Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
Deep ruby color in the glass. Red berry and tart cherries on the nose that carry over to the palate. Light tannins and good acidity. Spicy/sweet finish.
Pairings: Grilled red meat, game, hard cheeses.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Blend of Syrah, Kotsifali and Mandilari
Region: Crete, Greece
Price: $12
A few weeks ago I was invited to explore South Africa wines via a virtual tasting. I’ve explained the concept of virtual wine tastings in previous posts but for those who are new to the idea, here’s how they go:
Here are my thoughts on the wines we tasted:
2013 Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc
Pale green in the glass with lovely grassy / lemony aromas. Meyer lemon and green apple flavors with bright acidity.
2013 Ken Forrester FMC Chenin Blanc
Big with smoky and honey flavors and a lemony finish. Would be super paired with Thai food or even, dare I say, Mexican. Liked this wine but guessing it could use some cellaring.
2014 Paul Cluver Gewurztraminer
Lovely floral nose with tropical fruit notes. Pink grapefruit and peach flavors with just a touch of sweetness and nice acidity. Asian fusion lovers’ wine.
2013 Creation Wines Pinot Noir
Pumpkin pie spice / clove and dried cherry aromas. Big dark cherry flavors laced with lots of earthy notes. Tannic finish that could have used aging or at least decanting on my part.
2013 Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon
Darkest purple/red in the glass – inky. Chocolatey, earthy, dark berry nose. Rich blackberry flavors with leather and mocha notes. For less than $10, it’s a steal & party-perfect.
2013 LAM Pinotage
Pinot Noir looking in the glass. Haven’t loved Pinotage in the past, but really appreciate this version with lovely red fruit.
Cheers,
Veronique
In the glass, the 1994 Chateau Troplong Mondot Grand Cru is the darkest of ruby with a bit of brick notes from the age of the wine. It was difficult to stop sniffing the spice-laced berry aromas to move on to take a sip – lovely, lovely nose. The palate offers berry, plummy and licorice driven with a roundness on the finish which offers just a bit of minerality.
This medium-bodied wine is likely near its peak with great structure and balance. I thank my friend Harry for sharing this beauty with us.
Pairings: Grilled meat, cheese course.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Red Bordeaux Blend
Region: Bordeaux, France
Price: $65
I had the pleasure of sampling this brand new Sauvignon Blanc by Napa’s Cabernet Sauvignon experts – Jean Edwards Cellars, at the James Beard House. This is the first white by these masters of reds and it’s a winner.
In the glass, the 2014 Jean Edwards Cellars Sauvignon Blanc is straw color. This wine is a little un-Sauvignon Blanc like on the nose (a good thing where I’m concerned) with rich tropical fruit aromas and lots of juicy citrus. Love at first sniff. The tropical fruit aromas carry on to the palate with Meyer lemon notes. I really enjoyed the richness the Semillon brought to this wine and the minerality on the finish is outstanding.
A very food-friendly wine and a pleasant departure from other Sauvignon Blancs with little to no flavor. Unoaked Chardonnay fans – take note of this lovely wine.
Pairings: Grilled fish or seafood, raw oysters/clams, pear salad with citrusy vinaigrette.
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): 92% Sauvignon Blanc and 8% Semillon
Region: Napa Valley, California, USA
Price: $32
I’m a fan of wines produced by Esporao and at a recent luncheon hosted by David Baverstock, Chief Winemaker of Esporao, I learned a late harvest wine is produced by the famed winery. I love sweet wines and was intrigued by this Semillon-based late harvest.
In the glass, the color is a medium straw color. The nose is of intense tropical fruit with sweet citrus notes. The fruitiness continues on the palate with a bit of honey on the long finish. The wine is rich without being heavy on the palate. There’s great acidity on this nicely-balanced wine. Not cloyingly sweet as many of the more affordable wines can be.
Pairings: Foie gras, blue cheese, desserts that aren’t overly sweet – stone fruit tarts, roasted figs.
Style: Dessert Wine
Grape Type(s): Semillon
Region: Alentejo, Portugal
Price: $17 (375 ml bottle)
This wine was provided to me for sampling and I am adding it to my repertoire as it’s truly enjoyable.
Summer’s here and so are warm days and humidity. What summer also means is fun-filled gatherings, including 4th of July get-togethers.
Here is a list of five wines to pour during your 4th of July celebrations that are affordable and certain to please your guests:
Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé Cremant D’Alsace ($22): This lovely bubbly is coral/pink in color with the tiniest of bubbles. Light strawberry aromas with juicy, slightly sweet strawberry flavors that’s balanced by bright acidity. Serve this bubbly as your guests arrive to create a festive atmosphere.
2014 Two Lands Pinot Grigio ($14): Light and crisp with Meyer lemon flavors that finish on a zesty note. Nice summer sipper and great as an aperitif and with crudités.
2013 Esporao Vinha da Defesa Rosé ($15): This festive, bright pink wine is super food-friendly. Intense red berry and cherry aromas with bright fruity flavors. Perfect for a seafood boil and the cornucopia of flavors at a BBQ.
2013 Egger Ramer Schiava Gentile ($15): Fragrant with red berry aromas with ripe strawberry and cherry flavors. Great acidity making this wine very versatile with summer foods. Pair with charcuterie platter or even hot dogs.
Montes 2012 Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon ($15): Deep ruby in the glass, this wine offers blackberry aromas with notes of mocha and leather. It’s full-bodied and big on dark fruit and ripe raspberries with a nice touch of oak. This is your steaks/ribs/burgers wine.
Enjoy these summer wines and let me know if you try any of them!
Cheers,
Veronique
This week, I was invited to explore unexpected wines from Napa Valley via a virtual tasting. I’ve explained the idea of virtual wine tastings in previous posts but for those who are new to the concept, here’s how they go:
In this case, the Karen mentioned in the hashtag was wine expert, Karen MacNeil. The virtual tasting was of six unexpected Napa Valley wines, including unoaked Chardonnay, Albariño from Carneros, an affordable Cabernet Sauvignon, and more.
Here are the wines sampled:
2013 Cornerstone Cellars Napa Valley Chenin Blanc ($25)
Varieties: 100% Chenin Blanc
Pale yellow in appearance. Offers an Asian pear nose with a bit of sweetness. Offers tropical fruit flavors with citrus notes on the palate. Would be great served as an aperitif but also with shellfish on a warm summer evening. Only 187 cases produced – get your hands on this wine quickly.
2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Fumé Blanc ($17)
Varieties: 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Sémillon
Fragrant ripe cantaloupe and juicy mandarin aromas. Lightly grassy, lime flavors with more cantaloupe on the palate. Long finish with the 10% Semillon making this wine interesting and complex.
2014 Artesa Napa Valley Albariño ($28)
Varieties: 100% Albariño
Less “in your face” with minerality than its Spanish kin. Lovely bright peach and Meyer lemon aromas with some floral notes. Peach and a bit of plum on the palate. Light oaky notes on a long finish.
2013 Alpha Omega Unoaked Napa Valley Chardonnay ($33)
Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Wish they’d make more than 500 cases! Clean, crisp, not your daddy’s Cali Chard (in a good way). Slightly creamy mouthfeel. I need to remember this wine when I host this year’s lobsterfest.
2012 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($29)
Varieties: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
Truly a classic Cali Cab and the stuff that made Robert Mondavi famous in the wine world. Enticing dark berry nose. Rich ripe berry flavors with a long, chocolate-kissed finish. 30% is from historic To Kalon vineyard in and 14% comes from Wappo Hill Vineyard in the Stag’s Leap district.
2010 St. Supéry Estate Vineyard & Winery Dollarhide Ranch Napa Valley
Petit Verdot ($50)
Varieties: 97% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark purple-red in the glass. Slightly tart berries and stone fruit nose. Big blackberry flavors with peppery notes. Get the grill out, this is what steaks are made to be paired with. 590 cases made.
For those of you who have stereotyped California wines as fruit bombs and butter in a glass (silly people), these are great examples of the unexpected, vibrant and delicious wines California has to offer.
Cheers,
Veronique
I’m a big fan of anything Lucien Albrecht wines and highly-recommend you familiarize yourself with them.
Appearance: Coral/pink in color with fine and small bubbles.
Nose: Light strawberry intensity with a hint of yeast.
Palate: Juicy strawberry continues with a hint of sweetness that’s balanced by bright acidity. Creamy yet crisp mouthfeel.
Assessment of quality: Lovely wine with a good balance of sweetness and acidity with a medium finish.
Readiness for drinking/potential for ageing: drink now, not intended for ageing.
Approximate retail price: $22.
Region of origin Alsace, France
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Pairings: Grilled chicken. Spicy dishes. Seafood.
Style: Rosé Wine
Region: Alsace, France
Price: $22
This wine was provided to me for sampling and I am adding it to my repertoire as it’s truly enjoyable.
Aruma means “night” in the language of the Quechua, the native Indian population of the Mendoza region. The name is appropriate for this deep purple/red wine from Mendoza. Big floral and red fruit aromas. In the mouth, this medium-bodied Malbec is velvety with licorice and dried cherry flavors and peppery notes. Long finish with firm tannins.
Nice, drinkable-now Malbec for a great price.
Pairings: Barbecued ribs and chicken. Red pasta sauce. Burgers or pizza.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Malbec
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $15
This wine was provided to me for sampling and I am adding it to my repertoire as it’s truly enjoyable.
A couple weeks ago, I attended Pinot in the City in Manhattan, a gathering of top Oregon wineries where consumers were treated to fantastic wines from well-known producers and upcoming wineries.
The winery I was most impressed with was a new player in the New York market – Harper Voit.
Winemaker/Proprietor, Drew Voit, was in attendance and fascinated us with both his tales of his winery’s evolution and with the very fine juice he poured for us. Voit is a veteran of the Oregon wine industry with winemaker stints at Domaine Serene Winery and at Shea Wine Cellars.
Harper Voit’s motto is “Obsessively Crafted Willamette Valley Wines” and after two pours of Drew’s wines, I get it. Here are two wines we sampled:
2012 Harper Voit Strandline Pinot Noir – $35
Red with purple hues in the glass, the 2012 Strandline Pinot Noir offers ripe raspberry aromas with earthy notes. It took me a while to get my nose out of the glass to take a sip but when I did – wow. Big mouthful of juicy dark fruit and stone fruit with apple pie spice and mocha-ish undertones. Long fruity finish.
2014 Harper Voit Maresh Vineyard Old Vine Riesling – $25
This outstanding, and I mean outstanding Riesling is made from vines planted back in the ‘70s in the legendary Maresh Vineyard. Expressive tropical fruit aromas that continue on the palate for a hint of sweetness followed by a perfect level of minerality and acidity. Thai food please!!
I’m very much looking forward to finding these small batch wines and trying others from previous vintages. I’m also looking forward to what Harper Voit has in store for us new fans.
Cheers,
Veronique
Recent Comments