Coppola Claret

Coppola Diamond Collection
Claret 2006
California

This wine goes down easy. Rich, smooth, full of tobacco & dark berry flavors. The tannins mellowed almost straight out of the bottle, with little attention from us. The "nose" leaves a lot to be desired but the flavor more than makes up for it. For dinner we paired this with steak (rubbed with pepper) and the Claret stood up to the strong flavors admirably. Sitting around after dinner, the wine is still enjoyable - quite relaxing, actually. A good dinner wine doesn't always sip well or vice versa. It's nice when the wine flows so smoothly through the evening.

Today's wine nerd note: Unlike many U.S. wines, this one is named for the blend rather than the grape. But Claret is already a big clue - it's simply a name for a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend. Often there's some Merlot in there but not necessarily. The term originated with the British and they use it to refer to wines from Bordeaux.

One final note: A big thanks to Glenn & Nancy for giving the bottle to Stan for his birthday!