Sunday, April 22, 2012

Rock Point River Rock White (Oregon)

This was an interesting wine I was invited to taste a few days ago,
recently purchasing a bottle for myself so I could get a better feel for the wine. River Rock White hales from southern Oregon and is a unique blend of 62% early Muscat & 38% Viognier. There was not a date printed on the bottle so if I were to guess I would say this wine is a 2008 after researching the winery a bit.

Fermented in stainless steel casks to retain it's luscious crisp fruit and mouth watering aromas this wine has never seen wood. At $12 per bottle this wine is quite a find and well worth it! I think this would be a great transitional wine for those friends who profess to only like sweet wine. I plan to test this theory. This wine was a Silver Medal winner at North West Wine Summit and a took the Bronze Medal at San Fransisco International Wine Competition.

The color is pale, almost clear with a slight tinge of green. The aromas of sweet flowers, melon and honeysuckle. On the palate you might expect overly sweet as this wine is 62% muscat but on the contrary it's very nice with good acidity. Flavors of melon, asian pear, white peaches and just a slight hint of Kiwi and a kiss of sweet. This wine is refreshing and juicy, wonderful for a hot summer day all by itself or with a chicken salad. It's a well rounded wine, very smooth with a nice finish. 


For more information on the Rock Point Winery vist their website at http://rockpointwines.com/index.php


Grape Tidbits:
Early Muscat, bred as a table grape in California, has been successfully used to make wine in Oregon. Muscat is the only grape to produce wine with the same aroma as the grape itself. The Muscat grape is the world's oldest known grape variety. Ripens early, about 3 weeks before Concord. It probably originated in Greece but maybe the independent sultanate of Muscat in the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula had something to do with it. No doubt a Roman soldier or traders brought it through Italy into Roman France. Early records show it shipped from the port of Frontignan in SW France during Charlemagne's also known as Charles the Great (Emporer of the Romans) reign.


Over 200 different varieties and derivatives to the Muscat family exist today. Muscat grapes range from white to almost black in color. The most commonly known varieties of muscat grapes are
  • Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains This grape is used for the wine asti spumante
  • Moscato Giallo (or Goldmuskateller) and Moscato Rosa are thought to be closely related coloured versions of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.
  • Muscat of Alexandria (also called Moscatel, Moscatel Romano) This grape is used for sherry (and is one of only three permitted grape varieties to be used in a true Sherry) also as a raisin and table grape
  • Muscat Ottonel (also called Moskately) Used for dessert wines in Austria
  • Muscat Hamburg (also called Black Muscat) Used for some Eastern European wine but mainly for table grapes in Italy and Australia
  • Orange Muscat Used for some wines in California, you may have seen an increase in Orange Moscato.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Carpineto Dogajolo Toscano Rosso 2010 (Italy)

I was looking for a wine to pair with Lasagna and this wine turned out to be a great accompaniment. 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the percentage will vary every year. This is a nice little "Baby Super Tuscan" AKA "Mini Super Tuscan"


What is a Super Tuscan:
The term is not an "official" term. I think it only came into use in the
1980's. Wine makers wanted to experiment with other grape varieties
as they did in California. Super Tuscan wines are Sangiovese blends with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These wines were outside the laws of the DOC/DOCG. These rules specify where the grapes must come from, what grapes must be used, sometimes how long they must be aged, in order to be called "Chianti" "Chianti Classico", etc. So they had to be labeled as Vino da Tavola (Table Wine, an official designation). Today, Vino da Tavola can be inexpensive table wine or wines that are outside of the current style and variety laws. Thus a high quality wine may carry this designation."Baby super Tuscan" is a young wine.


This is a very delicate wine. When first poured, not much happened, color was a dark red, in fact a bit darker than I expected. With a little persuasion, the wine opened up with the smell of roses and violets. On the palate delicate berry, spice, earth, smooth, silky tannins and a hint of olive with moderate acidity and a long to moderate finish. The floral of the Sangiovese and the spice of the Cabernet Sauvignon makes a delightful wine.



In order to understand the significance of Super Tuscan wines, we have to take a look at some history. Italy is a huge producer of wine. Wine in Italy is food. You drink it with breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is the culture. There is a wine making tradition that goes back thousands of years.

There are 20 regions and 96 provinces. The main regions are Piedmont, Tuscany and Veneto. The Denominazione di Origine Controllata (D.O.C.) controls the production and labeling of wine. The D.O.C. laws went into effect in 1963.

These law regulate:
  • The geographical limits of each region
  • The grape varieties that can be used
  • The percentage of each grape used
  • The maximum amount of wine that can be produce per acre
  • The minimum alcohol content of the wine
  • The aging requirements
In 1980, the Italian board took quality control one step further and added a G for Garantita, D.O.C.G. This states that the wine meets standards through tasting control boards and they absolutely guarantee the stylistic authenticity of a wine.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red Blend 2010 (California)

If the name turns you off the wine wont, if you enjoy an easy to drink red blend. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and hales from Paso Robels California, I am sure you have heard of it!

I'll admit to occasionally being pulled in by a clever label. This one is a cross between a playing card and a general Old West look. I rather liked the name Tenacious Red which makes me think of a desirable luscious wine with a bit of an edge and some grit, sounds interesting eh?

Light purple in the glass. Heavy profile of plum and blackberry. This is a jammy fruit bomb, with low tannins and just a touch of sweetness. I haven't had one of these in a while, and even though it's not my favorite profile of a red blend it was a fun bottle of juice for the evening and worth a try.



For more information on this winery go to http://www.purplecowboy.com/home.cfm

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Columbia Crest Two Vines Riesling 2010 (California)

Aww another Riesling, I have really been on a Riesling kick lately as you may have noticed if you follow my blog.

Two Vines, bright yellow in the glass opens with aromas of guava, melon and honeysuckle with a slight hint of citrus, perhaps Mandarin orange. Intense flavors of apricot, orange zest and sweet apple with a lively acid structure, well balanced with a sweet finish.

This Riesling was a bit sweet for me, I prefer a more dry, slightly tarter Riesling but for $12 a bottle it is not a bad purchase. Would I purchase again? Probably not unless one of my sweet wine loving friends was over for dinner or just wine. I always try to keep a bottle of sweet wine around just in case.





Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Hogue Genesis Riesling 2010 (California)

Let’s get this out of the way before we start! Riesling, by most standards, is considered a sweet and almost dessert-style wine. Quite often begin shunned by most “serious” wine drinkers, with ridiculous rhetoric like “sugar water” and “soda pop” As I have blogged before Riesling is quite an underestimated grape. Riesling, when made right, can be one of the purest expressions of a grape. This on the basis that the wine doesn’t go through a huge degree of manipulation by the winemaker with different crazy fermentation's, heavy oak aging, and other processes which make a wine taste like something it’s not
supposed to.The best Riesling’s are just grapes, fermented, in a bottle.

On the pour this wine is bright with just a tinge of yellow. Aromas of pear, fresh river water (I know right?) but that is what I was reminded of when I smelled this wine, not a bad thing, I actually like that smell. The sugar is restrained, and it’ll be a surprise to most how dry the Hogue is. Pear and green apple flavors dominate, with orange and a little lime mingled in. Strong minerality, and a short-medium finish. I likey, but would be better with food and tasted better the next day after it softened a bit.



Hogue is one of Washington’s largest wineries, with a production of over 650,000 cases. The Columbia Valley region is actually shared between both Oregon and Washington State. The region contains about one third of Washington’s wineries. Columbia Valley is a HUGE wine growing region, covering 11 million sq acres (that’s over 17,000 square miles in non-farmer speak). Only about 17,000 acres (26 sq miles) are planted to vines.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Saint M Riesling 2010 (Germany)

I have really been into Rieslings lately, I guess because the weather is warmer and Rieslings are usually a very refreshing wine. Reminds me of the quote in sideways " You like Rieslings? Rieslings?" Great movie!

This wine is produced by Chateau Ste. Michelle in partnership with famed German winemaker Dr. Ernst Loosen. With his modern world view and his traditional approach to wine making, Loosen’s Saint M unmistakably says Riesling, Germany and Dr. Loosen. This wine is 11% alcohol and cost was around $13 per bottle.

lemon chiffon yellow on the pour with aromas of citrus and plumeria. Nice acidity on the palate. medium dry and well rounded with citrus and mineral notes, hints of peach and only slightly sweet, just what I look for in a Riesling!

I served this wine with Ham and the pairing was quite nice. Of course I would purchase another bottle!





Thursday, April 5, 2012

Kimmel Four Blocks Chardonnay 2010 (California)

If you follow my Blog it is no secret how I love Kimmel wines but this is a new one and a bit less expensive than the Kimmel Chardonnay. Kudos to the Kimmel family for making great wines that everyone can enjoy!

Pale yellow in color and it has what I call that Kimmel aroma, I am pretty sure I could pick their wines in a blind aroma/taste test. Perhaps it is the terroir, perhaps it their wonderful consistency of great wines but whatever it is I know I will not be disappointed! Scents of honeysuckle and just ripe apricot, melon and the slightest hint of pineapple. On the Palate Four Blocks is smooth, crisp and has a slight touch of buttery citrus, round and supple with flavors of honeysuckle and fresh cut melon. It reminded me of playing outside as a child at grandmas house on a warm afternoon gathering honeysuckle flowers for that one drop of honey.

Hopefully Kimmel wines are coming to your state soon, if not you can order online at http://kimmelvineyards.com/index.php


FoxGlove Chardonnay 2009 (California)

With Summer approaching I went shopping for a few more white wines and FoxGlove Chardonnay was one on my list. I have read many reviews about this wine and decided to try it myself. The wine is aged in stainless steel and does not go thru malolactic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is where the naturally occurring malic acid (which is tart tasting) is converted into lactic acid (which gives a softer, buttery flavor). Robert Parker gave the Foxglove Chardonnay 90 points, but as I always say we all taste wine differently so his opinion is just an opinion!

The color is pineapple juice yellow and the nose is rich and vibrant with aromas of lemon, tangerine, key lime and peach. It reminded me of a warm summer evening when the breeze blows around all the scents of summer.

There is a nice combination of tart and fresh fruit flavors, juicy peach with lime, melon and grapefruit. The mid-palate adds some minerality and a balanced acidity along with green apple and pineapple. The Foxglove Chardonnay has one of those finishes that just won’t quit.


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2009 (California)

If you’ve seen the movie Bottle Shock you know the impact Chateau Montelena had on the wine world in 1976. The movie definitely endears you to the struggle California wine makers had, and have, gaining respect for the hard work and love that goes into each bottle. It also will make you want to run out and buy a bottle of Chateau Montelena, whether you’ve had it in the past or not.

So if you have seen the movie you are familiar with this wine. Chateau Montelena is a Napa Valley winery most famous for winning the white wine section of the historic Judgement of Paris wine competition. Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay was in competition with nine other wines from France and California under blind tasting. All 11 judges awarded their top scores to either the Chardonnays from Chateau Montelena or Chalone Winery, another California Wine producer. 

In the glass, classic Chardonnay color of pale golden straw. The subtle oak aging, approximately 9 months provides Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay with complex layers of flavor, tropical to subtle hints of vanilla and spice. The palate is soft and loaded with citrus, sweet mandarin and lemon. There’s a nice balance of acidity and fruit, and this is a crisp, and delicious, white wine. Not an every day wine at around $45 per bottle but a great buy!

This wine tends to evolve hour by hour after opening and only gets better. I typically like my Chardonnay pretty chill but it was nice to allow this wine to warm and open a bit. I served this wine with grilled chicken, shrimp and scallops and the pairing was great! Would pair wonderfully with many cream sauce pasta dishes.



A bit of History

Chateau Montelena is just north of Calistoga at the foot of Mount Saint Helena, which could explain some of the flavors in this wine. Terroir of course! The land was purchased in 1882 by an entrepreneur Alfred Loving Tubbs, who planted vines and by 1896 Chateau Montelena was the 7th largest winery in Napa Valley. With the onset of Prohibition wine making ceased at the Chateau and he only sold grapes. By 1958 Tubbs sold the Chateau to Yort wing Frank and his wife Jeanie who created a Chinese garden, still on the property but only open to members f the Chateau wine club. (Clubs have their privileges eh) In 1968 Lee and Helen Paschich purchased the property and brought in partners Lawyer James L Barrett and property developer Earnest Haun. Barrett replanted the vineyard and installed wine making equipment in the historic buildings and it began producing wines again in 1972 with Mike Grgich employed as the winemaker. Four years later, the Chateau Montelena 1973 Alexander Valley Chardonnay won first place among the chardonnays and white Burgundies in the Judgement of Paris wine competition. A bottle of the vintage is in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Wouldn't you love to have a taste?