Wines We’re Drinking Now

I am sure you have heard of Caymus Vineyards, and I will wager that you have had some wine from the storied estate. And Belle Glos is, I bet, also in your vocabulary and wine cellar. Well, if that is so, now it’s time to meet Beran, a wine from Joseph Wagner. the youngest son of Chuck Wagner, he of Caymus. Joseph is the man behind Belle Glos, and now he has turned his attention to a venture he calls Copper Cane Wine & Provisions, a purveyor of, among other goods, wine and select fashion items including a swimwear collection. But I am talking here about wine, and the Beran Napa Valley Zinfandel specifically. I opened a bottle last night and let it breathe for 10 minutes, then poured it with a few friends. It’s dark ruby in color, and I tasted a slight menthol whisper upon first sip. (I paired the Beran with a grilled rib eye, to much satisfaction.) Tobacco followed, along with some chocolate and vanilla. It did not possess the often too overt spiciness that one associates with a zinfandel, but that did not prevent me from enjoying it; it’s bold and confident and mouth-filling. Extended fruit maceration of as many as 30 days, followed by 12 months in American and French oak. (The winemakers blend in a bit of of petite sirah, a grape that was often planted among zinfandel vines in California.) Drink now or cellar for two years or so. About $45 at good wine merchants.