A Taste of Havana BC (Before Castro)? Hey Mambo Swanky White 2006 and Sultry Red 2006
Don Sebastiani and Sons has a new label out, and it captures the mood of the new wine buyer quite well. Hey Mambo is in step with young wine consumers who are just discovering what they like. The dynamic duo of winemaking, Richard Bruno and Greg Kitchens simply can't not make great wine for the money. And the Sebastiani marketing magic shows no signs of running out of steam.
There was a time when Havana was the world's playground, dwarfing Las Vegas. Anything went. People danced the Mambo and let loose of all inhibitions. Unfortunately, shortly after I was conceived, Havana went into a coma by way of Castro's "revolution". I must rely on the memories of my aunts and uncles, movies, books and interviews to get a sense of the sensuality that played itself out before New Years' 1959.
The Hey Mambo "Brand" is in its first year, vintage 2006, for both Swanky White and Sultry Red. The packaging is very successful, with the glossy "black and white and red all over" photographics case packaging, the screaming to-the-point label and the red "waxy" Zork closure.
The wines don't disappoint. Hey Mambo Swanky White 2006 is a category-defying fruity blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Muscat Canelli and Chenin Blanc. These are grapes that, for the most part, are known perhaps no better in the USA, than by Richard Bruno. Once quirky, now these grapes are becoming the staples of many so-called "alternative" whites, but fine-tuning them is a trick not every wine maker can pull off.
Swanky is an apt description. The nose is absolutely alluring, sexy, intoxicating, with its crosscurrents of honey, apricots, apples, ginger spice and cold blossoms. But then on the tongue, you are awakened from your stupor with a slap of citrus, the likes of grapefruit and lemon-lime, perhaps even green apple crispness. Another reason this wine is dead-on for the newcomers of wine is the finish. It's pretty much dry, but not DRY! The fruit is sweet, so the finish plays out in a way that makes friends of both the experienced and not-so-experienced taster.
Sultry Red is a blend of Barbera, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Alicante Bouchet. In other words, this is a true, old-timey "field blend", albeit reinvented. Once again, this is the type of composition Richard Bruno is well acquainted with. "Bistro Style" is written all over the wine, as it is also captured in the small print on the front label. Imagine the glaze that will appear on the eyes of the guests you are pouring for, when you get to recite all six varieties that are contained within. No Cab, No Merlot? No kidding!
Hey Mambo Sultry Red 2006 is worthy of its burning hot name. The color is deep candy apple red. The aroma is Zin-like, a bit smoky like a Havana cigar, loaded with raspberry, loganberry, and redcurrant preserves, hovering over new leather club chairs. A bit of clove-y baking spice asserts itself on the tongue, as well as dusty cocoa and more of those sweet berries. The finish is dusty dry like the old vineyards land that bore the fruit.
Both wines' stats are identical, and either (or both) are capable of putting you "in the mood".
Price: $12 (Nashville). Closure: Zork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.
Don and Sons have some great food pairing suggestions for these wines. I can vouch for Swanky White paired with USA-wild-caught shrimp quesadillas, and Sultry Red with free-range spicy chicken sausages with sundried tomatoes and herbs. In other words, get out the spice, the cheese, the onions, and go wild. If you're wearing a button-down shirt, unbutton it!
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