Black Cat Wines, Black Cat Vineyards

In the spirit of scary season, I wanted to bring you black cat adjacent wines. A little backstory first! My last black cat was named Java, as I drank oodles of coffee black, but that was before I drank wine. I wanted my current black cat (never fear, Java lived a good 17 years) to have a beverage-related name honoring my current favorite beverage (never fear, I still drink gallons of black coffee, too), so I considered what wine grapes might honor that. There is one Puglian grape that translates to black-black (two different languages repped), but I decided that was a poor choice given what my kitten’s nickname might end up being (look the grape up, you’ll get it). After a few other ideas (Pinot Noir, too basic), I landed on the Greek wine grape Xinomavro , which translates to “acid black.” Xino, pronounced like Zeno, was a fitting nickname, and if people misunderstood and thought I named him for Zeno the philosopher, at least he’d be repping some fun paradoxes. And so he became, full name, Xinomavro Thing Nosferatu Clifford, and true to his name, he sometimes becomes a Halloween cat: puffed hair, arched back, glowing eyes. All of which to say is this is black cat season, therefore black cat WINE season, aka Xinomavro time. Boo! What more can I tell you of Xinomavro, sometimes called the Nebbiolo of Greece? It tends to be more translucent in color. It sports medium plus tannins and acid, plus vibrant cherry and herbal flavors, making it a perfect pairing to autumn dishes. It has enough acid to keep it fresh but enough depth and tannins to combo smartly with the savory dishes coming in with cooler weather. Since I’m no slouch, beyond a few Xinomavros, I also procured wine from Black Cat Vineyard to go with the theme. Consider these sips your own secret potion. Whether you have a familiar or not, they are a conduit to living your best Samhain life. 2020 Thymiopoulos Vineyards Naoussa Xinomavro Sniff one. Ooh. Sniff two. Oh! Sniff three. WOW. Terrifically complex off the bat. Dark red cherry, ripe plum and potting soil give way to a wicked pow of pepper, then herbal, almost medicinal notes. The palate continues in this complexity, with waves of flavor that also bring an almost cherry/amaro candied note to the finish. Such pleasantly integrated tannins. Gorgeous wine. Simply GORGEOUS. 2018 Diamantis-Papageorgiou Winery Magoutes Vineyard Xinomavro Oh hey, this is from the Macedonian part of Greece, a bit more northerly, for what it’s worth. The color is deeper than the previous wine. The nose is a little darker fruited with herbal and floral (let’s call it chive blossoms and thyme) vibes. The tannins are well-behaved, well-integrated, well-toned, aka quite present but not in a dry-your-mouth-out way. The palate mingles tart fruit with damp earth, and it is all quite heady but not TOO heady at a dignified 13% abv. 2019 Diamantakos Naoussa Xinomavro This is a confusing but alluring mix of dark fruit, pears, flowers and menthol. The palate brings more of that racy mint character, the freshness grounded by well-adjusted tweed-suit tannins. Unparalleled freshtasticness. Heady, intellectual, ballasted by glamorous and, at the same time, practicality, with a lively perspective on life—it will keep going and keep you going. 2017 Black Cat Vineyard Carneros, Napa Chardonnay And now for not a Xinomavro! But a wine from a vineyard named for a feral cat on the property that became winemaker Tracey Reichow’s feline counterpart as she developed it, inspiring future cat companions. The tasting notes? A deep, dark golden color! Gold as my kitty-kat’s eyes. Poised nose of toasted hazelnuts, golden brown sugar, and apple cider. The palate is somehow cloudlike, albeit FULL. Heavy but not yet dark clouds, but not like the really lightweight clouds. Somewhere in between, the heavy white clouds. The palate echoes the nose, with a thin line of acid treading water underneath it all.