22 April 2015 2012 Salinia Twenty Five Reasons Petillant Naturel

2012 Salinia Twenty Five Reasons Petillant Naturel

April 22, 2015 By

Salinia Twenty Five ReasonsThe 2012 Salinia, Twenty Five Reasons is a skin-fermented petillant Sauvignon Blanc. For those not familiar with “petillant” is a sparkling wine that contains only half the pressure of champagne.

In the glass, this natural wine is nearly cloudy with fine bubbles. On the nose, it’s light with citrusy and yeasty notes. On the palate, it’s Meyer lemons and a touch of a just slightly sweet fruit, maybe pear. The finish is dry with good balance of acidity and minerality.

Only 420 bottles of this vintage were produced and, as of most wines with cult-like followers, sold out before the labels were printed.

About the name: “In each bottle there are 25 ounces, each ounce, a reason to be passionate”. I’ll buy that. 

Pairings: Lightly-prepared fish or seafood. Perfect as an aperitif.

Style: Sparkling Wine

Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Sonoma, CA, USA

Price: $22

Filed Under: Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling Wine, United States, Wine Reviews Tagged With: ,
25 March 2015 2011 Jean Edwards Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Jean Edwards Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

March 25, 2015 By

2011 Jean Edwards Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet SauvignonThis is Jean Edwards Cellars’ flagship wine and it’s simply delectable. In the glass, it’s deep ruby and offers ripe cherry aromas laced with mocha, pumpkin pie spice and tobacco. In the mouth, it’s medium to full-bodied with chocolate-covered cherry flavors with earthy, plummy notes – wow, just wow. The finish is medium in length with medium tannins that softened with decanting.

The vineyard the grapes for this wine come from is located on Pritchard Hill above St. Helena on the eastern side of the Napa Valley, where some of the best California Cabs are made.

With neighbors like Hobbs Stagecoach ($150), Chappellet Pritchard Hill ($100) and Bryant ($200), this wine is a bargain at $65 and absolutely on the same level, or better.

Pairings: Beef, lamb, cheese plate.

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot

Region: Napa Valley, California, USA

Price: $65

Filed Under: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Red Wine, United States, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
11 March 2015 2012 Matthiasson Napa Valley White Wine

2012 Matthiasson Napa Valley White Wine

March 11, 2015 By

Matthiasson_WhiteThis outstanding wine by Matthiasson is light straw color in the glass. While it’s a blend, there is a lot of Sauvignon Blanc personality on the nose: citrus and grassy aromas with some tropical notes.

In the mouth, this wine literally mad me smile, it’s simply delicious. Juicy Meyer lemon, pineapple and ripe tropical fruit flavors with great acidity.

A very balanced and elegant wine in a lovely Bordeaux way. Ends in a medium length finish with amazing minerality.

Pairings: Fish, seafood and perfect as an aperitif

Style: White Wine

Grape Type(s): 59% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Ribolla Gialla, 16% Semillon and 5% Tocai Friulano.

Alcohol Level: 12.7%

Cases Made: 1,092

Region: Napa, California, USA

Price: $40

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, United States, Wine Reviews Tagged With: ,
11 February 2015 2009 Doukénie Winery Merlot

2009 Doukénie Winery Merlot

February 11, 2015 By

2009 Doukenie MerlotA friend brought this Virginia wine to a pizza party and it was only my second encounter with wines from that area.

Doukénie, located on a 500-acre farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, is a popular winery that has garnered much praise for the region for its award-winning wines.

We uncorked this wine and gave it no decanting or time to open up. Deeply purple in the glass, this wine offers big floral aromas with notes of ripe, dark berries and stone fruit. This Merlot is medium-bodied with plummy, jammy blackberry flavors and notes of mocha. The finish is short with faint tannins.

Pairings: Burger, grilled meats, pizza

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Merlot

Region: Loudoun County, VA, USA

Price: $33

Filed Under: Merlot, United States, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
31 December 2014 2011 Jonata The Hilt The Vanguard Pinot Noir

2011 Jonata The Hilt The Vanguard Pinot Noir

December 31, 2014 By

2011 The HiltBold, rich and deep wine that’s really pretty perfect.  The medium-bodied Pinot Noir offers aromas of ripe blackberry with spiced notes in the glass. Dark cherry with earthy, minty flavors on the palate with a very dry, slightly peppery finish. Could use a few more years to fully come to its absolute best.

Famed Jonata winemaker Matt Dees uses 45% new oak on this stellar Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir.

Pairings: Mushroom risotto, roasted duck or pork.

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Santa Barbara County, California, USA

Price: $50

Filed Under: Pinot Noir, Red Wine, United States, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
14 December 2014 Fergalicious Holidays by Food & Wine Chickie

Fergalicious Holidays by Food & Wine Chickie

December 14, 2014 By

Ferguson CrestFerguson Crest is the pet project of Fergie Duhamel, singer of the Black Eyed Peas, and her father, grower Pat Ferguson. Ferguson Crest vineyard is located in Solvang, in Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County, California. Winemaker Joey Tensley turns the fruit grown by Pat Ferguson into wine, and Fergie and sister Dana join in at harvest every year.

Fergalicious is Ferguson Crest’s signature blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Grenache. I was asked to taste the 2012 vintage, Fergie’s favorite, then pairing it with a recipe of my creation. Here’s the recipe I paired with the delicious wine.

Bacon, Mushroom Pasta with Light Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. each red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper
  • 1 cup sliced Cremini mushrooms
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 10 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
  • ½ pound dry penne pasta, cooked one minute less than recommended on the packaging
  • 1 cup cubed, fresh Mozzarella
  • 4 slices of bacon, cooked then roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Warm the oil in a deep, large skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the spices to the oil and cook for 15 seconds.
  2. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the Cremini and cook for 3-4 until softened.
  3. Add the tomatoes to a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds until a chunky salsa is created (alternatively, chop the tomatoes to that consistency). Pour the tomato mixture into the hot oil and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the cooked pasta and the basil to the sauce and gently stir to coat. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Add the Mozzarella to the pasta and stir to combine.  Cook an additional minute.
  6. Add the cooked bacon, stir and serve with a dusting of Parmesan cheese.

Makes 2 servings.

2012 Ferguson Crest Fergalicious

Dark ruby in the glass, this red blend offers ripe blackberry aromas with a bit of pumpkin pie spices. The medium-bodied wine has flavors of jammy blueberry with traces of cherry cola and notes of black pepper on the short finish.

Pairings: Pasta with meaty sauce, duck, roasted mushrooms, burgers

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): 56% Syrah, 25% Merlot, 13% Grenache, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Santa Barbara County, CA, USA

Price: $40

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, By Country, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheese, Entrees, Grenache, Italian, Merlot, Mushrooms, Pasta, Syrah / Shiraz, United States Tagged With: , , , , ,
1 July 2014 WITS Virtual Wine Tasting 2014

WITS Virtual Wine Tasting 2014

July 1, 2014 By

WITS WinesI’ve explained the concept of virtual wine tasting in other posts and I enjoy participating in a few of them each year. Last night was the Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS) and a virtual tasting hosted by my friends at WineTwits of six California wines.

For those of you who are new to virtual wine tastings, this is what it entails:

  • Get a bottle of the wine varietal or brand being featured in the virtual tasting.
  • Invite fellow wine enthusiasts to join you to share the tasting, or simply snuggle solo in your pajamas in front of the computer.
  • Swirl, sniff, sip then share your wine thoughts with other global tasters using the designated hashtag on Twitter and Facebook!

The virtual tasting was well-attended and the wineries whose wines we sampled were very active with the virtual tasters. Cheers to Kendall-Jackson, Jamieson Ranch Vineyard, Franciscan Estate, Wente Vineyards, Garnet Vineyards and Renwood Winery for interacting with us to the extent they did. I’ll follow up and connect with dozens of new wine friends today as a result of last night’s tasting.

Here are my tasting notes from the featured wines:

2012 Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay

For those of us who enjoy moderately-oaky Chardonnay, this is a nice option. 50% of this wine was barrel-fermented in French oak and the other 50% was fermented in stainless steel tanks creating a wine that’s not overly oaky/buttery and has some fruit freshness to it.

Aromas of Asian apple and lychee jump out of the glass. In the mouth, the 2012 Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay is medium-bodied with Meyer lemon and tropical fruit flavors. Finish lingers with some oaky notes and a nice level of acidity.

Pairings: Roast chicken, salmon, pasta in light creamy sauce

Style: White Wine

Grape Type(s): Chardonnay

Region: Livermore Valley, CA, USA

Price: $13

2012 Garnet Vineyards Monterey County Pinot Noir

Garnet pinot noirs have garnered rave reviews over the years and the 2012 Monterey County Pinot’s no exception. The wine is a tad more transparent in the glass than I would have suspected, it doesn’t lack in aroma and flavor. On the nose, the strawberry aroma is more prominent that the expected cherry. In the mouth, it’s silky and there’s lovely cherry flavor with notes of vanilla and oak.

Pairings: Roasted duck, chicken or turkey, mushroom dishes

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Monterey County, CA, USA

Price: $14.99

2011 Renwood Winery Premier Old Vine Zinfandel

This is a big, beautiful baby. I really enjoy this style of Zin. It’s a big mouthful of dark, ripe berries with mocha and a bit of pumpkin spices on the finish.

Pairings: Barbecue ribs, grilled beef or lamb

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Zinfandel

Region: Amador County, CA, USA

Price: $19.99

2011 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Leggy in the glass with ripe berry aromas with a bit of oak and pepper. Rich and bold with mocha and dark chocolate layers. Light tannins, elegant, long finish.

Pairings: Grilled meats

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): 94.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Merlot, 0.2% Cabernet Franc

Region: Sonoma County, CA, USA

Price: $28

2011 Jamieson Ranch “Double Lariat” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Gorgeous deep-red in the glass, this wine offers red berry aromas with complex licorice, spice and leather notes. Cherry and dark berry flavors abound with light-jammy fig and mocha notes – touch of oak on the long, velvety finish.

Pairings: Grilled beef, cheese plate

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA

Price: $55

2011 Franciscan Estate Magnificat Napa Valley

Inky in the glass with fabulous dark berry and stone fruit aromas. The dark berry continues on the palate with ripe cherry mixed in – rich, elegant with a long, round finish from the Merlot.

Pairings: Barbecue ribs, grilled beef or lamb

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec

Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA

Price: $50

For those of you on Twitter, search for #WITS2014 and see all the fun conversations folks had during the virtual tasting. You’ll likely find interesting wine fans to connect with.

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Food & Wine Events, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Red Wine, Sousao, United States, White Wine, Wine Reviews, Zinfandel Tagged With: , , , , ,
30 June 2014 Bridge Lane Wines by North Fork’s Lieb Cellars

Bridge Lane Wines by North Fork’s Lieb Cellars

June 30, 2014 By

Bridge Lane is Lieb Cellars’ second-label and through a rebranding for its 10th vintage, the white and red blends are available in bottles, in 3 liter bag-in-box (equivalent of 4 bottles) and also in disposable kegs.

The popular North Fork, NY winery says there were three reasons why Bridge Lane opted for the unusual formats:

  1. They’re eco-friendly.
  2. They preserve the wine.
  3. They’re cheaper than glass bottles.

I sampled both wines in their boxes formats – 100% recyclable plastic bag and spout and 100% recyclable cardboard box. Boxes cost $46 and have a lifespan of about 6 weeks after opening.

The keg format would be ideal for a summer casual party as it’s the equivalent of 26 bottles for an affordable $260. If tapped with a professional wine certified kegerator, it’ll last about 2 months. If tapped using a college-type party pump, it’ll last 2 days.

2013 Bridge Lane White Blend2013 Bridge Lane White Blend

I was a bit pessimistic about this wine prior to sipping it, but was pleasantly-surprised by its light yet pleasant flavor and its dryness that made it perfect as a summer sipper but was also nice with light food. Also was great that I could have a glass on a Tuesday night without having to commit to a full bottle.  

Medium-yellow with light green hue in the glass, the 2013 Bridge Lane White Blend is light-bodied and nearly completely dry. The nose is light with some green apple and citrus notes. On the palate, this white wine from Long Island offers lemon/lime and floral flavors with a dry, flinty finish.

I served this as an aperitif but it held up nicely to Prosciutto and mango starter.  

Pairings: Fish, shellfish, light salad, aperitif.

Style: White Wine

Grape Type(s): 29% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Blanc, 18% Riesling, 14% Viognier, 9% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Gewürtzaminer.

2012 Bridge Lane Red Blend2013 Bridge Lane Red Blend

After enjoying the white blend, I was more open-minded when I sampled the red blend. The 2013 Bridge Land Red Blend is purplish red in the glass with faint cherry aromas. This North Fork dry red wine is medium-bodied with the cherry carrying on to the palate along with some pumpkin pie spice on the finish. The Merlot gives this wine some roundness.

Pairings: Pizza, casual barbecue, summer sipper for those who prefer reds.

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): 46% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, and 5% Malbec.

Where to Find Bridge Lane

Go online: Bridge Lane wines are available through www.BridgeLaneWine.com  or www.Amazon.com.

Hit the East End: Visit any of Lieb Cellars’ three tasting rooms on Long Island’s North and South Forks.

Stop by your favorite retailer or restaurant in the NY Metro area: Don’t see Bridge Lane? Ask for them!

Fly away: Enjoy a glass of Bridge Lane before you jet from JFK: Terminal 4 at Blue Smoke on the Road; Terminal 5 at 5ive Steak, AeroNuova and Deep Blue restaurants; and Terminal 8 at Vino Volo restaurant and retail store.

Cheer for the Mets: Bridge Lane wines are served at NYC’s Citi Field.

Pop over to PA: Purchase wines at PLCB stores, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

As of May 2014, Bridge Lane wines will also be available in wine shops and restaurants in NJ, CT and MA.

Cheers,

Veronique

These wines were provided to me for sampling and I am adding them to my repertoire as they’re truly enjoyable.

Filed Under: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, United States, Viognier, White Wine, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , ,
24 May 2014 2010 Clone 5 Pinot Noir

2010 Clone 5 Pinot Noir

May 24, 2014 By

2010 Clone 5 Pinot NoirNice bright cherry red in the glass with equally nice and bright cherry aromas jumping out of the glass. Cherry continues on the palate but with raspberry and even strawberry present. The body is medium in heaviness with a smooth, silky mouthfeel. Finish offers a little pepper.

Nice example of Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir and perfect to uncork at a barbecue.

Pairings: Pizza, red sauced dishes, burgers.

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir

Region: Santa Barbara County, California, USA

Price: $20

Filed Under: Pinot Noir, Red Wine, United States, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , ,
9 May 2014 2011 Benovia Russian River Chardonnay

2011 Benovia Russian River Chardonnay

May 9, 2014 By

BenoviaGreat example of Russian River Chardonnay with big floral, citrus and plum aromas backed by a big mouthful of ripe pear, peaches and apricot with some apple pie spices, light oak and a beautiful finish with great acidity and minerality. Sourced primarily from Martaella Estate and with some fruit from Martinelli.

Pairings: Seafood, chicken, bagels and lox brunch.

Style: White Wine

Grape Type(s): Chardonnay

Region: Russian River Valley, California, USA

Price: $34

Filed Under: Chardonnay, United States, White Wine, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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