Conundrum White Wine Blend 2010 (California)

While not on the bottle I did a bit of research to find this wine is made up of five California white grape varietals: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Viognier and Semillon- sourced from Napa, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Tulare counties. The name Conundrum refers to the puzzling array of flavors and aromas bursting through. Each vintage contains a varied percentage of each grape allowing Mother Nature to determine which grape will steal the show in that particular vintage.

Since I was not sure of the blend before opening the bottle I did not know what to expect and I was a bit surprised. On the pour, golden yellow, the color of Semillon. Aromatic...let me re-phrase that! Intensely aromatic with a nose of gardenia, Jasmin and honeysuckle which I like, although this was a bit overdone. Since taste is ninety percent of smell I also tasted gardenia, roses and honeysuckle. The Viognier came forth with flavors of pineapple, melon and a touch of honey. It was like tasting flowers.
Full flavored and fruit forward with nice acidity. I think the Muscat overwhelmed the wine a bit with floral notes. I would dare say this is why they did not include the varietals on the label. Most true wine lovers are not fans of Muscat as it tends to be overly sweet.

Final thoughts: Would I purchase this wine again? Probably not although I was glad for the wine experience.  I do love Conundrum wines and many Wagner Family Wines. They are also the makers of Caymus, Mer Soleil, Meiomi and others, they’re a wine powerhouse. A true family affair.

This wine would pair well with several cheeses, spicy Asian foods, dessert or alone on a warm Sunday afternoon.