Hello again Sippers!
This week has been interesting and long. I have been working really hard with my wonderful staff, the 9/11 Pentagon dedciation happened this week, and I am glad that we have a weekend off! So...let's continue with some more sipping selections for you.
I am sharing with you a day early to let my brain rejuvenate tomorrow. It is dreary here in Washington, DC. It is a good evening for movie and some Thai. Here are some selections for that very thing. While Gewurztraminers and Rieslings are nice, they are not the only wines that pair well.
A wonderful little casual wine at home is what you need? Choose this.
Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Vintners Cuvee XXII
The color is purple. The body is medium. The acidity is balanced. This drinkable red does not have a big zin but is highly extracted, mildly tannic with an overview of berries, minerals, and earth. Now the explosive fruit fills the mouth initially, yet remains soft textured and perfectly approachable. It does not have a long finish and is more like a Pinot Noir. This is perfect for the novice wine drinker and the casual meal.
The fruits are cherry, blueberries, and plum and a little spice. The tannins are mild and smooth. It is vivid, before and after airation. A screaming wine, though not the most elegant fruit, its a bottle for a fun time. This is a friendship-serious bottle with a HUGE bouqet, confusing at first but far more sensical after it breathes for a good 20 minutes. Accessible is the word for this little lovely.
Feeling sexy? This is the right one for you.
2003 Aramis Vineyards The Governor Shiraz McLaren Vale
A selection of the finest barrels, the Syrah The Governor reveals toasty new oak along with abundant blackberry, blueberry, and licorice notes, and hints of camphor and flowers. Full-bodied, dense, and rich. Dark fruit with some mocha and intense, balanced flavors. That is the formal description. Let me tell you what I really think!
Inky purple, sexy aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, violet and vanilla custard, complicated by spicy oak. There's big-time oak going on, but also plenty of ripe, luscious dark berry fruit that verges on liqueur-like. Fat, broad and sweet on the finish, the oak spice coming up strong. There's clearly great material and sex appeal here, and the oak is plenty suave, but I'd love to see it ratcheted down a notch. ($35 approx.)
Send me a note and let me know how your September Sips experience is going.
Salut!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
September Sip: Part 1
Hello Sippers!
I want to focus on accessible wines this fall and winter. With the election and the worries of the world, you should still be able to have some normalcy in your life and your days should be easy. So I am going to share a few wines that anyone should be able to find for your salads and light fishes at various price points.
If you need to find an item, click on Vinquire on the right side of the page...scroll down...and sip away.
2006 Geyser Peak Winery Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County
Explosive aromas brimming with lemon, lime and citrus blossom mingle with gooseberry and passionfruit and a little spice to proudly proclaim this wine’s varietal. A generous, fruit-forward palate shows juicy citrus flavors of lime, grapefruit and tangerine, balanced by bright, crisp acidity. The pleasant finish persists on the palate with great length of flavor. This is an easy-sipping, eminently drinkable wine making for a lively, distinctive white that doesn’t sacrifice complexity or varietal character in its quest to be flat-out enjoyable. The perfect apéritif, this wine also makes an ideal partner to oysters and nearly any shellfish, as well as salads and light fish and chicken dishes. Chill and pour. ($10-14)
2007 Rodney Strong Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Charlotte's Home Vineyard Sonoma County
The 2007 vintage started off with a very dry spring, which tended to make for smaller clusters, smaller berries, and less canopy overall. The growing season was about as perfect as you would want, with warm afternoons and cool evenings, and a complete lack of hot or cold spells. With no weather problems at harvest time, few are surprised with the exceptional quality of this vintage, which will likely go down as one of the best in recent years. This pale straw, moderately light-bodied Sauvignon Blanc with mild acidity of medium fruit is mildly oaked with herbs, flowers, and vanilla. An easy sipper with distinctive, sweet floral character and excellent mouthfeel. Moderately long and well focused.
2006 Rochioli Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley
Taking it a little further. Light, crisp, and highly aromatic, the warmer climate Alexander Valley fruit gives the wine ripe pear and melon character, while the ocean cooled Russian River fruit offers citrus, mineral, and traditional herbaceous qualities. Together, the two valleys make a classic Sonoma County sauvignon blanc that is fresh, lively, and will drink beautifully over the next 1 to 2 years. ($10-14) 2006 Rochioli Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley Forty-eight percent is from our newest planting of a very special and rare clone, forty percent is from the original Sauvignon Blanc vineyard planted in 1959, and twelve percent is from our seventeen year old hillside vineyard. Twenty-five percent of this blend is barrel fermented, which gives this wine its complexity and round texture. The balance is tank fermented to preserve its intense varietal character and firm acidity. 2,950 cases were produced.
There is so much going on with this wine. So here are my short quips. Medium-light yellow color, very attractive, assertive, intense, herbal, fairly grassy, lemony, slightly tropical, distinct Sauvignon Blanc, aroma which developed with airing in the glass; medium-full body; fresh, clean, forward, rounded, herbal, grassy, lemony, intense flavors; well balanced; lingering aftertaste. ($33-36)
Send me a note and let me know how your September Sips experience is going.
Salut!
I want to focus on accessible wines this fall and winter. With the election and the worries of the world, you should still be able to have some normalcy in your life and your days should be easy. So I am going to share a few wines that anyone should be able to find for your salads and light fishes at various price points.
If you need to find an item, click on Vinquire on the right side of the page...scroll down...and sip away.
2006 Geyser Peak Winery Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County
Explosive aromas brimming with lemon, lime and citrus blossom mingle with gooseberry and passionfruit and a little spice to proudly proclaim this wine’s varietal. A generous, fruit-forward palate shows juicy citrus flavors of lime, grapefruit and tangerine, balanced by bright, crisp acidity. The pleasant finish persists on the palate with great length of flavor. This is an easy-sipping, eminently drinkable wine making for a lively, distinctive white that doesn’t sacrifice complexity or varietal character in its quest to be flat-out enjoyable. The perfect apéritif, this wine also makes an ideal partner to oysters and nearly any shellfish, as well as salads and light fish and chicken dishes. Chill and pour. ($10-14)
2007 Rodney Strong Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Charlotte's Home Vineyard Sonoma County
The 2007 vintage started off with a very dry spring, which tended to make for smaller clusters, smaller berries, and less canopy overall. The growing season was about as perfect as you would want, with warm afternoons and cool evenings, and a complete lack of hot or cold spells. With no weather problems at harvest time, few are surprised with the exceptional quality of this vintage, which will likely go down as one of the best in recent years. This pale straw, moderately light-bodied Sauvignon Blanc with mild acidity of medium fruit is mildly oaked with herbs, flowers, and vanilla. An easy sipper with distinctive, sweet floral character and excellent mouthfeel. Moderately long and well focused.
2006 Rochioli Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley
Taking it a little further. Light, crisp, and highly aromatic, the warmer climate Alexander Valley fruit gives the wine ripe pear and melon character, while the ocean cooled Russian River fruit offers citrus, mineral, and traditional herbaceous qualities. Together, the two valleys make a classic Sonoma County sauvignon blanc that is fresh, lively, and will drink beautifully over the next 1 to 2 years. ($10-14) 2006 Rochioli Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley Forty-eight percent is from our newest planting of a very special and rare clone, forty percent is from the original Sauvignon Blanc vineyard planted in 1959, and twelve percent is from our seventeen year old hillside vineyard. Twenty-five percent of this blend is barrel fermented, which gives this wine its complexity and round texture. The balance is tank fermented to preserve its intense varietal character and firm acidity. 2,950 cases were produced.
There is so much going on with this wine. So here are my short quips. Medium-light yellow color, very attractive, assertive, intense, herbal, fairly grassy, lemony, slightly tropical, distinct Sauvignon Blanc, aroma which developed with airing in the glass; medium-full body; fresh, clean, forward, rounded, herbal, grassy, lemony, intense flavors; well balanced; lingering aftertaste. ($33-36)
Send me a note and let me know how your September Sips experience is going.
Salut!
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