Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
2006 St Supery Virtu
Virtu is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (52%) and Semillon (48%). This wine offered a juicy mouthful of peach with an enjoyable mineral finish. This rich, medium-bodied wine would be great with grilled scallops and a slightly oily grilled fish.
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): 52% Sauvignon Blancm 48% Semillon
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $27
'07 d'Arenburg Riesling
This outstanding Australian Riesling is the palest yellow with some greenish nuances. This vintage was plagued with extreme drought producing very small yields.
The nose is of a bright, youngish Riesling. There’s tons of rosy floral aromas in the glass with hints of lime and apple that are both in-your-face and elegant (odd, no?).
The finish is super long and dry, which is great since you’ll want to remember this wine long after you sip it. This wine could use some cellaring to enhance its color, richness and complexity.
Wine Spectator: 89 points
Around: $14
Chateau Montelena Riesling
Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend a Chateau Montelena tasting at Crystal Springs Resort as part of the New Jersey Food and Wine Festival and I was wowed by not only its super Cabernet Sauvignons but by its fabulous 2008 Riesling.
The 2008 Chateau Montelena Potter Valley Riesling reminds me of a top Mosel or Alsace wine. The golden wine is luscious, features rich, ripe fruit while still being crisp and dry. It offers a long finish and might be the best example of Riesling I’ve enjoyed from California.
Chateau Montelena is renowned for its elegant Cabs, but this Riesling is certainly a gem that winemaker Bo Barrett should be proud of.
Around $23.
Honig Late Harvest
Had the pleasure of sampling this wine at the Honig Vineyards and absolutely loved it. The nose on this luscious wine is pure honey and the look of it is syrupy and golden.
The 2007 Honig Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc is a mouthful of succulent sweet melon, dried apricot and rich caramel panna cotta. Great acidity and minerality for this type of wine. Aged in new French oak, this dessert wine’s alcohol level is 11%.
Great, great dessert wine.
Pairings: Cheese plate drizzled with honey, custard-based desserts
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $50
'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.
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
’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
2008 Hirsch Gruner Veltliner
Sampled this wine as part of a tasting menu at Bouley last weekend. For those of you who enjoy fresh and crisp Gruner Veltliner, this is a good rendition. This Weingut Hirsch wine has a citrus, apple, herbal aroma that had me sniffing for several minutes before taking a first sip. This wine offers a mouthful of juicy fruit that’s incredibly food-friendly. The finish was smooth with just a trace of pepper.
Around $23.
The 2008 Zuccardi Mendoza Chardonnay Viognier is light, citrusy and made with very little to no oak. It’s crisp and dry and perfect for seafood or fish. The thirst-quenching quality of this wine makes it ideal for Summertime get-togethers.
Nice wine for folks like me, who don’t enjoy big, buttery Chardonnays, but who enjoy that varietal when done in this manner.
Around $12.
This is THE Chardonnay for folks who don’t enjoy big, buttery California Chardonnays. It’s not heavy on the oak, but has enough of it to make it…interesting. This New Zealand wine is similar to a French Chardonnay and is dry with a fresh, complex taste.
Around $30.
PS: Good call pairing this wine with smoked salmon Jean-Guy
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