October is a month that typically involves lingering.   Knowing that the holidays loom ahead (and that those months are characterized by hustling, bustling, preparation, planning and more preparation) is enough incentive to take one’s time coasting through October.   Harvest activities are still on-going this year at most wineries due to the unseasonably chilly summer that Napa Valley experienced this year.  With the smell of crushed and fermenting grapes lingering in the air and warm autumnal afternoon sun on one’s shoulders, it is a time to be savored.

Often I am questioned by visitors to wine country about where to find “good Tempranillo”.  Tempranillo, a black grape with origins in Northern Spain, is not widely grown in California.   The look on each inquirer’s face is a similar repeated expression of disbelief and generally his or her eyes wander hungrily towards the vast rows of vines that make up much of the visible landscape of Napa Valley.  Tempranillo grape, which is used to make luscious deep colored red wines known for lower acidity and alcohol, best grows in cooler climates (as opposed to the hot dry climate of California) and is best known for success in the Rioja DOCa of Spain.   Nevertheless, a few wineries in Napa Valley do make a Tempranillo wine, but it is only when it emerges of the quality that the grape is best known for (despite regional challenges of Napa Valley’s geographic location) that the wine should be marketed and made available for purchase.

Goosecross Cellars, located in Yountville, from time to time makes a Tempranillo that is worthy of the caliber of the grape’s Spanish origins.   Two years ago, the winery released a 2006 Tempranillo which I obtained a few bottles of and despite the youth that the wine displayed in the glass, I elected to simply cellar my wine for additional bottle aging.   This year, the winery has recently returned with a 2008 Tempranillo vintage for purchase and timely enough, I am ready to pull a bottle of the 2006 vintage for this week’s article.

Pouring the wine into the glass, you note that the wine is intensely colored with ruby hues and purple tones.   While Tempranillo is typically recognized for its intense, rich coloring, if the grape is grown in a warmer climate (such as California’s) the grape will have a thicker skin and intensifies the coloring of the wine.   The varietal can be enjoyed young due to its manageable acidity, but its quality immensely improves from aging (whether in the barrel or bottle).   The Goosecross’ 2006 Tempranillo lends a mildly gamey and earthy smell to the bouquet of the wine, but these rustic aromas are quickly followed with warm notes of cedar, fresh tobacco and red currant.    Taking a sip, the wine explodes onto the palate with spice, pepper, red plum, roasted fennel, currant and an exceedingly silky smooth texture which brings an element of debonair to this otherwise rustic medium-bodied red wine.  This is a wine that can be relished on its own at this stage of aging or explored with a wide range of cuisine to accentuate certain attributes of the wine itself.

While it may seem cliché to plan a menu of Spanish-influenced Tapas for this week’s menu, after tasting the wine, it is abundantly apparent why this style of cuisine is innately destined for Tempranillo pairings.    With this in mind, this week’s menu holds:

1)      Marinated Cracked Olives;

2)     Mini Artichoke Risotto Manchego Cakes;

3)     Spiced Beef Empanadas; and

4)     Apple-Apricot Empanadas.

As many know, Tapas are the Spanish equivalent to appetizers and generally are intended to be small plates of savory morsels capable of being consumed without silverware.   This was kept in mind for each Tapa course such that the fork would be optional.   Prepared ahead of time in order to marinate, buttery green California olives meet thin slices of garden-grown red pepper, finely minced garlic, thyme harvested from the garden, red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Enjoying these with the 2006 Tempranillo show how the Marinated Cracked Olives offer a zesty flavor to help accentuate aromas and flavors of smoke and spice in the wine.

Artichoke, risotto, garlic, shallots and thyme from the garden encase chunks of manchego cheese to create little heavenly bites of sweet herbed flavors and tangy sheep’s milk cheese.   If the wine held any residual acidity, the manchego cuts through it such that the wine glides across the palate with even increased finesse showing off classy Old World notes.

Next up emerges the true star of the menu, the Spiced Beef Empanada.   Flakey puff pastry meets deliciously sweetened beef, California green olives, golden raisins, caramelized onions, garlic and Carmelo tomatoes from my garden.   If the mini risotto cakes were heaven, these Empanadas take the palate beyond.    Exquisitely ensconced in buttery flakey layers of puff pastry, sweet and spiced layers unfold to reveal subtle complexity.   A carefully determined balance of cumin, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon and garden fresh thyme truly envelop the beef to bring a coy aura of culinary mystique that firmly tames the gamey notes found in the wine.   The soft buttery notes of the California green olives, the sweet warmed flavors of the golden raisins and the extraordinary flavor of the Carmelo tomatoes combine with the spiced beef to render the recipient of one of these empanadas to chew slowly and enjoy each layer of flavor with a suitably appointed sip of Tempranillo.

Finally, to cleanse the palate, Apple-Apricot Empanadas emerge where baked fuji apple brushed with apricot preserves accompanies delicate slices of almond and baking spices.   Delightfully sweet, yet without an overload of granulated sugar, the Apple-Apricot Empanadas cleanse the palate while bringing forth giant aromas and flavors of anise in Goosecross’ 2006 Tempranillo.

While Goosecross is no longer selling the 2006 vintage of its Tempranillo, it is selling its 2008 vintage.   If you find yourself at the winery and looking to pick up a bottle, make sure to pick up extra bottles for cellaring and revisit this wine in two years or so.   You, your palate and your friends will thank you.