Wine Review: L.A. Cetto Private Reserve 2009 Nebbiolo

December is L.A. Cetto Month thanks to International Spirits and Wine!

This is the 2009 Private Reserve Nebbiolo from L.A. Cetto. Estate bottled in Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The ABV is 13.8%. Paul Hobbs claimed it to be one of the top 25 Nebbiolo's in the world, with the other 24 coming from Piedmont.

For some background on the L.A. Cetto winery and links to the other reviews in this series, please check out L.A. Cetto - A Brief History of the Mexican Winery. To learn more about Mexican wine in general, I've written a complete history on the subject: Mexico makes wine too, muchacho.

Here's what you've seen from this series of L.A. Cetto reviews:

Petite Sirah and unoaked Chardonnay are Satisfying (3/5)

Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are Recommended (4/5)

Zinfandel and Private Reserve Chardonnay are Highly Recommended (5/5)

So none of them were bad and most of them were oustanding. I'll gladly drink any of them any night of the week. And now as a finale I'm going to review the Big Papi of the #1 Mexican winery. The one that made them what they are today.

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Wine Review: L.A. Cetto Private Reserve 2011 Chardonnay

December is L.A. Cetto Month thanks to International Spirits and Wine!

This is the 2011 Private Reserve Chardonnay from L.A. Cetto. Estate bottled in Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The ABV is 13.5%. It won the Silver Medal at the 4th Annual New York International Wine Competition.

For some background on the L.A. Cetto winery and links to the other reviews in this series, please check out L.A. Cetto - A Brief History of the Mexican Winery. To learn more about Mexican wine in general, I've written a complete history on the subject: Mexico makes wine too, muchacho.

So in my review of L.A. Cetto's OTHER Chardonnay you found out that Chardonnay is a beautiful and destructive force in my life. That other Chardonnay is also unoaked, and I wrote down my thoughts on the majority of unoaked Chardonnay. Then I slammed affordable Chardonnay quality. I guess you could say that I've already blown my load on the Chardonnay rants in that one review.

But that's okay. There's no need to rant when you've got Buttery Heaven in a glass. I love oaky Chardonnay and I won't apologize for it. This one from L.A. Cetto was barrel fermented, then aged sur lie in French oak barrels for seven months. It'll run you about $17.

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Happy Holidays!

Pepe Le Pew is property of Warner Bros, Inc. Just felt I had to say that.

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Wine Review: L.A. Cetto 2011 Zinfandel

December is L.A. Cetto Month thanks to International Spirits and Wine!

This is the 2011 Zinfandel from L.A. Cetto. Estate bottled in Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The ABV is 14%.

For some background on the L.A. Cetto winery and links to the other reviews in this series, please check out L.A. Cetto - A Brief History of the Mexican Winery. To learn more about Mexican wine in general, I've written a complete history on the subject: Mexico makes wine too, muchacho.

If you're a regular reader of my blog then you already know that I have a tough time with Zinfandel. I loathe most of them but would die for the safety of the few that I adore. One day I'll go into greater detail as to why but that day is not today.

Today I will be drinking a Mexican Zinfandel! A MexiZin!

Aaaand it's in the same sloping-shoulder bottle as the Petite Sirah! WHAT? It does seem kind of weird to be honest. Zinfandel is supposed to be in a masculine Bordeaux bottle right? Or am I being a snobby traditionalist here? I don't like it. They should change that. Get me on the phone with Mr. Cetto immediately.

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Wine Review: L.A. Cetto 2013 Chardonnay

December is L.A. Cetto Month thanks to International Spirits and Wine!

This is the 2013 Chardonnay from L.A. Cetto. Estate bottled in Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The ABV is 12.5%.

For some background on the L.A. Cetto winery and links to the other reviews in this series, please check out L.A. Cetto - A Brief History of the Mexican Winery. To learn more about Mexican wine in general, I've written a complete history on the subject: Mexico makes wine too, muchacho.

Hello, Chardonnay. My nemesis.

It's not that I don't like Chardonnay. I adore Chardonnay. It's that Chardonnay is the wine that gets me in trouble the most. It usually starts with me being a bit too truthful about how I feel about things to those around me, and then ends with posting some rambling bull about politics or religion on my personal Facebook account. Every single time I bring home a Chardonnay I know full damn well in some way that I am going to regret it.

I guess, for whatever reason, it's just the wine that makes me act ridiculously drunk ridiculously fast. So I try and resist it as much as I can. But it's just too darn good to stay away from it for too long! LET'S DRINK ONE RIGHT NOW! YEEEEAAAAAH!!!!

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Wine Review: L.A. Cetto 2011 Petite Sirah

December is L.A. Cetto Month thanks to International Spirits and Wine!

This is the 2011 Petite Sirah from L.A. Cetto. Estate bottled in Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The ABV is 13.5%.

For some background on the L.A. Cetto winery and links to the other reviews in this series, please check out L.A. Cetto - A Brief History of the Mexican Winery. To learn more about Mexican wine in general, I've written a complete history on the subject: Mexico makes wine too, muchacho.

Petite Sirah isn't the same grape as Syrah, although they are related. The "petite" part of the name refers to the grape size and because there's more of a skin-to-flesh ratio it actually produces a bigger wine than Syrah. It's blended into many wines now to increase mass appeal so chances are you've had your share of Petite Sirah and you just don't know it. It adds dark fruit, roundness and easy approachability. If you're a fan of Meiomi Pinot Noir then you're probably more of a Petite Sirah fan than a Pinot Noir fan. And there's nothing wrong with that. Petite Sirah is delicious and a great wine for unwinding.

This one was aged six months in oak and six months in the bottle. It's a deeply pigmented ruby, as you should expect from the varietal.

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Wine Review: L.A. Cetto 2013 Sauvignon Blanc

December is L.A. Cetto Month thanks to International Spirits and Wine!

This is the 2013 Sauvignon Blanc from L.A. Cetto. Estate bottled in Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The ABV is 12%. It was Commended at the 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards.

For some background on the L.A. Cetto winery and links to the other reviews in this series, please check out L.A. Cetto - A Brief History of the Mexican Winery. To learn more about Mexican wine in general, I've written a complete history on the subject: Mexico makes wine too, muchacho.

The most interesting thing about this wine at first glance is how the bottle attracts attention to how pale the color of the wine is. Its almost non-existant flavonols make it look like a dirt-cheap Italian Pinot Grigio but the package makes it look cool. There's not much room covered by a label, a great portion of the upper bottle is exposed, and what label there is just plays off of its super light hue. The wine does have a slight green tint to it, an indication that it might taste like asparagus. I'm scared. This might not turn out well.

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L.A. Cetto - A Brief History of the Mexican winery

December is L.A. Cetto Month thanks to International Spirits and Wine!

DON ANGELO CETTO

Don Angelo Cetto (Chet-toe) was born near Trento, the capital city of Trentino, Italy. He survived the first World War and immigrated to Mexico in 1924. Four years later he was using the skills he had learned in the old country to plant vines in Baja California, the Mexican state south of the USA's California. 

Mexico couldn't be any different from his homeland, however. Trentino is cold as ice with infamously fast and chilly winds while Mexico is, well, hot as hell. Although Angelo's mission was to make warmer climate Mediterranean style wines instead of Trentino style wines, there were growing pains.

Poor grape quality was one obstacle he had to overcome, and he found himself releasing his first wines as fortified ones in 1930. He offered quality sherry and port style wines from those low quality grapes, becoming a hit with locals and Prohibition America. The money made from those early fortified wines allowed him to branch out and make the wines he intended to make in Valle de Guadalupe.

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December Wine Pick: L.A. Cetto 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

December is L.A. Cetto Month thanks to International Spirits and Wine!

This WINE PICK of the month was written for the Luke's of Cape Cod website.

I've already reviewed the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon and you can read my initial review by clicking here. My monthly wine picks, like this one, are shorter, more professional reviews for LukesofCapeCod.com.

Mexico just doesn't make beer and Tequila. Believe it or not, they've been making wine longer than anybody else in the western hemisphere. Cabernet Sauvignon loves the sandy soil of Valle de Guadalupe in the Mexican state of Baja California, and the lack of water forces the vines to dig deep for survival. The effects of the ocean make the climate similar to Napa Valley, including foggy mornings, and so Guadalupe Valley is the future of the Mexican wine industry.

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