White Wines

Franciscan Oakville Chardonnay Cuvee Sauvage 2005

Generally speaking, I’m against the majority of California Chardonnay on the market — but not against ALL California Chards.

What bugs me is the proliferation of formulaic, oak-driven “soda-pop” Chards that taste more like Sugar Smacks than fermented grapes. The bulk of these disasters in a bottle are in the under $20 segment, but there are also a number of higher-priced Chardonnays that are flawed by too much wood.

The problems of over-oaked are 1. the wood overpowers the fruit, so you don’t taste the Chardonnay; and 2. oak doesn’t match very well with most foods. However, that doesn’t mean oak is always bad — it merely needs to be used judiciously. The key is the fruit; if the grapes produce a very rich, ripe flavor, then it can stand up to a good dose of oak and create a harmonious, delicious sipper.

One such example of a California Chardonnay with a wonderful balance of fruit and oak is Franciscan Oakville Chardonnay Cuvee Sauvage.

Tasting Notes: Cuvee Sauvage

Wide open, delicious smelling aroma of ripe pear, peach, banana, spicy oak, vanilla, and a hint of warm apple pie. In the mouth it has a silky, creamy, buttery texture, carrying lots of succulent ripe pear, baked apple, vanilla, honey, and oak. The oak actually runs a touch bitter, giving off some tannins, in the finish. Acidity is mild to nearly medium. On the fat and oaky side, but surprisingly not overwhelming and also not too hot in the finish. It’s almost on the sweet side, making it more of a fireplace wine than something you’d match successfully with a bevy of foods. However, it will match adequately with roasted rosemary chicken, dishes drenched with garlic, and maybe hot and spicy cuisine, where the sweetness acts as a foil against the heat. Long, elegant finish. A rich, delicious, and succulent wine to enjoy by the fire.

a-10 t-10 b-7 fc-7 v-7 ~ 91 Points

Find this wine at a local retailer using Wine-Searcher, Vinquire, or WineZap

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Domaine de La Bastide Roussanne 2006

Importer: Weygandt-Metzler

OK, this is from France, so it doesn’t fit the American themed Thansgiving. But it’s a great wine for matching with everything on the table, and it’s different!

Tasting Notes

Nose is clean, pure ripe peach and some pear, with a spicy vanilla element. On the palate it is silky smooth, almost honeylike, with flavors of pear, peach, citrus, a bit of vanilla spice and a slight hint of mineral. Acidity is low. Citrus becomes more apparent in the finish, which is easygoing. This is a nice wine as an aperitif, and a good match for lean meats, veggies, and possibly as a counter to hot and spicy dishes. The low acidity won’t get in the way of lean turkey, and it will mesh well with most of the assorted dishes you might find on the Thanksgiving table.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-9 v-8 ~ 91 Points

Find this wine at a local retailer using Wine-Searcher

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Vinum Cellars Clarksburg Chenin Blanc CNW 2005

The “CNW” on the label stands for “Chard No Way” … hmm, what’s the winery trying to tell us?

Here is an ideal “out of the box” idea for the Thanksgiving table — a Chenin Blanc! And Vinum is winery in Clarksburg, California, so it fits in with the American theme of the holiday.

Tasting Notes

Bright, open nose of fresh ripe white peach, pear, melon. Deliciously bright fruit on the palate as well, dominated by apple, pear, peach, and honeydew melon. A touch of stony mineral adds a nice complexity. Very clean. Texture is smooth. Acidity is low. This is a fine sipper on its own, and a fantastic match for the Thanksgiving meal. Its bright flavors and low acidity match well with just about everything on the table – the lean turkey, stuffing, pearl onions, and veggies. Guess what? This wine also pairs nicely with asparagus – how about that? Also good as an aperitif, or match it with similarly lean dishes, or spicy foods (Asian and Indian, for example).

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-8 v-8 ~ 90 Points

Find this wine at a local retailer using Wine-Searcher, Vinquire, or WineZap

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Simi Sonoma County Chardonnay 2005

Simi is a California winery founded over 125 years ago by two brothers named Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, from Tuscany, Italy. The Simi brothers built a successful business before both died just after the turn of the 20th century, leaving the estate to Giuseppe’s daughter Isabelle, who continued the business with help from her husband Fred Haight. The business continued to flourish until Prohibition (1920), and picked up right where it left off when Prohibition was repealed in 1933.

It’s an interesting story, told in more detail at the Simi website. What you need to know is that Simi remains an historic estate — by most accounts the longest continually operating winery in California (they made “sacramental” wines during Prohibition) and has gained significant respect and popularity over the last 30 years, thanks to high quality bottlings. Current winemaker Steve Reeder is a star in the industry, with a resume that includes stints at Kendall-Jackson and Chateau St. Jean — where he made some highly acclaimed wines. Simi has been and remains a producer of consistent, high quality wines — you will get what you pay for when their label is on the bottle.

Simi Chardonnay Tasting Notes

The grapes for this wine come from Sonoma County (duh) — specifically, from Alexander Valley, Russian River, and Carneros. The wine was aged in oak barrels for six months prior to bottling.

Lots of bright, ripe, spiced pear on the nose and the palate. Nose also has some honeysuckle and vanilla. Texture is creamy smooth and rich, an ideal vessel for the creamy vanilla, maple, and spice flavors. Though it is obviously oaked and has an almost maple syrup quality, it is not cloying. A decent amount of acidity tries to stand up to the fruit, but needs help from a fair dose of alcohol to provide structure. A thick, rich, full-bodied, full-flavored wine that may be best drunk alone, but also has enough acidity to match successfully with equally rich dishes. Go with bolder pork and poultry dishes, gamey fish (salmon), flavorfully prepared scallops or sea bass, corn chowder, and other dishes that you might consider matching with Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. Tasty and succulent. At somewhere between $15 to $18, appropriately priced.

a-8 t-9 b-7 fc-7 v-7 ~ 88 Points

Website: Simi Winery

Find this wine at a local retailer using WineZap or Wine-Searcher

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

White Truck California White Wine 2005

As promised in the White Truck winery profile article of a few days ago, a review of White Truck White Wine.

Nose is bright and forward, exuding floral, honeysuckle, ripe pear, apple, banana, and a hint of an unusual spice – maybe ginger? Very smooth texture, fat and creamy with ripe pear, apricot, honey and vanilla spice flavors. Somewhat sweet smelling and perceptively sweet flavor, though it finishes dry and in good balance. An intriguing, unusual wine that might be considered tropical or exotic. Acidity is mild, but there is enough to match this with lean poultry and gamey fish – perhaps best with spicier dishes such as Cajun / creole / blackened and Asian cuisine.

I like this as an aperitif or cocktail wine, but it also has the versatility to enjoy with lean and/or spicy dishes as suggested. You might call it the poor man’s Conundrum, with its fruit salad -like character. For the same reason, I also like it as a “bridge” wine for White Zinners and those looking to graduate from junior high wines such as Yellowtail.

a-8 t-8 b-7 fc-7 v-7 ~ 87 Points

Red Truck Wines website

Find this wine at a wine shop near you through WineZap or Wine-Searcher

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma County 2005

Generally I’m not a fan of California Chardonnay, mostly because many of the examples I’ve tasted were too over the top with sugary fruit, high alcohol, and overabundant oak. Of course, not every California Chardonnay is like that, but in my experience there have been more “cocktail quaffers” than bottles appropriate for the dinner table.

However, I took a gamble on La Crema’s Chard, and paired it with two different meals: one a simply grilled chicken, and then a Greek salad that included more grilled chicken. The result: I can say confidently that La Crema Chardonnay is a fine match for grilled chicken.

It’s also an enjoyable wine overall. The nose is expressive, showing full aromas of ripe pear, apple, and a touch of spice. On the palate you get a creamy, smooth texture that carries forward, ripe pear fruit with a good dose of vanilla spice and oak and a faint touch of honey. However the oak is not overpowering — it’s right on. The ripeness is most apparent upfront, but carries through the midpalate and stays through the finish, which is appropriate in length, polished, and subdued. This wine can be described to a neophyte as smooth, buttery, and ripe. It may be more directed toward cocktail hour, as it is very enjoyable on its own. However, it has enough acidity and a touch of tannin to make it matchable with lean foods — try it with the aforementioned chicken, fish, and veggie dishes. A pleasant surprise to my palate and a recommended Weekend Wine.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-7 v-7 ~ 88 Points

La Crema Winery Website

Find this wine from a local retailer through WineZap or Wine-Searcher

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Drylands Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006

In the summertime, I’m always on the lookout for a clean, quality Sauvignon Blanc under fifteen bucks. They’re around, but can take some time to find. Usually you’ll find such bargains from Chile or Argentina, and on occasion from New Zealand or South Africa. One good valued example is this Sauvignon from Drylands, which retails for about $14.99 (though some retailers may have it for a few dollars less).

Drylands is a winery — and vineyard — in the Marlborough region of New Zealand, and is a label under the umbrella of the Nobilo wine group. The property consists of a 33-acre block that was planted with Sauvignon Blanc rootstocks back in 1980, and now also is home to some Pinot Noir plantings. You don’t need to know any of this information to enjoy the wine, but it makes for interesting dinner conversation.

Wide open on the nose, with lots of bright gooseberry and grassy aromas, along with limey citrus. The palate is equally bright, showing ripe citrus (lime), green melon, some mineral, and a touch of granny smith apple that comes along in the finish. A faint bit of a vegetal component comes in the finish as well — maybe lemongrass? Very clean and crisp. Good edge of tart acidity balances the ripe fruit and allows this wine to be matched with a myriad of foods. Finish is fairly long, harmonious. Well balanced. Try it with all kinds of fish, poultry, spicy foods.

a-8 t-8 b-9 fc-10 v-8 ~ 93 Points

Drylands Website

Importer: Constellation Brands

Find this wine at a retailer near you through WineZap or Wine-Searcher

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Michel Bailly et Fils Pouilly-Fume “Les Loges” 2005

If you can’t pronounce Pouilly-Fume, don’t fret — you need only recognize it when you see it on the shelf (you can always point it out to the sommelier in a restaurant as well, without embarrassment).

And you should be on the lookout for Pouilly-Fume (POO-wee foo-MAY), because many of the ones you see in the USA are a decent bet to be a fine complement to seafood and white meat dishes — even those doused in heavy cream sauces. That’s because the wine is made from the food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc grape, which is grown in limestone-rich, chalky soil that is also rich in marine fossils (i.e., old seashells) and flint. Oh jeez … did I just go geek on you? Why should you care about the dirt? Because it’s what makes Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fume different from Sauv-Blanc from New Zealand or California. Whereas an NZ example may have a tropical twist to its flavor, Pouilly-Fume will have a more mineral taste, along with a distinct flint character — both due to the fossil-rich and minerally soil.

There are a number of different producers of Pouilly-Fume, and all the fancy French names can get confusing. Here are two very general rules of thumb: first, you usually get what you pay for when it comes to Pouilly-Fume, and a quality bottle is likely to be at least $17-22; second, the phrase “Les Loges” on the label is a fairly dependable indication of quality — it is a small village within Pouilly-Fume containing prestigious vineyards. Using these two “rules”, I came upon, purchased, and enjoyed this bottle: Michel Bailly Pouilly-Fume “Les Loges”.

And it was a very typical Pouilly-Fume: herbaceous, smoky, and green fruit aromas and flavors, with distinct stony mineral, racy acidity. Includes the standard “pipi du chat” (cat pee) / gooseberry aroma, and has plenty of forward, ripe green, flinty, smoky fruit. Also some citrus – lime, grapefruit, and maybe a touch of granny smith apple. Medium-bodied, a nearly creamy texture, and acidity that is appropriately tart but not overbearing when drunk alone. This is a first-class Sauvignon Blanc that perfectly expresses the Pouilly-Fume character: herbal, smoky, minerally. A great food wine, match it with poultry, vegetarian dishes, Thai, Indian, and salads. If you like typically herbaceous Sauvignon, you will enjoy it alone as well. At around 18 bucks, you get what you pay for — a fair value.

a-9 t-9 b-9 fc-9 v-7 ~ 93 Points

Importer: Michael Skurnik Wines

Find this wine at a retailer near you through Wine-Searcher

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Masi Soave Classico “Levarie” 2005

Soave gets a bad rap, mainly because most people associate it with the big 1.5- or 3.0-liter bottles filled with insipid, watery juice from mass-market producers, or the similarly tasteless “house wine” of a faux-Italian restaurant adorned with red-and-white checkered tablecloths.

Truth is, a good Soave is a fine choice for everyday drinking, as it can be fresh and vibrant, accentuating the flavors of a dish without overpowering it. The problem, of course, is figuring out which Soave is worth buying, and which are best left to the amateurs.

The “secrets” to buying Soave is this: 1. don’t buy it if it comes in a double magnum, or larger, bottle; 2. don’t buy it if it costs less than seven bucks; 3. don’t buy it if there’s no vintage listed. In other words, find a Soave in a standard 750ml bottle, costing at least $7, and which includes a vintage date — preferably within the last year or two.

One such gem among the trash is Masi Soave Classico “Levarie”.

Mild, almost closed nose of pear, spice, and an herbal / green / unripe component. Smooth as glass texture on the palate. Acidity is more mild than expected, but enough for matching with simple dishes. Limey citrus and mineral flavors dominate the finish, which is mellow and pleasing.

This is a perfect alternative for the crowd that drinks Pinot Grigio by itself, as it gives similarly easy drinking, fruity with a touch of mineral character but without the mouthwatering acidic edge.

If you’re looking for an over-the-top, overripe wine that’s bursting with fruit and commanding your attention, don’t buy this wine. If, however, you’d like a true Soave –subtle, easydrinking, a wine that like a popular person is able to ‘blend in’ and get along with just about everything, then pick up a few of these bottles for your entertaining. Drink this by itself as an apertif, with simple appetizers, and with all kinds of mildly seasoned fish, vegetables, and pasta salads. It’s also a fine foil for spicy foods, such as hot wings and Asian cuisine. A good quaffing wine – something you don’t have to think about, yet so enjoyable you will want to remember the name and label to buy it again.

a-7 t-7 b-9 fc-9 v-7 ~ 89 Points

Importer: Remy USA

Find this wine at a retailer through Wine-Searcher

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Ideally, wine is made for food – though mass production wineries that make superripe, sickly sweet, fat fruit bombs would like you to think differently. One of my favorite white wines for food is Vermentino – a wine that may as well be unknown among all but the most advanced of wine geeks.

Contrary to what you might think, Vermentino is not what an Italian woman screams when she sees a rat run across a Florentine piazza. Rather, Vermentino is a grape that produces white wine – the best of which come from Sardinia (Sardegna).

Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino is one of the best examples of the varietal you will find easily in the United States. It is fresh, clean, and ripe, expressing pear, peach, spice (cardamom? vanilla?), and a touch of grapefruit on both the nose and the palate. It also has hints of lemony citrus, mineral, and herbaceous flavors, and is held up with a good edge of racy acidity. Texture is smooth, almost creamy. Though it appears to be a simple, light and refreshing wine when ice cold, if you let it warm a bit you’ll find it is actually rich and complex. Fairly unique, I’d say it’s what you would get if you crossed a rich Chablis Premier Cru with a Pouilly Fume. Drink it with almost any appetizers, smoked fish, cured meats, seafood, poultry, pork, or spicy foods. It also cuts right through overly garlicky dishes, such as what you might find in Greek cuisine. A winner in every way, and a good value at around $11.99. Buy as fresh a vintage as possible (2005 is current).

a-8 t-8 b-10 fc-10 v-8 ~ 94 Points

Importer: Winebow

Find this wine at a retailer near you through WineZapor Wine-Searcher

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

How can you possibly walk by this bottle?

It has a colorful, prideful looking, fat-ass rooster on the label, which claims to be a shade under fifty pounds. If you are someone who likes big, monstrous Chardonnay, you might surmise that this oversized rooster stood for something similarly substantial. And you’d be right.

Rex Goliath Chard exudes wide open, delicious aroms of rich, ripe, spicy fruit: pear, apple, vanilla, honey. In the mouth, you get lots of ripe, sweet, heavily oaked pear fruit upfront, as well as candied peach — like you would taste in a fruit salad. A heavy, almost cloying mouthfeel contributes to a creamy smooth texture. The midpalate shows honey and canned peaches in syrup. All the fruit upfront gives the impression of a quick exit from the palate, but in fact the finish has decent length, and tastes of candied pear, peaches, and wood.

Let’s call a spade a spade and explain what this wine is: an oak-soaked, sugary sweet Chardonnay. Personally, I go for this type of wine maybe once a month, but there a lot of people who love this style. If you are type who enjoys oaky Chardonnay, then at under ten bucks, this is a great value. If you are not, and the wine somehow presents itself in your glass, I highly recommend you try it with really spicy food — the sweet fruit and oak will temper nuclear-level buffalo wings, spicy Thai, General Tsao chicken, and similarly hot dishes. At the same time, the alcohol level is high enough to add gasoline to the fire, so it’s not a perfect match.

Otherwise, don’t try matching this with food; it is expressly a cocktail / fireside sipper.

a-8 t-8 b-7 fc-5 v-8 ~ 86 Points

The Rex Goliath Wines website

Find this wine at a retailer near you through Wine-Searcher

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

After pouring really inexpensive Languedoc from out of Larry’s Sommeliers Series glass and down the drain, the geek that Larry is once again brought up the unforgettable night he enjoyed a bottle of Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou St. Julien Bordeaux — after turning back a corked bottle of Chateau Margaux. He said it was the best thing that ever happened to him, because the Ducru was “mind blowing, almost life-changing”.

Whatever.

Personally, I’d never had Ducru, so didn’t understand all the fuss. I figured that some time in my life I’d get the chance to taste the legendary nectar — hopefully on someone else’s dime. Then, remarkably, I found a dusty bottle of Ducru Beaucaillou in the discount bin of Shop Rite Liquors, for a few dollars more than the Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon I’d already picked up. Looking at the two bottles next to each other in my basket, I knew exactly what had to be done: a taste-off !

To make it fair, I uncorked both bottles at precisely the same time, and let them sit for exactly two hours to breathe. When it was time to start pouring, I used identical machine-blown Riedel Vinum Extreme Bordeaux glasses (I know hand-blown is better, but feared inconsistency in the shape might skew the results; machines are much more reliable than humans).

Using a graduated cylinder, I measured equal amounts of each wine into their respective glasses, and began the process of swirling and sniffing.

As expected, the Yellow Tail Cab expressed youthful exuberance, showing vibrant aromas of raspberry jam, grape juice, and imitation vanilla. It exploded in the mouth with flavors of concord grape jelly, easing into a finish of succulent, lip-smacking Jolly Rancher Wild Berry Fruit candy.

The Ducru, on the other hand, was not nearly as impressive. No matter how much I swirled and sniffed, the nose remained closed and uninteresting. The palate was similar — some hints of blackcurrants, cassis, leather, tobacco, blackberry, spice, and earth — but otherwise flat and, well, obtuse. Certainly not something I’d serve with buffalo wings, pigs in blankets, or even mac and cheese (and EVERYTHING goes with mac and cheese!). In fact, I wouldn’t even offer this plonk to people who don’t know the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir — I just wouldn’t be able to contain the guilt.

Additionally, the Ducru remained obnoxiously long in my mouth — it just wouldn’t go away. It kind of lingered … seemingly for hours. In the end I had to douse my tongue with Ass-Kickin’ Hot Sauce to kill the taste.

I compared my notes with those of my snobby wine friends, as well as some old editions of Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate. I have to tell you, I didn’t get what they did from the Ducru. There’s the slight possibility I got a bad bottle, or, more likely, was suffering from palate fatigue after the circus-like experience of complexity of the Yellow Tail. Maybe I’ll give the Ducru another chance, on another day (though, I’ll try the Ducru FIRST next time).

Click here for more detailed notes on the Ducru vs. Yellow Tail smackdown tasting !

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

White Wine Review: Edna Valley Chardonnay 2005

Every once in a while I do something crazy. Most of the time, the end result confirms I’m crazy. Once in a blue moon, however, I hit on a wonderful idea, or a match made in heaven.

I live in the Northeast United States, where right now it is cold. Not cold compared to Minnesota, but cold compared to most parts; it’s about 12 degrees right now, negative 15 with the wind chill. Appropriately, I’m warming up a bowl of homemade chili (turkey and bean). And I’ve decided to open up a bottle of … Edna Valley Chardonnay.

Huh? Who drinks white wine in the middle of winter? And who matches white wine with chili?

Well, I’ll try to explain …

First of all, I built up a sweat while moving wine bottles from one side of the condo to the other. Secondly, my chili is made from ground turkey — a white meat — plus beans and corn. There are of course tomatoes in the recipe, which would make it more conducive to a red wine, but the only other red thing in the pot are red kidney beans, which go well with either white or red. Finally, I’ve had this bottle of Chardonnay hanging around since my Thanksgiving tastings (never got to match it with turkey dinner), and it was sitting near the door so it was already cold. What the hey, I say …

While it wasn’t a match made in heaven, it certainly wasn’t bad. In fact, the Chardonnay worked very well thank you with my lean chili. The oaky sweetness of the Edna Valley played nicely against the moderate heat (not much, it came from adding a few pickled hot peppers). And since the wine is a bit on the fat side — not too much acidity — it is a better match for leaner dishes such as my chili. If I tried to put this wine up against a fish in a creamy or buttery (i.e., fatty) sauce, for example, it would fall flat on its face. Instead, it works fine against the lean turkey and high protein beans that dominate the dish. Also, understand that my chili has only moderate heat — I don’t make it so spicy that perspiration beads on my forehead. If I did, I might consider going with a low-alcohol, perceptively sweet German Riesling.

On its own, the Edna Valley Chardonnay is round and full with a creamy texture, forward fruit (pear, apple, banana), and a good dose of spicy vanilla oak. As mentioned, the acidity is on the low side, so don’t try it with fatty or acidic dishes; stick with leaner plates such as mildly prepared but gamey flavored fish (salmon) or better yet chicken, turkey, or lean pork. It’s more of a cocktail drinker — in other words, enjoyable by itself.

a-8 t-8 b-7 fc-7 v-7 ~ 87 Points

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Tasca d’Almerita makes two very reliable everyday “table” wines from its Regaleali property, one white, one red. This is the white — Bianco — and the 2004 vintage is still fresh and enjoyable.

In an attempt to clear up some confusion: Tasca d’Almerita is the name of the winemaking family that owns the Regaleali estate. Generally speaking, wines made by “the Count” — Count Tasca d’Almerita that is — are referred to as “Regaleali”. Whether you call it Regaleali or Tasca d’Almerita, the wine is the same — and it’s usually very good. The Regaleali Bianco is made from three grapes indigenous to Sicily — Inzolia, Catarrato, and Grecanico — but you won’t see these grapes anywhere else so it’s not necessarily important to commit them to memory.

Regaleali Bianco teases the nose with subtle aromas of pear, straw, and lemon, but the wine really comes alive in the mouth. Fresh, clean, ripe white fruits are tasted immediately, specifically pear, white peach, and a citrusy component that resembles lemon. The fruit remains strong and seems to increase in concentration as it lays on the palate, and stays ripe and apparent through a surprisingly long and balanced finish. This wine’s ample, chalky acidity and hint of mineral make it a wonderful wine to match with a wide variety of foods, especially dishes based on chicken, fish, and pork — I’d also recommend it with Asian cuisine and vegetarian dishes. At around around a dozen dollars, this wine gives you a lot of bang for the buck. A good value.

a-7 t-7 b-10 fc-10 v-9 ~ 93 points

Find this wine at a retailer through Wine-Searcher

Find this wine through WineZap

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Viognier (vee-ohn-YAY) has historically been a fairly rare grape, grown primarily in the Rhone Valley region of France and most famous for a wine called Condrieu (kohn-dree-yuh ). Even as recently as 20 years ago, no more than 100 acres of Viognier vineyards were planted worldwide — the bulk of it still in the Rhone with some coming out of the Languedoc-Roussillon region (also in France) — mostly due to its tiny yields, inconsistent ripening, and small demand.

However, in the early 1990s, Joseph Phelps began growing Viognier, Syrah, and other Rhone varietals in his California vineyards, sparking a movement dubbed the “Rhone Rangers“, where several other winegrowers followed in the experiment of planting known-as-Rhone vines in left coast soil. The results have been mixed, though it’s still quite early to be critical — considering that the Rhone Valley has had a few hundred years’ head start. Every once in a while an outstanding example comes out this laboratory, such as this Viognier from Francis Ford Coppola.

The nose exudes a perfumey, ripe, spicy fruit aroma that immediately screams Viognier.
True Viogner from the Rhone has a very distinct aroma and flavor that many either love or hate — and this bottle from the Russian River Valley of California captures that distinctiveness, resembling some of the best examples from the Rhone.

The Coppola winemaker allowed the Viognier to express itself in all its uniqueness, fermenting it in neutral stainless steel. The result is a very clean, pure expression of the varietal, sans the oily texture that sometimes carries the wine. Rather, the texture is smooth, closer to creamy.

In the mouth, this wine shows typical Viognier character: spicy green melon, Anjou pear, a spicy element that might be described as ginger snap (remember those ginger snap, windmill-shaped cookies your grandma fed you?) or cardamom, with hints of peach, lime and allspice. The acidity is remarkably high for a Viognier, which places it at medium to medium-high on the scale (Viognier often tends to be fatter) and thus positions it to be an excellent match for food. The finish is also remarkable for its length and fulfilling fruit. This is a very classy, polished wine that captures true, distinct Viognier character and then some, offering ripe, rich fruit complexity while also offering mouthwatering acidity and remaining low in alcohol (another Viognier tendency; most Viogner, especially from the Rhone, can be a little on the hot side).

Match it with roast chicken, roast ham (pink or fresh), pork chops, Thai food (lemongrass!), mild vegetarian hors d’oeuvres, and Indian vegetarian dishes. It’s also enjoyable on its own. However you drink it, just be sure you DO NOT OVERCHILL it. This wine really shows its complexity and best flavors at a few degrees warmer than other white wines; if it’s only a few degrees to cold, you might miss out on many of the details and nuances that make this wine so special.

By the way, don’t look for this bottle in your local wine shop — it’s probably not there. This wine is most easily found online — through the Coppola website — or from the winery in Sonoma (if you happen to live or travel nearby). However, it is worth the effort.

a-9 t-9 b-9 fc-7 v-7 ~ 91 Points

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

A friend of mine recommended this wine, and I hadn’t gotten around to trying it for almost a year. Finally, I was perusing the California section, saw it, remembered my friend’s recommending it, and picked it up.

Now let me make clear the fact that although I consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to wines from Europe and the New World, I am hopelessly lost in the USA section of the wine shop. Crazy, I know, considering it’s the “local” wine to me, but that’s just how it is. As a result, I tread lightly when walking through the California aisle, and depend almost exclusively on recommendations.

When I picked up this bottle, a number of bright red alerts, and sirens, went off in my head. First of all, it is a Chardonnay from California, which makes me worry that it is going to be overly oaked, and possibly have a high-fructose corn syrup-like afertaste. Of course, the name — Toasted Head — further suggested that this might be an oaky wine. When I read the back label, which told the story of the name (something about the toasting of oak barrels), my fears seemed justified. Alert number three appeared when I took a closer look at the label, and discovered that Toasted Head was actually a brand owned by R.H. Phillips. What’s wrong with that? Well, R.H. Phillips is part of Vincor International, soon to be part of Constellation Brands. And what’s wrong with that? Nothing, really, except that these are publicly traded (read: HUGE) companies. And usually, companies of this size are concentrating on the bottom line, which means they are creating wines for the masses, which means there’s a chance you’re going to get a soda pop wine.

Now, that’s not ALWAYS the case. For example, Vincor also owns Kim Crawford, a winery in Australia, and those wines are still pretty damn good.

In any case, I decided to try the Toasted Head Chardonnay with salmon broiled with garlic, dill and butter. It took two sips to realize this was not a match made in heaven, and I quickly dumped the Chard in favor of Kim Crawford Pinot Noir 2004 (review on the way).

My worst suspicions were realized: Toasted Head Chardonnay is oaky, with oak, and more oak. It finishes with a fat, syrupy, butterscotch sweetness that makes it useless with most foods. However, all by itself, it is suitable as a “fireplace” wine, or a wine to drink during cocktail hour (i.e., without food). It may even be enjoyable with a big bucket of buttered popcorn, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Those of you who enjoy a big, oaky Chardonnay should pick up this wine; you will like it. If your palate is more similar to mine — meaning you prefer a little less oak — then pass it by and try something else. Different styles for different smiles, right? Thank goodness we all have unique tastes … otherwise all my favorite wines would always be sold out!

Find and buy Toasted Head Chardonnay through WineZap

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Another Great White Wine Value from Spain

Real deal price: $7.99

A few weeks back you read about Las Brisas Rueda, a white wine from an area in Spain northwest of Madrid. That wine made enough of an impression on my palate to try another white from the same region: Basa Rueda Blanco. Once again, an excellent white wine value has been discovered.

Basa Rueda has a vibrant nose of green unripe fruit with a distinct grassiness characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as Sauvignon is planted in the DO Rueda region and is part of this wine’s blend (it also contains Spain’s own Verdejo and Viura).
Sour granny smith apple, zesty lime/citrus, and a slightly grassy/vegetal element mark the flavor of this wine, which has a gush of tart acidity and a crystal clean finish. Actually the finish reminds me of original flavor Gatorade gum: limey citrus flavor with a chalky, thirst quenching tartness. Alcohol is mild, hardly noticeable, yet the wine has surprising body for a light white. Drink it ice cold as a refreshing aperitif, or match with simply prepared white meats (poultry, pork), vegan dishes, mildly seasoned salads.

For the geeks (and conversation): Basa Rueda’s winemaker is Telmo Rodriguez, considered by many wine experts to be Spain’s up-and-coming enologist. A few things make him special, notably his dedication to preserving the terroir in wines and believing that winemaking begins in the vineyard. As a result, he chooses indigenous grapes from old vines that produce extremely low yields. He’s also a proponent of biodynamic methods; in other words, using natural / organic products in growing vines. Biodynamism leads to wines that achieve a pure, true expression of their place of origin.

Score: 91 points
a-8 t-7 b-8 fc-8 v-10

Find a merchant who sells this wine

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!