CorkRules - Episodes | Mariel Mariel

Available on

About this Episode

Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier and wine educator, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Mariel’s where Cuban dishes, craft cocktails, and a curated wine list offer a taste of Havana in its heyday.

Wines reviewed include:

2020 Rafael Palacios Godello from Valdeorras, Spain
2018 Marcel Deiss Saint Hippolyte Pinot Noir
2018 Suertes Del Marques “Trenzado”

Transcript: Mariel

Mariel

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!

A podcast where, in each episode, we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I’m your host Robert Tas along with Samantha Hohl, certified sommelier and wine educator.

Hello Sam, it’s great to be back together for another episode.

SH: Hi Robert!

RT: Before we jump in, let’s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine lists because we know from experience, that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well… it can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, or value wines or that special bottle that will take your dining experience over the top.

RT: So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list.

RT:

Cork Rules

Mariel

Overview

Mariel is located in Boston, Massachusetts and features Cuban dishes, craft cocktails and a curated wine list to pair. It’s all set in a beautiful dining area designed to transport you to Havana.

Where to start
Mariel’s wine list features wines from Spain, France and America which you can navigate by country and style. There’s some great choices here to pair with their menu loaded with rich, spiced and flavorful plates.

Let’s start off with the 2020 Rafael Palacios Godello from Valdeorras, Spain. This small winemaking region is known for this native varietal called Godello, a white wine grape well known in Galicia, Spain but is also grown in parts of Portugal. Palacios started acquiring old plots and making wine under his own label back in 2004. This bottle is going to be medium-bodied with bright citrus notes, along with some pear and peachy tones too. Try it with the Yuca Cheese Puffs or Chicken Tots to balance those tasty fried flavors.

Another great bottle to kick off the evening would be the 2017 Pintia Toro. This is 100% Tempranillo from the small Toro region in northwestern Spain. The Pintia vineyard is located on the banks of the River Duero and the climate can be intense with hot summers and very cold winters. There’s also very little humidity so all of these conditions make for some really beautiful grapes. This bottle will be silky with ripe blackberry flavors balanced with earthy notes along with hints of leather and vanilla. Delicious to sip on and would pair wonderfully with something like the meatballs Havanera.

Value

This list has a really nice range so there are some great options no matter your preference for the evening and I have a couple to mention. A lovely light red to sip on would be the 2018 Marcel Deiss Saint Hippolyte Pinot Noir. Marcel Deiss is one of France’s well-known wine producers loved for their expression of terroir. The estate is located in Alsace and the vineyards are farmed biodynamically. The Pinot Noir vines are planted in infertile soil, which means the roots need to work harder and ultimately more nutrients get sent to the grapes making for really delicious wine. This bottle is going to have those juicy red fruit flavors that we love in pinot noir, along with delicate floral tones and zippy acidity. The acid and fruity tones in this would be so good with the pork sticky ribs!

Another awesome value bottle would be the 2018 Suertes Del Marques ‘Trenzado’. This white wine is from the Canary Islands and primarily made from the Listan Blanco varietal, also known as Palomino which is often used to make sherry. The grapes grow on vineyards located on steep hillsides and are exposed to ocean influences, so it adds some super nice salinity to the wine. It’s going to bring some serious lemon flavor, hints of peach, almond and delicious minerality. This bottle would be so tasty with the ham and cheese croquette baked oysters to complement the salinity in the dish and cut through the richness.

Celebratory

A bottle to take your night over the top would be the 2007 Mas Del Serral. Located in Penedes, Spain, the Raventos family has been living and farming the Clos de Serral estate since 1497! So we’re talking about some serious history here. This bottle of bubbles was made with a white blend including Xarel·lo grapes that were planted in 1954. It’s popping with green apple, pear, some flower petals, along with creamy and toasty notes. Only about 2700 bottles were produced so this is an awesome find!

RT: Sam Thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate MARIEL’s

wine list. I can’t wait to go try them myself.

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like us to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: Info@CorkRules.Com or visit our web website where we have a request form available and we will do our best to get it in the queue as quickly as possible.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for other episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

End