Showing posts with label floral. Show all posts
Showing posts with label floral. Show all posts

Friday, May 14, 2010

Lafond Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2007


Driving is something which lost its charm for me a long time ago.  I don't know about where you live, but in Los Angeles driving the surface streets generally means going slowly from one red light to the next.  It's not a whole lot better on the freeways, but at least the freeways can take you to a place that's special.  I know US Highway 101 can.  That's how we get to the Santa Barbara County wine country.

On my most recent trip there, one of my stops was Lafond Winery.  I enjoyed my short visit there so much, I had to bring some of it back home with me for a time when I really needed a little reminder of wine country.  With so much driving this week, it's time.

Lafond's Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir comes from those beautiful rolling hills dotted with vineyards.  Its purple  hue is so dark I can barely see through it.  There's currant on the nose, some spices and a fine earthiness, too.  But the big feature is a floral component that is gorgeous.  On the palate I find big dark fruit, tons of earth and a little tobacco.

The wine runs a little hot upon opening, and for half an hour after that, too.  Decant, or at least give it some time to breathe.  Its alcohol number is 14.5% abv.  2,800 cases of this wine were produced.  I bought it myself at the tasting room discount of $24.  It was worth the drive.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Consilience Roussanne Santa Barbara County 2006

On a recent trip to the Consilience tasting room in Los Olivos, I was mesmerized by their Roussanne.  Fellow wine blogger Erin McGrath (@vintwined) tweeted me on my favorable comments, mentioning that she had always heard that if it was high in alcohol, it was low on grace.  As I responded to her, I am not a fan of wine that is over-amped with alcohol.  And certainly, Consilience has a roster of wines that are not shy about their stratospheric alcohol levels.  But I always let my palate be my guide.  My palate told me to take home some Roussanne.

It is a beautiful, rich, golden color in the glass.  The nose is very floral, explosively so, featuring notes of honey and a flower stem component I find exhilarating.  The floral aspect hits me with not just the petals but the stalk, too.

The taste is vibrant.  I find apricot and honey in there with an almond paste flavor working the sidelines.  The wine had me at the color, but I found it delightful all the way to the nice, lengthy finish.

I had it with a simple lettuce salad sprinkled with pecans and feta cheese in oil and vinegar, and I loved the pairing.  I may have a new favorite white wine, despite the 15.9% abv number.  To be honest, I would not have guessed it to be that high.  It simply didn't taste like it.

The Consilience Roussanne contains 90% Camp Four Vineyard Roussanne, 5% Camp Four Vineyard Grenache Blanc and 5% Daniels Vineyard Viognier.  The bottle cost $20 in the tasting room.

Appellation: California > Central Coast > Santa Barbara County
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Level: 15.9% abv
Acquisition disclaimer: Purchased by the author







Thursday, April 8, 2010

Gallegas Destino Blanco

 As I researched Destino Blanco, I found that it was extremely hard to find out anything about the wine.  Even the website for Vinos y Bodegas Gallegas, the producer, has no information about it that I could find.  Hence, the informational aspect of this entry may seem a little skimpy.  I apologize for that, and I invite you to leave any comments which may shed some light on this lovely and affordable wine.

There are a few bits of knowledge I was able to come across.  It's produced in Galicia, on Spain's northwestern coast.  It's 11% abv and it costs a paltry $7.  Also, it is not to be confused with the Napa Valley boutique winery called Destino.  The Gallegas export manager, Hay Sprunken, informs me the wine is 100% Airén, a popular grape in Spain, although I understand the acreage devoted to it is dwindling in favor of other grapes like Tempranillo.

First you'll notice the pale golden color.  Then the aromatics.  The nose sports a floral component mixed with wet rocks.  There are a lot of minerals apparent in the aroma, and they carry over onto the palate.

There is no oak influence, so I would assume this to be a wine fermented in stainless steel.  The taste is a bit tart, but very clean and refreshing.  Citrus notes mix with the minerals and produce a satisfying flavor profile which is backed up by a nice acidity.  A slight floral sense is present and lingers in the finish.

Destino Blanco may be a trifle hard to find, but if you do find it, snap up some for the summer months ahead.  I found mine at Wine Expo in Santa Monica.   It may become a standard at your place, like it has at mine.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Marques de Caceres Rosado 2007

Temperatures are warming up in Los Angeles - again - this week, and this afternoon's "Sunny and 81" has me in mind of a Spanish rosado I tried a while back, Marques de Caceres.

This Rioja rosado is either a light strawberry color or a darker salmon.  Either way, it makes a beautiful statement in the glass.  13.5% abv, it's a dry rosé made from 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha.  Let's smell it.

Aromas of raspberry dominate the nose for me, but there's a very nice floral layer underneath it.  I wanted to say hibiscus, but I don't know how accurate that is.  I'll just say it's a beautiful fragrance without any further elaboration.

Don't worry about this rosé being too sweet for you.  It's nice and dry.  The strawberry flavor is matched with raspberry notes and the taste lingers quite nicely afterward.  The label suggests the usual pairings (paella, chicken, seafood) and I wouldn't argue with any of those.  However, I had it with a dessert my wife made and the taste was exquisite.  She created a mascarpone-based whip which we put on a cracked pepper and olive oil Triscuit.  The wine really had a good time pairing with that unlikely match.  We were duly impressed. Not to mention a bit surprised.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Ecker Gruner Veltliner 2007


Hailed as "the next great white wine" for several years now, with the drumbeats really rolling lately, Gruner Veltliner certainly brings a lot to the table.

Some are getting so chummy with the variety they have taken to referring to it as "Gru-Vee."  I tried that at the Veranda Room at Casa del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica  recently and felt rather foolish when the waitress registered a complete blank.  I quickly recovered, ordered "the Ecker Gruner" and got the evening back on track.

The wine is widely regarded as one of the better "cheap wines."  $10 per glass is pretty cheap at the Veranda Room, and I would imagine a bottle of the stuff goes for less than that.

I liked the stoney minerality right away, but also enjoyed a floral quality on the nose and palate that complemented rather than competed with the tartness.  A nice acidity told me this Gruner won't be satisfied relegated to the porch or patio all summer.  It will want to be up on the table, if not for dinner, at least for lunch.

Variety:  Gruner Veltliner
Appellation:  Austria > Donauland 
Vintage:  2007
Alcohol Level:  12% abv
Price:  $10/glass
Acquisition disclaimer: Purchased by the author, by the glass

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Summerland Winery Orange Muscat 2008

Summerland Winery, just east of Santa Barbara, is better known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay than Orange Muscat, but after tasting this one in their tasting room I had to bring a bottle home.  The tasting room is "seaside cute" on the outside, and "Santa Barbara rustic" on the inside.  Summerland Winery is the easternmost point on Santa Barbara's Urban Wine Trail, and is well worth a stop when you're passing by on your way to some other place.

The Orange Muscat's clear bottle has a label full of sunflowers, giving the look of a perfect invitation to summer.  The nose features apricots, or maybe a basket of overripe peaches.  It's lush, but not overly sweet.  Floral notes abound on the nose and the palate, with some honeysuckle and oleander. 

I know I'll be back in Summerland sometime during its namesake season, and I'll be looking for this great summer wine when I'm there.

Variety:  100% Orange Muscat
Appelation:  California > Central Coast > Santa Barbara County
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol Content:  12.5% abv
Price:  $17
Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author

Monday, November 9, 2009

"They Got This Recession On" Wines, Part 3


Tres Pinos Tierra Blanca is a San Luis Obispo County wine, but that's just where the grapes come from. The winery which makes it, San Antonio Winery, is actually in downtown Los Angeles. It's something of a historical landmark. This wine was bottled specifically to be marketed at Trader Joe's as a bottom-shelf $5 wine. That's the history lesson, now let's see how good this recession-busting tastes today.


The Bottle: Tres Pinos is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier and Chardonnay. The alcohol level is relatively low at 13.5% abv. The label promises "bright and crisp with aromas of citrus and wildflowers."


The Nose: If they say it's citrus and wildflowers I'm smelling, so be it. I detect a floral presence along with a tropical note - perhaps guava. But there is something else in there that I cannot quite pin down. Not an unpleasant nose, but nothing to go out of your way for.


The Taste: At $5, you may ask, "what did you expect?" Well, not much, to be truthful. Frankly I think I got my money's worth. That, considering the price, is both good and bad. I detect the Sauvignon Blanc and the Viognier, but the Gewurz and the Chard are pretty much lost on me. It's actually not terrible, and I might sit on the porch and down a couple of glasses without realizing it. There's not much acidity, so we'll skip the food pairing portion of the program. There's also a medium-length finish that you may wish wasn't so lengthy. If I haven't mentioned it already, serve this wine chilled. No, refrigerated. You really don't want it warming up as you drink it.


I don't write too many unfavorable tasting notes, and it doesn't sit well with me when I do. I like wine, and I enjoy liking it. This one simply does not hit me in the right place. If all you have is $5, and you need to spend it on white wine, I suppose it would be considered a value play for you, if it weren't for the fact that Clay Station's Viognier is about the same price at TJ's and it's actually good. I wish I had opened that wine today. Maybe I will in the coming weeks.


Disclaimer: I paid for the wine I wrote about.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Chateau Montelena Zinfandel 2006

(Disclaimer: The wine reviewed here was bought at full price by the author during a visit to the winery.)

The Bottle: The front label features a drawing of the castle facade of the storied Chateau Montelena, the winery made famous in the 1976 Judgment of Paris. It was made even more famous in the movie about that event, Bottle Shock. While it was their Chardonnay that galled the Gauls in America's bicentennial year, I am writing today of their Zinfandel 2006. I also purchased a bottle of their Chardonnay during my visit to the Calistoga winery. I will cover that wine at a later date. This Zinfandel is 14.4% abv and cost $30 at the winery. It's an estate wine, grown, produced and bottled on the beautiful grounds of the winery. I was told in the tasting room that it's a 50/50 blend of Zinfandel and Primitivo, Zin's Italian relative.

The Nose: This is an extremely fragrant wine. Ruby red in color and not fully opaque, there are smells of currants and blackberries on the prominent nose along with an earthiness and a slight floral note.

The Taste:
It tastes full and rich. Cherry is the highlight, but there is a darkness to it. It's a beautiful and menacing taste at once. The tannins are almost silky in this well-balanced wine. Finish is lengthy and just as delicious as the drink itself.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Tasting Notes: Cascinetta Vietti Moscato d'Asti 2007

The Bottle: There's a lot of Italian on the label, but even with my limited multi-lingual abilities there's enough English to give me a pretty good idea what's going on. Moscato d'Asti wines come from Italy's Piedmont region, in the northwest near the town of Asti. They are low alcohol wines by law - 5.5% abv. I bought this little gem for $16 in a Glendale wine store my wife and I like to frequent, although far too infrequently. Rosso Wine Shop, 3459 1/2 N. Verdugo Road, has a great selection of Italian wines. Jeff Zimmitti has Spanish, French and Californian in there, too, but we always seem to linger in the Italian aisle. Jeff puts on a nice tasting, too, every weekend. Oh yeah, the wine was Cascinetta Vietti 2007.

The Nose: The aromas were a little hard for me to get, as the wine was cold. It seemed to be rather floral and peachy.

The Taste: The taste certainly didn't hide, though. It was sweet and fizzy - not a full-fledged sparkling wine, but with enough bubbles to make it worthy of a special occasion, or a special person. The feel is quite full in the mouth, and the fizziness seems to give it a bit of an edge. Honeyed apples and pears were in the forefront, and a rather nutty note made itself known in the pleasant finish. It was a lush delight, and a wonderful change-of-pace wine if you go in for such a thing. And why shouldn't you?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Tasting Room Notes: Trefethen Family Vineyards


On my recent trip to Northern California, my first winery stop heading northward on Highway 29 was Trefethen in Napa. I must admit that I had never tried any of their wines, so I was starting at square one. They only charge $10 for an Estate Tasting, and $25 for a Winemaker's Reserve Tasting. The former features four wines while the latter offers five. There is no logo glass, by the way, so you won't be adding to your collection.

Barn-like on the outside, the interior was that of a warm and comfortable ranch house. Once inside, the people were quite friendly and ready to help. I opted for the Estate Tasting. As sometimes happens, I ended up getting an extra pour from the Winemaker's Reserve list.

Viognier 2007 - This one was flowery and perfumed on the nose. The palate featured apple flavors and a lemony tartness that served as a nice counterpoint. The finish was rather lengthy.

Cabernet Franc 2006 - An initial sniff on this one gave me a nose full of currants. The palate was like chocolates and cherries, but what really struck me in the taste was the spiciness, like white pepper. Very smooth tannins.

Double T Red Wine 2006 - This is a blend of the main grapes from Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Expecting a rich and fruitful nose, I was somewhat disappointed to find there wasn't much there. The taste, however, was very much full and satisfying. I didn't expect a vegetal front line, but the flavor seemed dominated by basil. A very odd taste all the way around, but quite enjoyable.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - Deep red in color, this cab puts out quite a nose. Rich and fruity, there's even a hint of tobacco, sort of a "Swisher Sweets" aroma. The taste could qualify as dessert in my world, full of chocolate and cherry, with a finish that lingered forever.

Pinot Noir 2007 - Another guest was sampling this one, and I was offered a taste, too. Spices on the nose come through first, clove the strongest, and the fruit I pick up is a medley of red berries and cherries. It's a very spicy palate as well, and a lucsious drink to boot.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Tasting Room Notes: Chateau Montelena



On the way out of Napa Valley, heading north on Highway 29, there is a signpost in Calistoga that points down Tubbs Lane toward Chateau Montelena. I had to turn off and see it in real life, having already seen it in the movie "Bottle Shock."

Following the signs onto the property and into the parking area, I caught a glimpse of it through the trees. But on the way to the stairs, I was distracted by the beautiful and peaceful Jade Lake. A rowboat was grounded along the shore and a red bridge led to a small structure patiently awaiting the next wedding to be held there. A short walk along the banks filled me with a feeling of quiet satisfaction. It's a really beautiful property.

The stairs up to the winery building are rather lengthy. When I finally reached a point where the winery was visible, it looked exactly like it did in the film. I half expected to see Bill Pullman poke his head from the large doors.

The tasting room is cool and professional in a woodsy sort of way. Pictures of the history of the winery are on the walls, along with memorabilia of the film and the 1976 Paris Tasting which is its subject. A very nice view back through the years of a storied winery.

The staff is friendly, but maybe a bit stiff. There's a feeling of reverence that permeates the proceedings. Five wines were on the tasting menu the day I was there, ranging in price from $22 to $135. The tasting fee is $20, and unlike the scene in the movie they are not offended when you pay them.

Riesling, Potter Valley 2007 - There's a fruity nose, something rather exotic like star fruit. Off-dry with a nice acidity, this wine will sip very nicely on the porch or mate with a refreshing salad. $22

Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2007 - This 2007 version of the wine that helped make the California wine industry is stunning in a very restrained way. Fruity and flowery on the nose, the palate is treated to a crisp and refreshing wine that does not overplay anything. The citrus, minerals and oak are all quite prominent, but none try and steal the show. The long finish is much appreciated. $50

Zinfandel, Montelena Estate, 2006 - Dark fruit dominates the nose, with currant the frontrunner. Cherry and strawberry on the palate along with an array of spices combine in a velvety mouthfeel. This is 50% Zinfandel and 50% Primotivo, Zin's Italian twin. $30

Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2005 - A very dark color - almost black - promises some deep and earthy tones, which are delivered. I smell licorice and cedar. The taste is beautiful, with smooth tannins and a full mouthfeel. $45

Cabernet Sauvignon, Montelena Estate, 2005 - Very similar to the previous wine, this Cab is even darker in color, if that's possible. The nose is quite complicated, leathery and fruity at the same time with some clove. A real heavyweight wine with smooth tannins, the taste is exquisite and it fills my mouth in the most incredible manner. $135