Eberle Continued

In wrapping up our discussion of Eberle Winery’s offerings, we come to the wine that most interested me – Eberle Winery Full Boar Red, non vintage (~$17).  I taste a lot of wine so it is fun when something surprises me.  The surprise here is the smell and taste of juniper!  It does not dominate – but it is there in the form of a dusty herbaceouness and lends a rustic hint to the wine’s character.   There is also plenty of acid and fruit.  This is an unusual blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a little addition of Sangiovese and Barbera (traditionally Italian grapes) and Tempranillo (traditionally Spanish).  The label featuring a small boar drinking may especially appeal to fans of the Arkansas Razorbacks and to non fans who just think it is funny.  The word “Eberle” actually means “small boar.”

Another popular wine for the night was the 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  This was a well crafted bottle of wine.  The style was understated for a California Cab.  Not overly fruity or tannic, the wine was well structured.  Flavors and aromas included a meatiness or savory note supported by toasted aromas with spice that carried through the wine’s finish.  At 14% the alcohol was substantial but well integrated.  I found this to be more enjoyable than some California Cabernet Sauvignons in the price range – ~$22.

The 2010 Eberle Winery Muscat Canelli was the only white we tasted.  Muscat or Moscato is a very popular grape and wine because it is usually very fruity and sweet.  It is especially good for sipping in hot weather.  Compared to other Muscats, I found one real advantage to this wine and one disadvantage.  The good news – it wasn’t too sweet.  Some Muscats are so sweet that I want to scrape my tongue across my teeth to remove the sugar residue.  Eberle Muscat Canelli had enough acidity to balance the sweetness to a pleasant level.  The bad news – there wasn’t enough fruit.  The beautiful thing about a Muscat/Moscato is the flavor of peach, apricot, nectarine, fresh grape etc.  While not completely absent, I found the fruit lacking in this wine.  Retail is ~ $14.