Lake Anna Winery Spotsylvania Claret

Varietal:  Claret (50% Merlot; 20% Touriga; 15% Cabernet Franc; 8% Chambourcin; 4% Petite Verdot; 2% Tannat; 1% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Region:  Virginia – USA
Cost:  $15

A medium-bodied wine of ruby/garnet coloring offering flavors of herb and berry, most notably raspberry.  A slightly dry, tannic finish is reminscent of Chianti, but the overall smoothness of the wine allows it to be paired with a wide variety of foods.

Recommendation:  My wife and I enjoyed this wine with a pair of steaks, and it was a great compliment to them.  The wine didn’t overwhelm the meat, but the slightly dry finish was a great balance to the juiciness of the steaks.   Even after the meal had been finished, I still enjoyed finishing the bottle by itself, a quality I find desirable in any wine I drink – being able to be enjoyed without food.  What I liked best about this wine was that while the dryness on the finish worked great with juicy steaks, it wasn’t so dry as to require something like that, and would compliment a dryer meal as well.  While I won’t go so far as to say that this is a substitute for Chianti if that’s where your tastes lie, this is a great blend to serve for guests when you’re not sure where their tastes lie.  Definitely worth picking up, particularly at this price point.