2008 Doulce France Vouvray Alfio Moriconi Selection

On February 7, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Doulce France Vouvray by Bougrier Depuis from France. Like most Vouvray wines, this is probably made from 100% Chenin Blanc. I acquired this bottle for under $10. Although it has Doulce (Sweet) in the name the back label declares it to be “OFF-DRY”. Vouvray wines come in sec, demi-sec (off-dry), moelleux and doux levels of sweetness with sec being the most dry. So, I am excited to try this demi-sec version.

Color

In the glass this wine is a nice pale yellow straw color.

Aroma

On the nose there is a dominate lemon component. It is accompanied by green apple and pear. There is a hint of a floral component such as lilies. Overall it comes across as fresh and showing the aromas of raw fruits. Very pleasant.

Flavor

On the attack there is peach and apple. The mid-palate has some honeydew melon in the mix and it finishes with a hint of lemon and red grapefruit. This is a sweet wine. I was a little surprised at how sweet it tastes. Not a lot of acidity but will pair well with a desert that isn’t too sweet. I am thinking of a pound cake or lemon cake.

Rating

For my palate this wine was a bit too sweet and awkward. Perhaps I need to find a sec or even a sec-sec (dry-dry) Vouvray next. I rate it 82 points.

Tagged with: •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2009 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc

On February 5, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc from the Valle Central of Chile. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc based wine was purchased for under $8 and comes attractively packaged with a Double Headed Duck engraving. This wine is not aged in oak barrels. I’ve previously reviewed the 2007 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc, so it will be interesting to compare these vintages.

Color

In the glass it is surprisingly golden for a Sauvignon Blanc that has seen no oak. Very attractive.

Aroma

On the nose there are lime and grapefruit components. It comes across as very fresh and full of citric acid notes.

Flavor

The lemon and lime shows well on the attack with more of a lemon custard component on the mid-palate which is really nice. The finish is little hot but showing good acidity and grapefruit. The flavors linger for a decent amount of time. This wine is food friendly and will pair with salads, shrimp, and lighter fish.

Rating

This is a simple but decent Sauvignon Blanc. It doesn’t have any incredibly interesting flavors that make it notable on its own, but I recommend it be consumed with a meal. I rate it 86 points.

I found this vintage to be about as pleasing as the 2007, although the flavors and aromas do vary. Have you compared vintages over time? Did you see any changes in the flavors and aromas or do you think your palate might have also changed over time?

Tagged with: •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2009 Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc

On January 24, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Petit Chenin Blanc by Ken Forrester from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. This 100% Chenin Blanc based wine was acquired for under $9. Ken Forrester Vineyards makes this wine in a sustainable manner and contributes to the quality of life of the local community and their employees. It comes with a screw cap closure.

Color

In the glass it is a light straw colored wine.

Aroma

On the nose there is some grapefruit and a very fresh cool water smell. Perhaps something a little like chlorine. It might sound bad, but it is actually just very fresh smelling. There is also a white grape juice component.

Flavor

On the attack there is a butter and honey component. In the mid-palate it has a slightly mineral component which reminds me of the sea. It is similar to clam shells. The mineral component is complemented by pear and lime notes and it finishes with some starfruit. Overall it tends to be fruit dominated and meanders between a dry and sweet wine. It will pair well with shellfish.

Rating

One thing that is holding this wine back a little is the low acid. It would probably pair a little better with food if it had it. I do think it is a decent value and rate it 87 points.

Tagged with: •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Domaine Ste Michelle Blanc de Noirs

On January 4, 2010, In Sparkling, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Blanc de Noirs by Domaine Ste. Michelle from the Columbia Valley in Washington. This non-vintage sparkling wine is made from the Pinot Noir grape and was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass this wine is a brilliant copper color. It looks like liquid metal with a pink hue and is very attractive with decent bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it has very noticeable grapefruit followed up by lemon.

Flavor

On the attack the grapefruit is dominant with lime on the mid-palate and finish. This is a very sour wine. It has a quick finish and not a lot of complexity. It is definitely a dry wine and pairs with lighter fair.

Rating

Over all this is a decent wine. Not as good as the Blanc de Blancs but prettier in the glass. I rate it 88 points.

Tagged with: • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Domaine Ste Michelle Blanc de Blancs

On January 3, 2010, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Blanc de Blancs by Domaine Ste. Michelle from the Columbia Valley in Washington. This non-vintage sparkling wine is made from the Chardonnay grape and was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass it is a lighter yellow with good bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it has an unusual egg aroma. There are also good grapefruit and lemon notes.

Flavor

On the attack the lemon is again present followed by grapefruit on the mid-palate. Then on the start of the finish it shows some cantaloupe melon. And then it lingers with a salty, yeasty component. This is a dry wine and pairs very well with food. It works well with seafood.

Rating

I really enjoyed this effort from Domaine Ste Michelle and think it is one of the best and most available sparkling wines in this price range. For me it is a good match. I rate it 90 points.

Tagged with: • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2007 El Sierro Macabeo Chardonnay

On December 23, 2009, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 El Sierro Macabeo Chardonnay by Vinos de la Vina from the Valencia region of Spain. This blend of 95% Macabeo (Viura) and 5% Chardonnay varietals was acquired for under $7. Macabeo is often used to make Cava, so it will be interesting to try it in a non-sparkling version.

Color

In the glass it is a nice light golden yellow. There is a very slight oily appearance.

Aroma

Citrus notes are showing well on the nose. There is grapefruit and lemon. It also has some key lime pie notes.

Flavor

The attack has some of the lemon from the nose, but it is joined by creamy flavors which do remind me of a Cava. There is great acidity and a heavier mouthfeel to it. It really strikes me as a great food wine for buttery seafood dishes. There is a butterscotch component showing up also. This is definitely a different white wine than the typical Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc varietal offerings which are so common today.

Rating

I recommend trying his wine. It has some similarity to Viognier and Chardonnay. I rate it 89 points.

Tagged with: • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2008 Horton Vineyards Viognier The Tower Series

On December 14, 2009, In White, By dcpatton

Today we are tasting the 2008 Viognier “The Tower Series” by Horton Vineyards from Orange County, Virginia. We have previously had the 2007 Horton Vineyards Cabernet Franc. Viognier was once a rare white grape of the northern Rhone valley (Condrieu). It is now well established in Virginia. We located this bottle for under $12. One of the cool factors of this bottle besides the nice black with gold design is that the plastic cork lists both the website and the phone number. It is always good to see innovation.

Color

In the glass this wine is light golden in color and due to its age it is a bit frizzante.

Aroma

On the nose there are nice lemon and peach components. We also detect a little oak aroma though it is very mild. Overall it is less aromatic than we hoped. There are no floral characteristics showing right now. Viognier is noted for the floral nose.

Flavor

On the attack it is showing good body and the peach is making the transition from the nose. The mid-palate and finish show a lot of flavor. Mixed in with the lemon and orange is some Muscat like components. It finishes with a creamy vanilla component (probably oak). This is a interesting effort from Horton. Our guess is that it was picked slightly later in the season so it is basically a semi-dry Viognier. It pairs well with spicy dishes.

Rating

This is a interesting wine and offers some complex aromas and flavors. If you like Chardonnay, then give this a try. We rate it 86 points. As always, our palate isn’t yours, so let us know what you think of this wine.

Tagged with: • •
 
2 Comments
Leave A Response

2009 Cono Sur Chardonnay

On December 8, 2009, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Cono Sur Chardonnay from the Valle Central in Chile. This 100% Chardonnay varietal comes from the Vina Cono Sur, one of my favorite vineyards that I have discussed in detail before. This bottle was a CarbonNeutral delivery. It is un-oaked and was available for under $9.

Color

In the glass it shows a light golden color.

Aroma

Beautiful fruit on the nose. There is a lot of pear and grapefruit. I also get some peach. Very nice fruit.

Flavor

The mouth-feel is not as heavy and creamy as a lot of oak treated Chardonnay wines. So it is very crisp in comparison and will pair with a lot lighter foods. On the attack there is great fruit. The peach and pear shows up immediately. In the mid-palate, the grapefruit makes an appearance and at the finish some good acidity is combined with pineapple. It is a wonderful tropical fruit journey for the palate.This has to be one of the most food friendly Chardonnays I have had in a long time. It will pair very well with seafood.

Rating

I highly recommend trying this Chardonnay. It is worth trying just to see what a un-oaked Chardonnay can offer. I rate it 95 points.

I would love to hear what you think of it. Please leave your opinion in the comments.

Tagged with: • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva

On December 5, 2009, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today we are tasting the Non Vintage Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva from the Alt Penedès region of Spain. It is a sparkling wine known as Cava. This blend of 50% Macabeo (Viura), 15% Xarel-lo, and 35% Parellada was available for less than $9.

Color

This wine is a very light golden in the glass with good bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose we get a lot of white grape juice. There is also some subtle notes of oak and lime. One of the most intriguing aromas is a chemically note that is similar to the inside of a balloon.

Flavor

The lime continues on the attack and the mid-palate. This wine has a butter-like creamy mid-palate and grapefruit on the finish. As a Brut it is right in the middle of the spectrum for sparkling wine. It is not too sweet and not too dry. The acidity is above average and it makes for a nice food pairing wine. It pairs well with lighter dishes and desserts.

Rating

Given the low price this is a good value. We recommend you give it a try just to see if you are reminded of a popped balloon on the nose. We rate it 85 points.

Tagged with: • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Domaine Ste Michelle Brut

On December 1, 2009, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Domaine Ste Michelle Brut sparkling wine from the Columbia Valley in Washington. I found this non-vintage bottle for under $8. Their Brut style is supposedly right in the middle of the sweet to dry scale. I am not sure what varieties are in this other than Chardonnay. Do you know?

Color

In the glass it is a light golden yellow with good bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it seems to have a sweetness showing with a hint of almond. There is also quite a bit of papaya.

Flavor

On the attack, grapefruit is dominant. Then there is quite a bit of lemon showing in the mid-palate and finish. The finish is quick and there is a hint of yeast at the end. It should pair well with appetizers or on its own.

Rating

For the price this is not a bad sparkler. It is a little drier which is a plus. I rate it 85 points.

C8WYR53G7QMX

Tagged with: • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response
« Previous Entries Next Entries »
Go To Top »