz Grand Brulot
1 oz Bourbon
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
3 dashes Orange Bitters

Bartender Todd Smith created this one. Stir all the ingredients together in
a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass with ice and garnish

with orange wheel.

FRENCH NEGRONI
1 oz Grand Brulot
1 oz  Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Campari

Build in a rocks glass over ice and garnish w/orange wheel.

GRAND BRULOT CAFÉ HOLIDAY
1 oz Grand Brulot
0.5 oz Crème de Cacao
3 oz Porter Beer or Stout
3 dashes of bitters

Throw cocktail ingredients between two cups a couple of times to mix
And ignite the foam from the beer. Pour into a highball glass over ice
And garnish with nutmeg.



www.grandbrulot.com
Proudly powered by Weebly