An interesting and notable thing occurred at the Harvest Wine Festival last fall. More and more attendees were tasting, and purchasing, wines that may be termed “higher end” drier wines; varietals such as, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and even French style blends. This trend is being driven by the fact that more and more consumers have become educated on the finer wines, and their tastes have been tempted by local winemakers who are willing to produce wines at this level. These wines require a longer aging period, as well as more attention to details and techniques.

We have always had talented winemakers in New Mexico but what has driven the market is economics. As a winery, you concentrate on making wines that sell. That’s just good business. I applaud those winemakers who are willing to take the risk, which is smaller than it has been in the past, and provide wines that are comparable to other wine producing areas in the country. New Mexico has the talent and the ability to be competitive in the industry as shown by the amount of medals won by many of the wineries here.

Although there are many fine wines available now, I am going to start by reviewing a couple of wines that I feel are world class and still reasonable. They come from St. Clair and Luna Rossa Wineries.

Southwest Wines, a division of St. Clair Wines in Deming, is now producing a series of wines termed “Limited Release.” Although the wines have a familiar name, DH Lescombes, the wines are much different. I did a tasting of all of the newly released wines and will give you my opinion of the ones I feel stood out as making the grade.

The 2007 Mouvédre, a wine made from a Spanish grape called Monastrell, was interesting. It spent only a few months aging in French oak, which lowered the tannins and allowed the essence of the grape to take center stage. I loved the color of this wine, a deep ruby red. The aromas of red berries and rosemary, along with the taste of plum and toast, marry well with the pepper-like finish. I like how well it pairs with Ahi Tuna and light meat, such as veal and pork.

The king of red wines still is Cabernet Sauvignon. DH Lescombes’ 2005 Limited Release is made from 100 percent New Mexican Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Unlike many of the world’s best Cabernets, it contains no Merlot, Malbec or Petit Verdot which are added for various reasons. The wine was aged in French oak for twelve months and also went through Malolactic (secondary) fermentation that helps to smooth out the final product. My impression of this wine was that it still has a few years to go in order for it to reach its peak expression of a great Cabernet. However, if you are a fan of Cabernets, pick up this one and continue to let it age in the bottle for a couple of years – you will then have a real treasure. Pair it with any beef dish.

In all, I was able to sample six of the Limited Release wines. In addition to the two above, I tasted a 2007 Cabernet Franc, a 2007 Petite Sirah (Syrah), a 2007 Petit Verdot and an interesting blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault called Renaissance. The Renaissance would pair well with poultry, such as grilled chicken.

I would be remiss if I didn’t let the readers in on what I feel is a great opportunity. Luna Rossa Winery in Deming released a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in November. This wine has been aging for five years and will be something special. I barrel tasted it a year ago and it was a great example of a classic Cabernet. Paolo D’Andrea is a talented winemaker and has “mothered” this one through the entire process. Expect to pay a little more, but this wine is one of those where the quality meets all expectations and is worth the price. Don’t miss this one!

Now for the white wine lover, I promise to review only white wines in the next issue.