Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
Really enjoyed this bubbly from Burgenland, Austria at a recent tasting. The wine is cremant-like with tons of tiny bubbles and a floral nose with great acidity. Golden in color, this wine is a great option when looking for an affordable sparkling wine.
Around $27.
'07 Summers Le Nude
This Alexander Valley unoaked Chardonnay is made with grapes from the Arroyo Secco region of Monterey County. This palest yellow wine features the tiniest bubbles in the glass. The 2007 Summers Le Nude Chardonnay shows a big, tropical fruit body and a super crisp finish with just the right amount of acidity. Very enjoyable wine.
Robert Parker 88 Points
Around $16 a bottle.
2007 Alta Vista Atemporal
I selected this wine for a ‘blends’ tasting last week since it’s 43% Malbec, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, and 10% Petit Verdot.
The 2007 Alta Vista Atemporal is just about the darkest purple wine you’ll find and it’s gorgeous to look at in the glass. The nose is light upon uncorking but decanting for 30 minutes enhanced the bouquet and brought out some notes of spice and black cherry. This Mendoza, Argentina wine was aged for 12 months in French oak. The taste is floral from the Malbec, smoky from the Syrah and with some light tannins from the Cabernet. The finish is long and enjoyable. Good buy at the price point.
90 Points by Wine Spectator
Around $15.
2007 Penfolds Koonunga Hill
I selected this wine for a ‘blends’ tasting last week since it’s 75% Shiraz and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has an appealing purple-ruby hue in the glass. The nose is of in-your-face, vibrant berries with a fair amount of oak from the eight months this wine spent in seasoned oak. One sip of the 2007 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet and you’ll be hit with coffee, dark spiced fruit and a lovely chocolate finish. This medium-bodied wine is well-balanced and lightly tannic.
Around $10.
I’ve tasted and liked the 2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc in the past, but I recently sampled it again during a Sauvignon Blanc tasting and really enjoyed how different it was compared to the others. Here are three things I appreciated about this wine:
’08 Honig Sauvignon Blanc
1) It is medium-bodied, which I miss in many other Sauvignon Blancs in this price range.
2) As the wine warmed a bit, I got a big mouthful of chewy mango and tons of other tropical fruits.
3) The finish is pleasantly long with bouncy citrusy notes.
I typically think of Sauvignon Blanc for warm Summer parties where a refreshing, uncomplicated wine is de rigueur, but the ’08 Honig would also be perfect with a roasted pork chop in the middle of Winter.
Note: 89 points Robert Parker
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $15.99
Like Sauvignon Blanc and into Twitter? Don’t miss #sauvblanc Online Tasting on 3/4/10! The event is hosted by Rick Bakas of St Supery (@rickbakas).
The Objective of #SauvBlanc Online Tasting:
+ Promote Sauvignon Blanc producers AVA’s worldwide by connecting w/ wine drinkers on Twitter
+ Share interesting content about your respective wine growing region
+ Be positive and promote one another.
+ If possible have wines on hand from different wine growing regions. Share the beauty of this grape!
Click the following to register FREE: http://bit.ly/dpCslx
Wine in a Box
Since I recently started a new job search, I’ve made lists of things I’d cut back on. Wine and good food just cannot be skipped no matter what, so I thought I’d get my social media wine friends to help me compile a list of 10 affordable wines that they’ve recently discovered or are enjoying these days.
Please leave me a comment by 2/20/10 with a nice value wine you’ve enjoyed that you feel should make my top 10 list.
Cheers!
'01 Ramirez de la Piscina
What a great example of a medium-bodied Spanish Tempranillo. This aged wine is brownish brick in color with a spicy, earth-like nose. The wine is concentrated with enjoyable vanilla undertones and rich berry flavors. The only thing I was missing when I enjoyed this wine was a fabulous paella.
Around $20.
’07 Dog Point
Not the limeade-watery Sauvignon Blanc typical of many affordable bottles. This wine from Marlborough, New Zealand, is medium to full-bodied and offers pleasantly intense herbal and ripe fruit flavors. This wine has a longish finish and some texture to it.
For fans of Cloudy Bay, this is perhaps a better wine and a must-try.
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Price: $20
'04 Gundlach Bundschu PN
Was given this wine as a birthday present and really enjoyed it. This wine is a gorgeous, dark ruby color in the glass. It’s simply pure velvety silkiness with tons of ripe cherries and a hint of vanilla. Good wine on its own, but especially great with food. Served this with roast chicken and it was stellar.
Around $32.
Recent Comments