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Tasty Wine Finds... At the Family Winemakers of California Tasting in San Francisco, it seemed that the lesson of the day was to keep your Sauvignon Blanc off oak! Some of the real standout wineries in this varietal were ... Less oak also seemed to work for some of the newer white varietals to American wineries, such as Vermentino, Verdelho, and Albarino. _________________________________________ These four "Recent Finds" were spurred by this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday Challenge, hosted by Michelle at wine-girl.net, was “Passionate Spanish Wines.” Living in the middle of a great wine country, I tend to “drink locally,” but with a topic like that, count me in! It’s easy to find fabulous wines from any region that will break the Euro-bank, so Michelle’s added twist was to find wines under $10. I headed to Monterey Street Wine Company in San Luis Obispo, and found several offerings that fit the bill (as well as some higher priced standouts) that I’ll definitely try again. Both the Borsao and the Salneval were very pleasant finds, especially for the price. -- Borsao Red Wine 2005 ($6.99), Campo de Borja: a great blend of 75% Garnacha and 25% Tempranillo; the Garnacha really shows up on the nose with dark berry and white pepper spice, and the Tempranillo comes through on the taste with plum skins and hints of dark fruit and jam; dry at front but develops into a good deep balance of tannin and fruit. -- Salneval Albariño 2005 ($8.99), Rias Baixas: a well-balanced wine with mineral and slight floral on the nose, a quick hint of anise on the forward taste that rounds out nicely into a soft butterscotch finish that lasted longer than expected. -- Finca Antigua Tempranillo 2004 ($8.99), -- Codorníu Cava n/v ($7.99), D’Anioa: a tart pleasant sparkling with small bubbles and good acidity; maybe not for big celebrations, but at the price a nice bottle to keep chilled in case someone shows up with oysters! ______________________________________________ Rubicon Estate Winery: When the Coppolas bought this property in the late 1970s, they were urged to rip out the Zinfandel, but thank goodness they didn't, otherwise we wouldn't have the luscious Edizione Estate Zin! The label's '05 Captain's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is very nice as well, crisp and clean with lemongrass and honeysuckle. Rodney Strong "Charlotte's Home" Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($14.00): a crisp and quaffable wine that's great with sushi; both mineral and pear/citrus notes. (7/20/07) Tobin James 2004 Silver Reserve Lagrin -- A Northern Italian varietal typically used in blending, but given great treatment here. A great food wine with good structure to match with full-bodied dishes, and "only" 13.8 alcohol. (7/5/07) Robert Mondavi Winery 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve -- a classic Napa Cab with exotic spice, dark sultry fruit, and tight lean tannins. Fratelli Perata 1997 Zinfandel -- What a Zin should be. Great briar, dark fruit, pepper, and spices such as clove. Edna Valley 2003 Shiraz -- Lean elegant tannins and light berry and briar make this cool climate Shiraz an excellent food wine; papardelle with spring shelling peas in a sheep's milk cheese sauce. Falcon Nest 2003 Zinfandel -- Incredible bold fruit (which belies the 16% alcohol!) but still a great match for a hearty spaghetti sauce. Tobin James 2004 Refosco Reserve -- A restrained big wine (if you know TJ's wines, you'll understand that comment) that's a good match for either Italian tomato sauces or spicy grilled meats. Black Hand Cellars 2004 Chardonnay -- Grab this big elegant wine while you can! Robert Hall 2005 Sauvignon Blanc -- soft mouthfeel and hints of Kaffir lime and other citrus make this a great match with Thai food. B&E Vineyard 2002 Estate Merlot -- a big wine with great fruit that still has the softness you expect from a Merlot. Alma Rosa 2005 Pinot Noir -- not surprisingly, this offering from Thekla & Richard Sanford's new label in Santa Rita Hills delivers great balance, with soft tannins and notes of plum and briar cherry. Pipestone Vineyard's '03 Rhone Style Red Wine (40% Syrah, 30% Grenache Noir, 30% Mourvèdre) Chateau Margene's '03 Cabernet Sauvignon -- another classic varietal showing from this label. Great cherry and briar notes and a lot of aging potential. |
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