Paying For Your Wine Sins

The 2017 Two Angels Sauvignon Blanc hails from vineyards in Lake County's High Valley appellation.  The 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes grew in volcanic terror at about 2,100 feet.  The winery likens the land to the Rhône Valley's Crozes- Hermitage region, which is known for its cold, wet winters and mistral winds. 

The label art for the wine was done by Jacob DeBacker way back in 1591, and it depicts the "hilarity of inebriation and trauma of morning after."  It's about the penitence we supposedly owe for excessive joy.  Thanks for the buzzkill.  The wine's alcohol hits 13.7% abv and it sells for $17.

The Two Angeles Sauvignon Blanc has a yellow color in the glass and a nose that's lightly grassy, with citrus, stone fruit and herbs in the mix.  The palate shows lots of minerality, lemon and melon and is clean and crisp with a medium finish that highlights the fruit and minerals.


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Two Angels High Valley Divinity 2006

I've been looking back over my notes on some wines I really liked during the past year or so.  I had this High Valley wine in the summer of '09, and at the time I was not keenly aware of the Lake County appellation.  Having enjoyed other wines from that region since, I'm a believer.  Here's what I thought about Two Angels Divinity at the time:

"A classic Rhone bottle with a lovely piece of artwork by Jacob DeBacker, done in 1591. The two cherubs in the piece are said to represent the two sides of wine - happily inebriated and sadly remorseful. I'd like to think that I rarely go to either of those extremes. I'll take the art as a word of warning, however, and try to stay in the middle ground. Very little else about the wine is learned on the label, save for an ABV number of 14.1%.   To the internet I go, to find the makeup of this wine. It is a Rhone blend of 52% Syrah, 22% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 6% Petite Sirah. $25.

"The aromas are rich, if not pungent. Much dark fruit and a spicy, leathery component make for a complicated smell. I get blueberry, plum, some pepper and licorice. It's dark, but invitingly so.

"It drinks a bit on the hot side if you rush it. Better let this wine calm down quite a bit before imbibing, or the tannins will have their way with your palate. Once you're past that, it's a brooding drink. Sit the glass on the table and walk around the room a bit. Watch television for a spell. Then turn it off and go back to the glass, perhaps sneaking up from a different angle. Take your time, and the joy will begin. This is a good wine, a very good one. But it's not something to bring to a party. I drank it without food, and enjoyed it. I do think it would go very nicely with a charcoal-grilled steak, even a hamburger right off the grill. Beef Stroganoff, perhaps. But the food just might shift the focus away from a wine that clearly wants every bit of your attention. And deserves it."