What Holds The World Together
Back to feed- Posted: 9/30/2017
- Categories: Wine
We live in what at times seems to be a great big world, but it is far more close and connected than we can comprehend. And no I am not wandering into some sort of political landscape; that type of discussion proves much too polarizing today. It’s a shame when we cannot even fathom sitting down to talk about a particular matter, rationally, succinctly and mannerly. Maybe one day, we’ll get past the clickbait and move gently into civil debate, or perhaps if we all just had a little more wine to go with those heated conversations…
In the spirit of diversity, I recently tasted through some incredible Napa Valley wines from Darioush, founded by Iranian-American Darioush Khaledi and his wife Shahpar, who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s (during the Iranian Revolution) and built the largest family-operated grocery store chain in California before transitioning to wine in 1997. They have since created a magnificent winery and vineyards that span through the Mount Veeder and Oak Knoll AVAs. It’s a rare treat to get to try these wines.
Darioush Viognier Napa Valley 2016. Bright, honeyed notes of grapefruit and quince with hints of honeysuckle, apricot and citrus, this is a pretty Rhone-influenced white wine.
Darioush Chardonnay Napa Valley 2014. Full-bodied, luscious and rich from start-to-finish, you get creamy stone fruit and hints of tangerine.
Darioush Merlot Napa Valley 2013. A bit of roasted herb, blackberry compote and cedar notes emerge in this oaky, medium-to-full-bodied red.
Caravan Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2013. Darioush’s entry-level Cab, you get a full-bodied delivery of black fruits, oak, chocolate, cedar and black pepper in this mouthfilling red.
Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014. Bold, dense red, densely-concentrated with blackberry, mocha, espresso and sage, with a hint of black peppercorns and turnt earth.
Darioush Shiraz Napa Valley 2014. Quite the surprise, this robust red is accentuated by red berries, white pepper, sassafrass and a hint of roasted game.