A Paragon: Sauvignon Blanc

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Jul 282010

2008 Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Sauvignon Blanc

Last Monday was one of those days that reminded me of how different my job can be.  Looking at the Capitol building every day, sometimes I start to take for granted that I live in an amazing city that is full of intelligent and interesting people, and the thrill of being on the floor of the House of Representatives while Members of Congress debate the merits of various pieces of legislation was the perfect reminder of what makes DC such a special city and what makes my job very exciting.  By the time I arrived home on Monday night, I was ready to open a nice bottle of cool white wine to celebrate the perfect start to the final stretch of the latest busy season at work.

The 2008 Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) was a pale, lemon yellow.  On the nose, there were yellow grapefruits, mangos, pineapples, and a hint of limes and grass.  In the mouth, there were yellow grapefruits, limes, pineapples, and a hint of oranges, wet stone, and grass.  The wine had a light body with bright acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely!  If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $16, this wine was refreshing and food-friendly.  Hubby made seared scallops for dinner, which turned out to be a nice pairing, as the wine did not overpower the light flavor of the scallops.  After spending the day wearing a suit in the ridiculously hot weather that has been plaguing the DC area, this Sauvignon Blanc had the crispness I needed to cool off and relax throughout the evening.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 9:35 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

Work “World Tour of Wine” Tasting

$11-$20, $21-$30, $31-$40, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »
Jun 162010

For those of you who are Facebook fans, you already know that, at the end of May, I was working on a wine tasting for work.  After having put together a Spanish wine tasting for coworkers during our April slow period, one of my colleagues talked to The Big Boss about my wine experience and about our staff bonding event.  He was thrilled, and, as a wine lover himself, thought it would be fun to have a wine tasting for the staff in both of his DC offices.  The tasting was held the Tuesday before Memorial Day.

Half of the people attending the wine tasting were at my Spanish wine event, so I decided that instead of doing a second Spanish-focused tasting, this one would be a “World Tour of Wine.”  As the fun part of a tasting is being able ­to try new wines and broaden wine horizons, I wanted to focus on wines that moved away from the typical Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, and Chardonnays by presenting varietals that are easy to find in wine stores, but that many inexperienced wine drinkers might shy away from buying.  Additionally, since I was expecting 30+ people at the event, I wanted to make sure that I covered a range of wine styles.

With all of that in mind, I decided to begin the tasting with a traditional French Champagne—Montaudon Extra-Dry (snooth).  The palate cleansing & revitalizing sparkler was followed by two white wines—a 2008 Paul D Grüner Veltliner (winery, snooth) from Austria and a 2009 Spy Valley (winery, snooth) from New Zealand.  Following the lighter white wines were a South African Pinotage—2008 Painted Wolf (winery, snooth)—and a California Zinfandel blend—2008 Orin Swift’s “The Prisoner” (winery, snooth).  The tasting finished with a Spanish Sherry—Nectar by González Byass (winery, snooth).

Everyone enjoyed the Champagne, which was no surprise to me or to them.  However, the other wine that received the most questions and the most refill requests was Orin Swift Cellers’ The Prisoner, followed closely by Paul D’s Grüner Veltliner.  The wine that received the most mixed reviews was González Byass’ Nectar, although everyone was happy to have tried it as almost everyone mentioned that it was not a wine they would have tasted on their own.

The Big Boss was very happy with event, particularly as he found a new wine that to enjoy.  My coworkers tasted some wines that they loved, as well as some wines that they didn’t like, but there was a lot of conversation about those wines, as the likes and dislikes varied greatly.  All in all, it seemed like everyone had a good time and that the tasting was a huge success.

***As a note, while the wines above are the ones I planned to offer and prepared tasting notes for, the wine store was actually sold out of the Spy Valley on the day of the tasting.  Therefore, I used a 2009 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) as a fallback.  I will do a separate review for the Oyster Bay, but wanted to keep the Spy Valley as part of this tasting, as I thought it was a slightly better wine.

Posted by Alleigh at 9:54 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Springtime Sauvignon Blanc

$10 and lower, 2 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Apr 072010

This time of year is a sightseeing bonanza in DC, as the National Cherry Blossom Festival usually kicks off tourist season.  From now through Labor Day, I will have to add 10-15 minutes on my commute so that I can let 2 or 3 Metro trains go before there is enough room for me to board the train and head into work.  Thankfully, on my commute home, I have a chance to board before all the tourists, but two stops after I board, the train fills up and the rest of the ride is spent like a sardine and a sardine can.  During this season, I regularly remind myself that the train is far better than the traffic I would endure if I were driving, but the constant influx of people definitely tests my patience.  Thursday was a particularly bad commute, as the Metro was crawling with tourists who didn’t seem to understand that it was necessary for people to get off the train before they could board.  It was aggravating, and by the time I walked in the door, I was thankfully for the chilled Sauvignon Blanc in my refrigerator.

2007 Yarden Sauvignon Blanc

The 2007 Yarden Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) was a clear, medium lemon color.  On the nose, there were peaches, apricots, and kiwis, followed by a hint of grass.  In the mouth, there was grass, parsley, and saline with a touch of kiwi and peach.  The wine, surprisingly, was medium-bodied.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $9.99, it’s taking a risk to have high expectations of a wine, particularly a kosher wine, but having had the Galil Mountain wine early in the week, I expected the sister winery to make an equally good product.  Instead, this Sauvignon Blanc was flabby and lacked the crisp, fresh characteristics that make a Sauvignon Blanc so refreshing to drink.

Overall: 2 corks

Posted by Alleigh at 9:00 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,

Star Light, Star Bright…Starborough Wine For Drinking Tonight?

$11-$20, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings 1 Response »
Aug 312009

By the third full day on the beach, some people probably start to get bored, but not us. Hubby and I had finally let the stress and preoccupation with life back in DC melt away, although whether that was due to the heat, to the escape from cell phones/BlackBerries, or to the general enjoyment of vacation, I’m not sure. We spent our third day in Duck the same way we’d spent our first and second day—on the beach reading, swimming, and relaxing. The water was much colder on Wednesday, which meant that I stuck my feet in the water, but rarely did more than that. The water, though, was actually calmer on Wednesday than on Tuesday, so we were fortunate enough to see more dolphins in the morning. It was a great way to start the day.

After spending a solid 7 hours on the beach, we went to dinner. Admittedly, by this dinner, our dining experiences were discouraging me. I had grand visions of great food and delicious wine, but most of the food was mediocre and all of the wine lists were unimpressive. Unfortunately, the Roadside Raw Bar & Grill was no different. At the Roadside, we started dinner with steamed shrimp, which tasted fresh and was nicely seasoned. For entrées, Hubby had the blackened tuna and I had the jambalaya. Both were surprisingly bland for food that is supposed to be flavorful and spicy, which ultimately made for a dinner that was ok, but not great.

Once we finished, we headed to the Harris Teeter in Kitty Hawk to grab a few essentials. As soon as we walked in, I spied the wine racks, which were proudly displaying a section full of beachy-looking bottles of wine. Admittedly, I’m an occasional sucker for marketing and fun labels, so I couldn’t pass up buying a 2007 Starborough Sauvignon Blanc and a Moselland Lighthouse Series Riesling. I put both bottles in to chill as soon as we got back to the house.

I opened the 2007 Starborough Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) first, and it represented everything I’ve come to expect from and enjoy in a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It was a clear, greenish-yellow with light legs. On the nose, there were ripe green pepper aromas, followed by gooseberries, fresh cut grass, and some citrus. In the mouth, the green peppers dominated. Behind them, there was a nice mixture of gooseberry, lemon, and passion fruit flavors, which were followed by a strong lime-filled finish. The wine had good acidity and slightly more body than I expected.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $13, this wine is a simple, fun summer wine that gives a nice mixture of flavors while still being bright, crisp, and fresh. I enjoyed the wine on its own, but I imagine it would also be food friendly. For a snack, it could probably go nicely with some guacamole and chips, and for dinner, it could pair well with a grilled chicken or fish that has been seasoned with a citrus-marinated.

Overall: 3

Posted by Alleigh at 3:12 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

Day 2 of WBC09: First Mystery Vineyard Was Sterling Vineyards

$11-$20, 2.5 Corks, 3 Corks, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »
Aug 132009

For the Wine Bloggers’ Conference day around Napa Valley, conference participants split into small groups and visited a number of different Napa wineries. My bus’ first stop was the historic Sterling Vineyards. Having studied the vineyard for my WSET course, I was particularly excited when I heard that this was one of our winery tours.

As our bus turned into the vineyard, we picked up winemaker Alison Crary. She talked to us about the vineyard as we drove from the entrance, which is at the bottom of the valley, to the winery, which is perched up high on a hill. Once at the top, when we walked from the bus to the private tasting room, there was sneak peak at the gorgeous view of the valley from the vineyard’s overlook.

In the private room, Sterling Vineyards had a great set up of three wines for us to taste. The 22 of us also received boxed Dean & Deluca lunches and listened to Alison talk about the wines as we hurriedly ate and tasted. Unfortunately, we were running a little behind schedule, so there wasn’t any time to dawdle.

The three wines we tasted—a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, and a Cabernet Sauvignon—were from Sterling’s new organic wine collection. However, the grapes were actually grown in Mendocino County, not from the Napa Valley, which was something that bothered me. Don’t misunderstand; it was exciting to taste their new collection, particularly as the Cabernet Sauvignon is not being released until September. However, as the Napa Valley Vintners were a premier sponsor of the WBC and as conference attendees were spending the day visiting Napa Valley wineries, it seemed slightly disingenuous to have our group taste Mendocino wines while we were visiting the Napa vineyards.

As for the wines themselves, they are all made from organic grapes and are all under $20. The wines have screw top closures and are meant for immediate drinking, rather than for cellaring.

The Sauvignon Blanc was not only my favorite of the three wines, but also the least expensive. The wine had nice, bright grapefruit and pineapple flavors with a hint of fresh cut grass. It was a beautiful, refreshing wine with a light body and good acidity. It seemed perfect for a hot summer day. At $14, it is definitely worth grabbing a bottle if you see it. Overall: 4 Corks

The Chardonnay had a little more body and a slightly deeper color than the Sauvignon Blanc did. The wine definitely spent some time in oak, although not too much time. It tasted of apples, pears, peaches, and vanilla with a hint of nutmeg and lime on the finish. At $15, this was a nice, medium-bodied chardonnay. You won’t find anything unusual in the taste, but it was a solid, good wine. Overall: 3 Corks

The Cabernet Sauvignon was the newest wine in the organic grape collection, and it was by far my least favorite. It had plum, olive, and blackberry flavors, with a hint of sour cherry on the finish. The wine had strong tannins and medium acidity. At $18, it seemed a little young and just ok. Overall: 2.5 Corks

Once the tasting was over, Alison walked us to the vineyard’s overlook terrace. In order to get to the overlook, we walked past steel fermentation tanks and oak barrels all filled with wine.

We spent some time at the vineyard’s overlook discussing the winery, specifically, and details about Napa terroir, in general. It was a perfect weather and the overlook was beautiful, so it’s no surprise that we spent as much time talking outside as we did.

Finally, we finished our tour of Sterling Vineyards with a ride in gondolas to the bottom of the mountain. From there, we immediately boarded the bus without a chance to purchase any of the wines we just tasted.

Surprisingly, this was the first of many vineyards that never offered us a chance actually to buy anything we tasted. If we had been offered, I definitely would have purchased several bottles of the Sauvignon Blanc, as they would be perfect to bring to a bbq, both because it tasted great and it would have made a great conversation starter to say that I bought them while at WBC09. Oh, well.

Posted by Alleigh at 3:10 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

Sonoma Grand Tasting at WBC09

$11-$20, $21-$30, $31-$40, $51 and higher, 2.5 Corks, 3 Corks, 3.5 Corks, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »
Aug 072009
I admit it, by the time the Sonoma Grand Tasting started, I was a bit overwhelmed. This was my first Wine Bloggers’ Conference, and up until this point, I’d never tasted more than 15-20 wines in one sitting. At the WBC, though, by 5pm there had already been wine tasting in the welcome room, wine tasting at lunch, and wine tasting at the speed tasting, so the Sonoma Grand Tasting was taking me further outside of my tasting comfort zone than I’d even been before. So, I was nervous, but I was also up for the challenge.

The Sonoma Grad Tasting was a roped-off patio area near the pool at the Flamingo Resort. As you can see from the pictures, there were a lot of bloggers in a very small space, but it served as a way for us to get to know each other very quickly. People were standing around talking, eating delicious cheese and spreads with crackers, and of course, tasting 2, 3, or 4 wines from every vineyard at the tasting.

The Grand Tasting was definitely a success for me. I tasted Murphy-Goode wines for the first time and was pleased with what I tasted, as I had never even heard of the winery before the contest for the Really Goode Job. I worked my way through some well-know, affordable everyday wines that I often look at in the wine store, but haven’t had a chance to purchase, as well as tasted some lesser-known, more-unusual wines that were pleasant surprises. While all of the wines were good, none of them knocked me off my feet. Admittedly, I was nervous that I was the only one who felt that way, but after talking with other bloggers throughout the weekend, it seemed that my opinion was shared by others.

My notes from this event aren’t very detailed, but here are some pictures and my overall ratings:

Murphy-Goode Winery (website)
2008 “The Fume” Sauvignon Blanc—$12.50 3 Corks
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon—$20 3 Corks
2006 “Liar’s Dice” Zinfandel—$21 3.5 Corks



Chateau St. Jean (website)
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon—$30 3.5 Corks
2007 Chardonnay—$25 4 Corks



Souverain (website)
2007 Chardonnay—$13 3 Corks
2007 Merlot—$15 3 Corks



Frick Winery (website)
2006 Cinsault—$26 4.5 Corks
2007 Grenache Blanc—$27 4 Corks





Alexander Valley Vineyards (website)
2004 Syrah—$35 4.5 Corks
2007 Sin Zin—$17 3 Corks
2008 Dry Rose of Sangiovese—$12 3.5 Corks

Dutton Goldfield Vineyards (website)
2006 Sanchietti Vineyard Pinot Noir—$58 3 Corks
2006 Freestone Hill Vineyrd Pinot Noir—$58 3 Corks
2007 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir—$38 3 Corks
2007 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay—$35 2.5 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 2:15 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cheetahs & Cakebread

$21-$30, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 3 Responses »
Jul 102009

On Monday, Hubby and I turned the three-day, July 4th holiday into a four-day one, and instead of going back to work, we went to the National Zoo. We’ve been talking about going since late winter, but school and work made it impossible. However, this seemed like the perfect opportunity for us to pull out our cameras and lenses for a day of animals and photography…and what a fun day! The zoo was still crowded, as we weren’t the only ones with the idea of extending the holiday weekend, and it was hot, as DC summers can be, but it was a good time. One of the highlights was when we saw that the zoo’s professional photographer walking with several zookeepers through the cheetah area. When they stopped, we stopped, figuring that she was going to take pictures of something cool and we wanted to be there for whatever it was. While we were standing there, we overheard a discussion about how the one zookeeper was off to feed the cheetahs before “setting everything up.” So, like any good eavesdroppers, we decided to use the information and wait (at a distance) to see if we could get some good shots, too. At one point, they moved the cheetah that was in the habitat (turned out to be the zoo’s female) into a different area, but for the most part, we stood around wondering what we were going to be able to see. After about 20 minutes of waiting, the zookeeper who went to do the feeding called out to us from where the cheetahs are kept and said that it would only be a few minutes longer (so much for our being subtle!). Sure enough, 5 minutes later, three male cheetahs made their way into the habitat area. They were gorgeous…and it was definitely worth the wait, even though we were slightly embarrassed about being called out to by the zookeeper. Overall, we spent 5 solid hours at the zoo, came home exhausted as if we’d spent the day at work, and went out for Mexican food instead of cooking. Before heading to the restaurant, though, I put a bottle of 2007 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc in to cool because after a hot day of walking around, a light, refreshing white was exactly what I was craving.

The 2007 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) is 89% Sauvignon Blanc grapes, 7% Semillon grapes, and 4% Sauvignon Musque grapes. The wine was a pale-to-medium lemon color with very visible legs. On the nose, I found strong lime aromas, followed by pink grapefruit and mineral. In the mouth, the strong lime flavors matched the lime aromas on the nose, and they were followed with grapefruit, very ripe kiwi, and honeydew. There was also a slight hint of something floral on the finish. The wine had a noticeable acidity and tanginess with a light-to-medium body and lengthy finish. Wannabe Wino posted about her December 2008 visit to the winery, which you may want to read for slightly different tasting notes.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $28 a bottle, the wine is light and uncomplicated, while also being slightly unusual and very refreshing. If you buy a bottle of the 2007 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, it’s something that should be opened now, as I doubt that it would improve with age. In terms of food, I actually drank the wine by itself, so I can’t speak to the success of food pairings, but I imagine that it would go well with seafood dishes, particularly sushi, scallops, or shrimp.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 2:22 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: Take 2

$11-$20, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 6 Responses »
Jun 242009

When I reviewed the 2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, which was my indoctrination into the world of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, Courtney and Mark mentioned that I should try the Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (here is Mark’s review on Wine Life 365). While it’s taken me a couple of months to follow-up on the suggestion, I’m glad I did…and I found the perfect day to try it, too.

Tuesday was one of those days those typical DC summer days—hot and humid—and, for the first time in what feels like weeks, it didn’t rain. After a day of playing the “hurry up and wait” game at work and dealing with the hassles of the Metro commute after Monday’s tragedy, when I walked in the door of our condo, I could hardly wait to open a cold, white wine. Thankfully, the Oyster Bay SB was chilled, so I poured a glass, put my feet up, and spent some time decompressing with Hubby and watching some trashy TV. It was the Oyster Bay SB was the well-suited for a quiet, relaxing evening.

The 2008 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) was a clear, light-to-medium lemon color and had slow forming legs. On the nose, the wine had nice, classic New Zealand SB aromas—green bell peppers and green apples—followed by some pineapple and a touch of fresh cut grass. In the mouth, the green peppers were the most pronounced, but blended nicely with the granny smith apple and pineapple flavors. There were also very light gooseberry and grass flavors. The wine was had a crisp acidity that was well balanced with the alcohol and body, which made for a refreshing and enjoyable Sauvignon Blanc.

Is this wine worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $12, this wine is surprisingly good. It drinks very well on its own, but if you’re looking for food to go with it, I think that it would pair well with a salad, chicken stir-fry, or, ironically, oysters. Also, while it still has the classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc bell pepper flavors, it offers more fruity and less vegetal characteristics than the Kim Crawford does. And, for the money-conscious, it was also less expensive.

Overall: 4 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 4:31 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

Reds, Whites, and Bios! Oh, My!

$11-$20, $31-$40, $51 and higher, 3.5 Corks, 4 Corks, 5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »
May 142009


As if working full time in a 50-60 hour a week job and taking wine classes isn’t enough to keep me busy, I’m also on the Board of Directors for my condo association. One of my BOD responsibilities is chairing the social committee, which clearly meant organizing a wine tasting! After contacting almost all of the wine stores in Arlington about holding the event, I only received responses from two—Grand Cru Wine Bar & Euro Café was by far the easier store to work with. I outlined the association’s budget, and they worked with Republic National Distributing Company wine specialist Andy Hoyle to pick out wine options for our tasting. The BOD decided on 4 wines, although Andy surprised us with several extras, including the Signaterra wines by Benziger.


While I’ll share short overviews of all the wines we tasted, I can’t help but focus on the Signaterra wines. According to Andy, Benziger has been selling limited quantities of these wines onsite, but it’s only recently that they’re appearing in restaurants and wine stores. Therefore, while the wines may not be available at your wine store yet, start asking for them. Besides being unique and tasty, Andy explained that attendees at last night’s wine tasting were among the first in Virginia to try these wines. That was a double bonus for us!

Signaterra uses organic and biodynamic viticulture methods. Biodynamic viticulture is based on the ideas of Austrian philosopher/scientist Rudolf Steiner, and The Wine Anorak has an interesting and thorough explanation of the process, if you’re looking for more information. The Signaterra website describes the philosophy well, though, as they say the wines are about “integrating the right resources of the Earth, the inescapable forces of Nature, and the attentiveness of Man into a distinctive wine.” Admittedly, I’m skeptical about the idea that biodynamic methods produce better quality wine, but regardless, all three of these are delicious. I actually ended up buying a bottle of each at the event.


With that introduction…let’s talk about the Signaterra wines—the 2007 Shone Farm Sauvignon Blanc, the 2007 Bella Luna Pinot Noir, and the 2006 Three Blocks.

2007 Benziger Signaterra Shone Farm Sauvignon Blanc
$35
This Sauvignon Blanc had a clean, medium lemon color. On the nose, there were strong fruit aromas—particularly grapefruit, although there was also some lime, peach, and apricot. I found the same fruits when tasting the wine, and they were joined with a hint of wet stone mineraliness that kept the wine from being dominated by fruit. The wine also had a bright, pleasing acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $35 a bottle, this wine is not only environmentally friendly, but also palate and food friendly.

Overall: 4 corks


2007 Benziger Signaterra Bella Luna Pinot Noir
$55
The Pinot Noir was hands-down the favorite wine of the night. Several people came up to me to say that they normally don’t drink Pinots, but that this one was very flavorful and enjoyable. At the same time, I also had a couple of people tell me that they were big Pinot fans and that this was among the best they’d tasted. I thought it was interesting that the Bella Luna was able to straddle the Pinot/Non-Pinot lover line.

The color of the wine was a nice intensity that matched the robust strawberry and red cherry aromas. The red fruit was followed by a hint of white pepper and an earthy depth that gave the wine character overpowering the other aromas. In the mouth, the flavors matched what I found on the nose. The medium tannins and low acidity resembled what you would expect from a Pinot, although the wine had a slightly more substantial body and finish than I anticipated.

Is this worth a glass after work? It’s worth more than one! What are you waiting for? At $55, this wine is a little more expensive than many of the “every day” wines that I review, however, it’s worth every penny. This wine is so smooth and inviting that it’s great for drinking on its own, but also would pair nicely with seasoned meat like a pork tenderloin or with a grilled salmon.

Overall: 5 corks



2006 Benziger Signaterra Three Blocks Bordeaux blend
$55
The Three Blocks Bordeaux blend was my least favorite of the Signaterra wines, although I wonder if I needed more time to really sit and think about the wine, as there was a lot happening with it. The Three Blocks is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot, with a deep purplish-ruby color. The wine had strong dark fruit aromas—mostly plums—followed by the smell of powdered cocoa. In the mouth, I found similar plumy flavors, although the cocoa turned into more of a sweet spice taste. The wine had strong tannins, although it was well-balanced. There were some tartrates in my glass, which had some attendees concerned, but, as I mentioned in this week’s TT&T post, tartrates are nothing to worry about.

Overall: 3.5 Corks


The other wines we tasted:

2006 Paso Creek Zinfandel, which I reviewed in March.

2006 Valley of the Moon Barbera (vineyard; snooth), which I will review in a separate post, as I was able to take a leftover bottle home with me.
$18

2006 Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon (vineyard; snooth)
$13
This wine had aromas of burnt tar and blackberry. In the mouth, there were strong tannins that pulled on your gums, but helped contribute to the balance between the bitterness of the tar flavors and the sweetness of the blackberries. This was a big, juicy Cab and would be great with a steak and potato dinner.

Planeta La Segreta Rosso (vineyard; snooth)
$14
This wine had an interesting mix of flavors and aromas, as there was a mix of red and black fruits. The wine is a blend of 50% Nero d’Avola, 25% Merlot, 20% Syrah,5% Cabernet Franc, and had medium tannins and a nice body. Overall, it was good. Not the best wine of the night, but something that is definitely drinkable.

Erath Pinot Gris (vineyard; snooth)
$15
This Pinot Gris smelled and tasted of ripe melons and grapefruit. In the mouth, there was also a hint of mineral. Overall, it wasn’t terribly complex, but it was enjoyable.

2007 Vaca Chardonnay
$14
The Vaca Chardonnay had a strong buttery, tropical fruit smell and tasted like buttered, ripe banana and vanilla. There was a hint of green apple in the finish, but it was very faint. Oaky chardonnay is NMS, so I wasn’t a huge fan. However, the wine was a good quality and had a nice balance, so if it’s a style you like, this is a wine you should check out.


Posted by Alleigh at 3:49 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This Time, A French Sauvignon Blanc

$11-$20, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »
Apr 272009

Since I just posted about my first experience with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, I thought it would be a fun experiment to open a bottle of Pouilly-Fumé while the thoughts about the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc were still fresh on my mind.  So, on Friday evening, I chilled a bottle of 2006 Domain du Bouchot Pouilly-Fumé (vineyard; snooth) before Hubby and I ordered some Thai delivery.  Because I’m a soy sauce addict, I ordered my favorites—crab rangoon and chicken pad see ew.

Pouilly-Fumé is a Sauvignon Blanc from, you guessed it, Pouilly-Fumé, which is in the Loire Valley of France.  Typically, the wines are known for their smoky (fumé means “smoked” in French) and mineral flavors, and the Domain du Bouchot didn’t disappoint.  The wine was a nice, medium, gold color.  On the nose, there were lime and lemon aromas blended with hints of green apple and flowers.  There was also the anticipated smoke and stone-like aromas.  In the mouth, there was a nice mixture of lime and wet-stone flavors.  I know…you’re thinking that the idea of drinking something that tastes like licking a wet stone does not sound enticing, but I promise that when done well, as it is with this Pouilly-Fumé, it’s very enjoyable!  

The French Sauvignon Blanc was very different from the New Zealand wine from the same grape.  In appearance, the Domain du Bouchot had a more golden color than the Kim Crawford, which still was very young and yellow-green.  On the nose, the Domain du Bouchot was dominated by citrus and mineral flavors, while the Kim Crawford had strong vegetal (green pepper and asparagus) flavors with only a hint of citrus.  Those differences on the nose translated to similar differences on the palate.  Overall, though, while very different in appearance, smell, and taste, both wines had a crisp, refreshing acidity that brought out different, yet enjoyable characteristics of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. 

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely!  If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $14 a bottle, this wine has great food pairing potential or can be enjoyed on its own, especially on a hot, 90-degree day.  The combination of the Pouilly-Fumé with both the seafood and the chicken in my Thai dishes worked perfectly; plus, the fried aspect of crab rangoon and the salty taste of the pad see ew helped cut the high acidity in the wine, while enhancing the flavors.  If you’re looking for something a little lighter to eat, I think the wine would also pair well with a nice goat cheese or a grilled shrimp dish.  No matter how you look at it, Domain du Bouchot’s 2006 Pouilly-Fumé was the perfect wine to kick off the heat wave that hit the DC area over the weekend!

Overall:4 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 2:54 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,
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