Il Prosecco NV

If there is a sparkling wine from a region I am reviewing you can bet that it will be tasted during the week. Luckily enough Italy makes a great tasting light sparkler called Prosecco. While it doesn't usually have the flavor depth of champagne, they do provide a great alternative to pair with appetizers or light dishes. And, they are usually priced very attractively.

The prosecco I chose to taste this week is Il Prosecco. I have not had this before and the packaging of the wine caught my eye. It comes in a bowling pin shaped bottle with a "beer cap" type closure. The pricing also caught my eye and was curious what an $11 sparkler could offer.

The color of the wine was almost non-existent. Very, very pale straw. The aromas were very hard to detect and all I was able to smell were hints of peach and some yeast. The bubbles are very tiny, but dissipate very quickly.

The flavor was also very light and was just peach and a Small amount of pear. This was not complex, but would be a great introduction to sparkling wine or would serve as a great mixer or aperitif.

Overall, it wasn't a bad choice and was easy to drink. However, I feel there are other prosecco products in the market that are much more complex for just a few more dollars (<$20).

2007 Cavalchina Bardolino

This is red wine from the Bardolino region. It is in northern Italy and is 19 miles from Verona and about 90 miles from Milan. The wine is made of three native grapes...corvina, rondinella and molinara. These are grapes that are probably not as familiar to American wine drinkers as sangiovese, but this is a great blend.

The color of the wine is a dark ruby. The aromas are all red and black cherry with some nutty overtones.

The flavors continue the aroma profile, but I also detect some spice that rounds out the profile quite nicely. The tannins are very well integrated and the alcohol at 12.5% never overpowers the fruit.

I have never had a wine from Bardolino, but I will be looking for wines from this region in the future. This is one of the most approachable and easy to drink Italian reds I have ever had. We had this for dinner with lasagna and it was perfect.

I believe this price point is in the mid-teens.

2008 Ca' Montini Pinot Grigio

I am usually not a fan of pinot grigio, but apparently I've been drinking the wrong ones. I went to the store to see what could be recommended and I didn't want to review the Santa Margherita that I see everyone drinking.

The color of the wine was a light straw yellow. The aromas were granny smith apples, pears and some citrus.

The flavors of apples, citrus, and peaches were very well integrated and rich. There was also good acidity and crispness. Great wine and one that I will be drinking throughout the summer.

This was purchased at Old Town Liquors in Louisville, KY for $13. Go buy some. I don't have a picture, but just look for the tall tapered bottle. Great presentation.

2008 Buon Appetitio Nero D'Avola

I tasted this 2008 Buon Appetito Nero D'Avola at a wine tasting at the 610 Magnolia restaurant in Louisville, KY. I have had a couple of Nero D'Avola wines from Sicily and have found them to be great bargain wines.

The color was a tawny purple with reddish hues. This was a lot lighter than the other Nero D'Avola wines I have tried. The aromas were roasted plums, some dark berries and a nice earthiness.

The taste of the wine was very strong roasted plums and black cherries. There was also nice spice in the background. The retail price on this wine was $11 and I think it represents a good value. It is not complex, but for a weeknight when you need something with backbone to pair with hearty Italian dishes I think this would fit the bill nicely.

2006 Monte Antico Toscana

The Monte Antico Toscana was listed as #61 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2009. At around $12 per bottle I thought it was worth a try. The wine is from the Tuscany region of Italy and is a blend of 75% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The color of the wine was a light purple and had aromas of red berries with plums and some spice. It was a very pleasing bouquet that made me look forward to tasting it.

The taste was lighter than I had expected and the fruit was light, but pleasing. I found the wine to be balanced and had good acidity. I'm not sure if it's the #61 wine of the year, but I thought it was a good wine and would be great to have around if friends dropped by or if you were eating pasta with a rich meat sauce. Good value for the money

2008 Ruffino Libaio Chardonnay

This is another Ruffino product, also given to me by my friend Michael. Given last nights tasting of the Sauvignon Collio I was a little hesitant even though this producer makes very quality product. This is a chardonnay from Tuscany and is unoaked.

The color of the wine was between light straw and golden yellow. The aromas were red apples, flowers and vanilla.

The taste was red apples, light citrus and honey. The wine had good acidity and a nice finish. This was not overly complex, but I thought it was a solid effort for the $13-14 price point.

I think this would be great to start a meal or with light fish.

2007 Borgo Conventi Sauvignon Collio

This wine is from Italy and will be the first wine of the week from that country. This was a gift from my friend Michael.

I was not familiar with this wine before the tasting, but it does come from a good producer, Ruffino. The color was a pale yellow-green. The aromas were odd. The only way I can describe it is musty and strong smell of petroleum.

The taste was initially more pleasing than the aroma. It had flavors of apples, herbs and citrus. However, on the finish the taste of alcohol was very persistent. It wasn't hot...instead it reminded me of grappa.

I don't think Sauvignon Blanc from Friuli is supposed to taste like this. I am going to purchase a different bottle to compare. New tasting notes will be posted.

2007 Gentil Hugel

This wine comes from the Alsace region of France. The Hugel family has been making wine in Alsace since 1639. The family makes many styles of wine from Alsatian grapes, but the one I chose to taste was the Gentil "Hugel". The Gentil term refers to the blending of the noble grapes from the region. The 2007 was a stellar growing season and combines Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Muscsat, and Sylvaner.

The color of this wine was a very pale straw yellow with green tints. The aromas were floral, apples and light citrus. Very pleasing.

The taste was along the same profile as the aroma, but I thought there may have been some peach or nectarine thrown in with some slight spice. Very balanced, very good. This is a great wine for summer. It's so easy to drink the initial impression is that it isn't very complex, but when you start to think about the wine the variety of flavors really comes through.

This wine was $15 retail at Westport Whiskey and Wine in Louisville, KY.

2007 Joseph Drouhin Macon-Villages

We were looking for a chardonnay to serve at our upcoming wedding, but neither of us like the typical California buttery flavored chardonnays. We prefer the crisper French style, but thought our guests may want something that's a little more in the middle of the two styles. Joseph Drouhin is a great producer and when I saw this village level Macon for $12 I thought it would be worth a shot.

The color of the wine was a nice golden color. The aromas are subtle, but they are nice components of apple, lemon, minerality. At first, I thought I smelled some "butter", but it quickly subsided and let the fruit shine.

The flavors were great. It was a light creamy wine, but the apple, lemon and stone flavors were perfect for appetizers or salads. Great summer sipper at the price. Good entry level white burgundy.

If you're coming to the wedding you can taste it then.

Alfred Gratien Brut Champagne NV

There is no other region of France that holds as much allure for me as Champagne. I loved walking through Reims and Epernay when we were in France and remember being spellbound at the champagne shops. In hindsight I shouldn't have been, but I had never been to a store that was wall to wall champagne. And the cafes where everyone was drinking champagne made it seem that much more festive.

However, champagne isn't just for festive celebrations. Far too many people think the only time to open champagne is when a celebration is in order. Now I'll agree that that is a damn good time, but a Tuesday night with shellfish works just as well for me. Champagne may be the most versatile food wine their is...it goes with practically everything. So, I say get the bottles of bubbly down from the rack and open it up. Remember it's just wine with bubbles.

The champagne we had was the Alfred Gratien NV (non-vintage). This is a producer that we like quite a bit and find it to be better than most wines in its price point ($38-45 depending on the retailer). If this had Clicquot written on the label you'd be paying $90 for this quality. Skip the marketing and buy what's inside.

The color of this was a beautiful light golden yellow. The aromas were typical champagne consisting of yeast, apples, slight citrus. Great tiny bubbles to start, but I usually drink champagne from a chardonnay glass so I get more aroma, but this causes the bubbles to dissipate more quickly. I'm happy to make the trade.

The flavors were baked bread, baked green apples, maybe slight grapefruit and there was some oak to add complexity, but it no way overpowered the fruit. Very crisp, very fresh, but creamy. Great bottle of wine.

Do yourself a favor and find a way to drink more sparkling wines.

2001 Domaine de la Motte Anjou-Villages

I found this in the cellar and was a little worried when I saw the vintage. This wine is made in a fruit forward style that should typically be consumed 1-5 years after the vintage. The wine is from the Loire Valley and is a mixture of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.

The color of the wine was an old brick red turning brown at the edges. The aroma smelled of blackberry/raspberry jam with a strong overlay of oak.

The aromas carry through to the flavor profile, but the fruit seems flat. Its still there, but the oak plays center stage and the roles should be reversed. I believe I may have missed the window on this wine.

I remember buying a few bottles of this several years ago and I liked the profile better then. Its a good producer from a great area, but sometimes when you miss the sweet spot on aging you just get an average bottle of juice. I wouldn't be embarrassed to open it for friends, but I'd feel like I needed to explain that it has been better.

2005 Chateau La Tour de Mons

When you talk about wine and France, sooner or later you have to talk about Bordeaux. There is no other region in France (or the world for that matter) that dominates the world wine market like this one region. Quite simply Bordeaux is the most collectible wine region.

The region is divided into several appellations, but can be simplified by dividing the region into "left bank" or "right bank". Right bank refers to any vineyard on the right of the Dordogne River and left bank refers to any vineyard on the left of the Garrone River. Most red Bordeaux wines are blends of the following grape varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Right bank wines tend to be dominated by Merlot and are usually softer and more approachable than their left bank counterparts which are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and tend to be more tannic and long lived.

The Bordeaux I opened Tuesday was a 2005 Chateau La Tour de Mons. This is a small producer from the Margaux region which is on the left bank, but the quality of the 2005 vintage was so good that there are great quality wines to be found at the lower price points. This bottle was in a 375mL size and I bought it at a wine sale for $6. I believe retail on a 750mL size is around $20, but at either price point I find it a good bargain.

The color was a very deep purple and initially the aromas were kind of closed. I didn't smell much other than some dark berries. As the wine had time to open up I started to smell some black raspberries and cherries. There was also some oak, but it was well integrated.

The taste was black fruit with some roasted fig, spices and light oak. There was good acidity and the tannins were still powerful, but overall this had a good silky mouth feel. I think this will last another 10 years at least.

2007 Chanson Pere & Fils Vire-Clesse Chardonnay

We were having baked fish tonight for dinner so I wanted something really light to drink. I saw this in the cellar and thought perfect! This a 100% chardonnay from the Burgundy region of France. Now some of you may think that a chardonnay doesn't qualify as light, especially if you are only familiar with the typical California chardonnay. However, chardonnays from Burgundy are more lean with mineral components instead of the big, buttered popcorn profiles that a lot of California chardonnays can contain.

Many will not be familiar with the Vire-Clesse appellation since it is a newer classification within the Macon, but it is worth searching out. This region is putting out some great wine at great prices. No one is going to confuse this with a $100 white burgundy, but this is great and you will be able to brag to your friends about the quality/price ratio.

The color of this wine is a light straw color and the aromas are green apple, some citrus and floral notes.

The taste continues the green apple flavors and maybe just a little sour component. There is also really good acidity that keeps this really fresh. This is so crisp...if you're on a boat, it's not Santana Champ crisp...but crisp nonetheless.

The cost is about $18 and I consider that a good price for this quality if you like lean, mineral driven chardonnays.

2004 Joseph Drouhin Moulin-A-Vent

As fun as Spain was, I am looking really forward to tasting my way through France. I don't think there is another country that offers the breadth of wine choices as this one country. If you can't find something you like within France's borders then maybe you don't really like wine. I can't remember who said it, but I do remember the gist of the quote, "no matter where you start, all wine roads lead to France." And, even with the strong Euro you are more apt to find bargains here than in the USA.

First, I want to say that this is a wine from Beaujolais, but it bears no resemblance to Beaujolais Nouveau. Most grapes from this region are used for the Nouveau, but there are several Crus in the Beaujolais region and Moulin-A-Vent is my favorite. Beaujolais is an area just south of Burgundy and this particular vineyard is one of the oldest in the area.

Because of the proximity to Burgundy, a lot of people call this the poor mans burgundy, but this wine is 100% Gamay so I don't really feel its fair to compare it to a 100% Pinot Noir from Burgundy. This wine stands on its own, comes in at a fair price and will age well for years while it takes on additional complexity. Sounds pretty good right??

The color of the wine is a deep purple. The aromas to me have scents of plums, earth and mushrooms.

The flavors are more fruit than is evident on the nose. I still taste the plums and mushrooms, but I also get some sour cherries and other red fruits. There is enough tannin to give it structure, but it doesn't dominate.

This wine is great and I think it would age well at least another few years. I can't remember the exact price since I bought this a couple of years ago, but I would guess it was between $15-$20. To get this type of taste and aging potential, from a winery with this pedigree at this price is a steal.

Buy it by the case.

2004 Llopart Brut Rose Reserve

I'll start by saying that this has been the most fun week of the blog. I love Spanish wine for their flavors, its regional diversity and its price/quality ratio. And to cap all of that off, I was able to taste this great Cava during the Preakness Stakes. Had this glass in hand as my Exacta came in on a real close finish. It made it taste that much better.

Cava is Spain's answer to sparkling wine. There are a few large producers, but the majority of production is still made by small producers whose wineries have been in the family for generations.

The color on this rose cava was more peach than pink. The aromas were classic rose strawberries and raspberries with some slight minerality.

I thought this wine was great. The flavors followed the aromas and the acidity was well balanced with the fruit. This drinks well alone, but would also pair very well with sushi or summer salads.

Great value for a bottle of bubbly. $20.

2008 Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha

This is another Eric Solomon selection. I have also heard that since Gallo bought the rights to the Las Rocas brand the fruit originally sourced for that brand is now used in the Evodia. That being said I was r

I was really excited to try this. I was a large fan of the Las Rocas brand and started drinking it years ago when it was $6/bottle (currently $13).

All of this fruit comes from high altitude vineyards that were planted up to 100 years ago. The D.O. for this wine is Calatayud, which is up near Barcelona.

The color of the wine is deep purple. The aromas are typical old vine garnacha...roasted plum, black cherry and some earthy components.

The flavors started a little thin to me, but as the wine had time to breath I felt like it gained depth and complexity in the glass. The roasted plum flavors are backed with cherry and spice and a nice earthy component.

This retails for $9/bottle and I think that is a steal. It tastes like a $20 bottle easy. I'm not sure how long this will age, but at $9 I am going to buy a few bottles and test it over the next couple of years.

2007 Red Guitar Old Vine Rose

My friend Michael had this wine and knew I was tasting through Spain this week and wanted me to give it a shot. He had not tasted the wine, but wanted to know what I thought. I like Spanish wines and I like Rose and if you can get a free bottle that combines the two then I think that's great. Thanks Michael!

Before I talk about the wine I want to talk about the region. I've tried to taste from a different region of Spain each day so you could see a good cross section of what the country has to offer. This wine comes from Navarra which is in the Ebro River Valley. If anyone is familiar with the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona then you know where this region is located...its just south of that famous festival. It is also adjacent to the Rioja region of Spain.

Navarra is known for rose, but that's not always a good thing. They do make good roses, but they are trying to start exporting higher priced reds and the history of rose may take time to overcome.

The Red Guitar rose is 100% Garnacha. The color in the bottle is pink with a peach tint and when poured in the glass it picks up more peach tones. Very pretty color.

The aromas were typical rose with hints of raspberry and strawberry, but there were also some pepper notes. Not a huge nose on this, but pleasant.

The flavors were okay. Some berry backed with pepper. There was good acidity, but I didn't get a lot from this. We paired it with a Mediterranean pasta salad and shrimp and it went well enough, but it didn't blow me away. The Albarino from earlier in the week would have been a much better match.

The wine has a retail cost of about $10. For me it's a pass. You can get Muga, Artazzuri, and Borsao roses that deliver more flavor for less money.

2007 Adadia de San Campio Albarino

This Albarino is produced by Bodegas Terres Gauda and comes from Galicia in northwestern Spain. The D.O. is Rias Baixas and the wine is 100% Albarino grapes.

This area of Spain is exposed to the Northern Atlantic Ocean and can be cool or cold and wet. The name Rias Baixas actually means "lower fjords" and there is water everywhere in this area and it play a central role in how grapes are grown in this area of Spain. Most Spanish grape vines are planted ad trained to grow low to the ground. In this area of Spain, that is not an option because of the potential of grape rot due to water exposure. Grapes here are actually trained to grow on tall trellises.

The climate also plays a role in what grapes grow well in Galicia. Because of the cool temperatures and shorter growing season, this region focuses primarily on early ripening white varietals. Because of this the whites usually have wonderful aromatics and fresh acidity.

The color of this wine is light golden yellow. In the glass it reminds me of a light chardonnay.

The aromas I detect are nectarines and oranges with some apple components. Their is also a slight mineral petrol component that adds depth to the fruit.

The first thing I notice is crisp acidity with orange flavors. As the wine hits the mid-palate the acidity subsides and this nice viscous weight becomes evident and the mineral characteristics are front and center backed up by some apple flavors. Maybe just a slight grapefruit component, but its not a primary flavor. Great finish on this...maybe 20 seconds.

This wine has a price point of $21 in Louisville where I purchased it. I think that possibly that's a couple of dollars to high, but I can't argue with the quality and it's a lot more interesting than most $20 domestic white wines that are in the marketplace.

2005 Solanera

The Solanera is a blend of 65% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Tintorera. This wine is a custom blend for Eric Solomon and is bottled unfiltered and unfined. All of the grapes are from low yielding vinas viejas (40+ year old vines) and come from the Yecla region. The Yecla region is located along the southern Mediterranean coast between Valencia and Murcia. Monastrell is the primary grape in Yecla and it thrives in the area's limestone rich soils and warm Mediterranean climate.

The color of the wine is lighter than I would have expected, but it was still a beautiful purple color with good viscosity.

The aroma was slightly herbal with an au-jus component and backed up by alternating red and black fruits. There may also be some slight chocolate components.

The flavors are rich and continue to alternate between cherries, raspberries, au-jus, and light chocolate. The tannins are light, but there is just enough structure to keep this solid. I bought this for $18 at Westport Whiskey & Wine (www.westportwhiskeyandwine.com) and I think it drinks like a bottle that costs $30 easy. The initial purchase was based solely on the fact that it was an Eric Solomon selection (www.europeancellars.com), but after tasting it the bottle stands on its own. If you aren't familiar with Eric Solomon do yourself a favor and check out his website.

Most Spanish wines in the $13-18 range tend to be fruit dominant and easy to drink. They're fun and taste great, but they don't offer much structure. I know this is at the upper end of that "bargain" range for Spanish reds, but you can taste the quality.

Highly recommended.

2009 Marques de Riscal Rueda Verdejo

The Rueda region of Spain is in the Castilla y Leon region. It is northwest of Madrid and lies along the banks of the Duero river. The region is at a high elevation which provides long cool growing conditions and cold night temperatures which allow the grapes to preserve their acidity. There are some red grapes grown in this region, but the whites are the primary area of focus right now.

This wine is a blend of the verdejo and viura grapes. It is a very fresh wine with great acidity.

The color is a very pale straw and the aromas are very appealing grapefruit and lime and maybe some stone characteristics.

The flavor is very crisp and the grapefruit and lime really shine through on the front palate. The wine rounds nicely with some small apple flavors, but really picks up a "sour" component on the finish. This "sour" component isn't bad, its just that I'm not sure how to better describe it. I found that I actually liked this finish and found it refreshing.

This wine was $7 in Louisville and if you are a fan of Sauvignon Blanc then I encourage you to reach out and try these grape varietals.

2008 Borsao Red Wine

On the recommendation of my friend Jeff Montaigne I am going to taste wines from Spain this week. Maybe I should have started this blog with wines from Spain since that country's wines are the ones that started my love for wine. Regardless, we are here now and I am going to taste through several different regions this week. Spain has so much to offer for any wine lover and with more "land under vine" than any other country there is something for every palate.

The first wine I am tasting this week is the 2008 Borsao Red Wine and consists of 75% Garnacha and 25% Tempranillo. This wine comes from Campo de Borja region of Spain. This small appellation is due south of Navarra and southeast of Rioja. It is part of a larger area called the Ebro River Valley and I feel its limestone rich soils make some of the best wines in Spain. Rioja gets most of the press, and deservedly so but, Campo de Borja offers some tremendous values.

The color of the wine is dark purple with lighter edges. The aroma of the wine smells like a big bowl of berries. Primarily I smell raspberries, but there is also a cherry component. As this wine opened up I started to pick up on a chocolate as well. By the end of the bottle it smelled like a bowl of chocolate covered raspberries. Very nice.

The flavors were very fruit driven and lush. The raspberries, chocolate and cherries continued through the tasting and I thought the wine was great. It wasn't incredibly complex, but I would consider it perfect for both someone learning about red wine or the experienced drinker who is looking for something fun to open with friends.

At $7, I consider this wine a "must by" for summer barbecues.

2007 Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel

This winery has been receiving good press lately and I recently saw it in Louisville so I wanted to see what they had to offer. The two wines we had in Louisville were the Syrah and the Old Vine Zinfandel.

The color was a deep opaque purple. The aroma was classic zin. Huge aromas of blueberry and blackberry. Maybe a little leather as well. Very big berry aromas.

This is a very "juicy" wine. The berry flavors are very straight forward. This wine is not overly complex, but I think the winery did a good job. The alcohol seems well integrated and I didn't feel the heat that a lot of jammy zins show.

We enjoyed this wine with our friend Michael while having hamburgers. It was a very good match. I also think this wine would be great with barbecue. At $17, I will be buying this again and also look forward to trying the Syrah.

That wraps up California. Good week, but looking back I think I spent too much time in Napa and Sonoma. The state has so many other regions I will need to revisit in a couple months and will make it a point to focus on areas such as Monterrey, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz.

Stay tuned as I taste some wines from Spain for the upcoming week.

2007 Gary Farrell Chardonnay Starr Ridge Vineyard

I opened this wine because I wanted to have a reference point for the winery that was not pinot. Like the pinot, this fruit is sourced from designated vineyards and bottled so that the characteristics of the terroir shine through.

The color of this wine was a light golden yellow. Nothing out of the ordinary there, just great chardonnay color.

The nose was very complex. Golden apples, tropical fruit, honey, peaches, with some well integrated vanilla and oak. This smells like its going to be great.

The flavor did not disappoint. You could detect all of the aromas on the nose, but there was also a nice amount of acidity that did not let the oak and vanilla control the wine.

This was about perfect to me for California chardonnay. Great job by a great producer. They were not shy with the price point and at $40 there may be more cost effective options in the marketplace, but I'm not sure you'll find something better.

I used to get upset about paying that much for white wine, but had no problem paying the same amount for a red wine from the same producer. If you have the same issue please break free of that mind set. I often hear people say, "I dont like white wines, I only drink reds". The problem may be that you like reds because you are willing to pay $35-40 per bottle but wont pay more than $10-15 for a bottle of white. Remember, like most everything else, quality comes at a certain price.

We will be moving away from Napa/Sonoma for the next tasting. I plan to taste a Klinker Brick Old Vines Zinfandel. This winery is from Lodi and starting to get some decent press. The price points are good so let's see what they have to offer.

2006 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Rochioli-Allen Vineyard

This is a great pinot producer and they concentrate a lot on single vineyard designates. I like that I can count on the quality from one producer, but have completely different pinot flavor profiles depending on the vineyard. I also like that each bottle is individually numbered. It doesn't make the wine taste any better, but I think it adds something to the experience.

I also want to mention that if you are ever in Sonoma County you need to stop by this winery for a tasting. The views from the winery are some of the best I've ever seen.

This pinot is made from grapes sourced from the prestigious Rochioli and Allen vineyards. In my opinion, you would be hard pressed to find better grapes for pinot in California.

The color of this wine a very nice light ruby...almost translucent. Perfect pinot color for me.

The nose was not as fruit forward as I had experienced in the past. There were cherries and tea and a slight tobacco aroma for the nose.

The flavor was not very fruit forward and really picked up more on the tea and tobacco flavors with the red fruit playing a contributing role. Overall, the wine was solid, but at roughly $60-65 I would pass for this vintage and go with the base Russian River selection that combines fruit from multiple vineyards.

2008 Saintsbury Carneros Vin Gris of Pinot Noir

This is a rose wine from Carneros in Sonoma County California. I am a very big fan of rose for summer and I think that Saintsbury is an excellent producer of Pinot Noir so I was really excited to see what they had to offer.

The color in the bottle was deep pink, but turned lighter in the glass and was pale pink with a hint of light orange on the edges.

The aroma was strawberry and slight cranberry. Not a very strong nose on this.

The flavor was sour cherries and strawberry. There is no residual sugar, this is completely dry. I initially had this very cold. It was crisp and the flavors were muted. I considered it to be an uninteresting wine. I let the wine warm a bit and the flavors became more pronounced, but the prominent flavor I picked up on was a sour component.

Overall, I was disappointed in this wine. I would not buy this again and feel there are much better options at this price point.

Suggested retail on this wine is $14. I paid $8.99 at a warehouse sale.

2007 Honig Sauvignon Blanc

I had not heard much about this winery until I went to a wine dinner last year. It was a Honig wine dinner and I had the opportunity to sit beside the owner, Michael Honig during the dinner. I thought he was extremely knowledgeable and likable and took the time to answer a multitude of questions even though the evening was turning late and he had been on the road for some time during this promotional tour.

Let me start by saying that I really like this winery...they concentrate on two varietals, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and they do them very well. I also agree with their environmental philosophy and will go out of my way to support a sustainable winery, as long as they produce a good product. Honig gets an "A" in both departments.

This Sauvignon Blanc had a classic light straw color. The aromas in the glass were grapefruit and some kiwi. This expression of Sauvignon Blanc is much more restrained than its New Zealand counterparts if you are more familiar with that expression of the grape. A very mellow smell that just says, "I'm ready for summer".

The flavors were grapefruit and melon and were light and easy to drink. There was enough acidity to support the fruit, but the mouth feel was more lush and textured than the biting acidity you taste in New Zealand or Chilean Sauvignon Blancs. This is probably from the combination of 44% oak aging and 56% stainless steel.

I like this wine a lot and at $15 I consider it a bargain. Distribution on this product is good and should be readily available at most wine shops. In smaller distribution is the Reserve selection at around $24. If you have either of these near where you live pick up a bottle and see what you think.

Here's a link to the winery. There is some good information on the wines and sustainability.

www.honigwinery.com

2005 Esca Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This week I am going to do a very quick trip through the Golden State. I say quick because I could spend a month touring California and still not dip the surface of what it offers. These are the wines most people will be familiar with so I will try to have a couple of obscure wines as well as some that are readily available. I will also try to hit each of the major growing regions so that a good cross section has representation.

To start I am going to talk about a wine that I am really excited about. It's the 2005 Esca Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Esca is a very small producer that is a pet project of the husband and wife team, Mario and Anna Monticelli. They are both full time winemakers for other Napa properties, Mario for Trinchero and Anna for Pina.

The grapes for the 2005 vintage are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and were sourced from Oakvile and Yountville. It was aged 18 months in French Oak. Production was limited to 760 cases and suggested retail is $28. I found this wine in Ohio a few weeks ago and paid $34. One interesting note is that the wine is produced with a screw top closure.

The color on this wine is a deep opaque purple. The nose is very fruit forward with strong aromas of currant and blackberry. A small amount of oak is also detectable, but it is well integrated. The flavor is classic Napa Valley Cabernet. Great tannin structure, tremendous fruit and well integrated oak. This screams for a well marbled ribeye steak. If I tasted this blind I would think the price point should be higher. I've tasted Napa Cabrnets in the $55-70 range that were not this balanced.

I think this is a home run. If you see it, pick it up and don't be scared by the screw top. This is incredible juice. You can also order from the website if your state has favorable shipping laws. The link to the website is below. They also make a Syrah and a Zinfandel, which I have not tried or seen in my local marketplace.

http://www.escawines.com/index.php

2006 Von Siebenthal Parcela #7

I enjoyed the Von Siebenthal Syrah so much I thought I'd finish the Chile week with another of the products...the Parcela #7. The Parcela is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.

The color of the wine is a nice ruby color, but it is lighter than I expected for the blend. The nose was slightly vegetal and had tomato and black olive components that I found interesting. These are typical Cabernet Franc aromas and that is one of my favorite varietals. There were also hints of berries and a slight floral component. The nose was pleasing, but it did not jump out of the glass.

The flavor profile was an interesting mix. I picked up on black cherries, dried cranberries and black olives. I thought the tannin structure was good and would last a couple more years, but I wonder how much more fruit there would have been if I'd tasted this a couple of years ago.

Overall, I liked the wine, but I do think its a food wine and I wish I had tasted it with a meal instead of drinking it without food. The wine was balanced and I think this would pair nicely with roasted lamb.

All that being said, for the money I'd rather have the Syrah from earlier in the week.

It's been an interesting week visiting Chile and with the exception of the Chardonnays I really enjoyed the trip. I think there are great bargains from this region as well as some superstar reds that are world class. If you havent tried many Chilean wines then do yourself a favor and branch out.

Chardonnay Blind Tasting

We have friends in for the Kentucky Derby and our Derby Eve tradition for the past three years is to hold a blind tasting. Since the blog theme is Chile this week, we chose Chilean Chardonnay. None of us were that familiar with Chilean Chardonnay so we were looking forward to it. The only paramarers were that it had to come from Chile and each couple had to supply two bottles (one under $20 and one over $20). The over $20 selection proved to be a challenge in Kentucky and in South Carolina (where our friends live). I know Chile has some great selections in that price range, but apparently not where we live.

The wines we tasted are listed below and we judged them on color, smell and taste.

2007 Veramonte Chardonnay Reserve Casablanca Valley
2009 Santa Ema Chardonnay
2006 Casa Lapostolle Cuve Alexandre
2007 Maycas del Limari Reserva Especial Chardonnay

Tasting notes.

Veramonte
The color was a pale green gold. The aroma was challenged at first and the only thing we could detect was buttered apple. As it opened up, there may have been some pear. The taste apple and butter but it was not a "butter bomb". It also had a slight sharpness on the finish that we didn't expect for a Chardonnay. We picked this as one of the <$20 bottles and we were correct.

Santa Ema
The color was pale green and looked very much like a Sauvignon Blanc. The smell was very closed. The only thing we could pick up was a slight smell of cantaloupe. This was a very challenged nose. It never really opened up. The taste very reminiscent of a light Sauvignon Blanc. Some tropical fruit flavors and sharp acids on the pallet. We picked this as one of the <$20 bottles and again, we were correct. It was an enjoyable wine, but nothing you would remember. Indistinguishable from any $5 house wine.

Casa Lapostolle
The color of this wine was the first that looked like a Chardonnay. It was a nice golden color with just a hint of green. The smell was buttered popcorn and golden apple. At first it was a bit thin I thought, but as it warmed the smell became more intense. Very enjoyable to me, but two others thought it was too much butter. The taste was complex...there was honey, butter, apples, hint of tangerine. The finish was long and picked up some oak. This was definitely a wine that was over $20. This wine will be a hit for people that like big California Chardonnays.

Maycas del Limari
The color was a pale green gold. There was no nose except maybe some wet stone, a little melon and butter. You really have to concentrate to get anything. The taste was interesting on the front with a nice buttered pear and some tropical notes, but the finish was very sharp and caused us to "pucker up". Glynnis and Jerris said the finished them if the old sour candy called Cry Babies. We did not enjoy this.

The order of preferece for our group is listed below. Retail prices are listed as well.

1. Casa Lapostolle $23
2. Veramonte $11
3. Santa Ema $10
4. Maycas del Limari $18 (closest to $20 available)

Good experience, but probably will not revisit Chilean Chardonnay until I move somewhere that has a better selection. If anyone has some suggestions I'd love to hear about it. Until that time, I'll stick with the Chilean reds and Sauvignon Blancs.