Wine of the Week, June 29, 2014

JOEL GOTT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012CALIFORNIA

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"

I have often heard it said: "I don't drink red wine in the summer." But, there is no need to forsake red wine during the warm months. The optimum temperature of a red wine is around 65 degrees; warmer than that and the taste of alcohol will be pronounced, and it will create an unpleasant experience - drinking wine should never be an unpleasant experience -, cooler than that and you will sacrifice flavor. (A white wine is at its best between 55 and 62 degrees.) A half hour to forty-five minutes in the refrigerator should do the trick. Experiment. The Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (a very good year for the red grape in California) exhibits aromas and lush flavors of blackberries, black cherries, mocha, and vanilla. The wine is made from grapes produced throughout California, each contributing to the complexity. There is balanced acidity, soft tannins, a long smooth finish, and it is moderately priced. Good luck with "chilling" a red wine!

Wine of the Week, June 22, 2014

KING ESTATE WINERY, OREGON    

ACROBAT PINOT GRIS 2013

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"

King Estate, the largest organic vineyard in the world, produces Acrobat Pinot Gris, using the same grape that is used to make Pinot Grigio. For a fuller review of Acrobat, I recommend reading my review of 9/8/2013. Based on sales and feedback, Acrobat was one of the finalists for Harney's Wine of the Year 2013, which was won, most deservedly, by Whispering Angel, a Rose from Provence, France. As I said in the previous review, Acrobat is distinctively Oregonian in aroma, taste, and texture. This is the new vintage. It exhibits aromas and flavors of citrus, pineapple, honeysuckle, honeydew melon, and apple. Perhaps the words lemon-cream best capture the essence of this truly delicious wine.

Wine of the Week, June 15, 2014

WINE OF THE WEEK (6/15/2014)

PINE RIDGE CHENIN BLANC + VIOGNIER
2013 CALIFORNIA

We owe gratitude to France for giving us so many varieties of grapes and for the wine-making techniques that bring out the best of those grapes. Bordeaux, Cotes du Rhone, Provence Rose, Champagne, Burgundy are among the very best wines in the world, thanks to France. Chenin Blanc and Viognier, white wine grapes, originated in France, but France never would have blended the two grapes as Pine Ridge, California has done. The result is a truly unusual, unique wine: 80% Chenin Blanc, contributing acidity and honeyed fruit, and 20% Viognier, contributing softness and intense aromas; there is no oak in this wine. It is a dry wine (not sweet). Dry and sweet (sugar) are at opposite poles; you can have a fruity dry wine, and you can have a fruity sweet wine. Hopefully the distinction will help you purchase the wine that you are looking for. This wine is a fruit bomb! I defy anyone to detect all of its aromas and flavors. A partial list would have to include: honey, peaches, honeydew melon, pineapple, grapefruit, etcetera. The cooling effect that this wines produces makes it a perfect deck-wine on a hot day, and it is an excellent complement to spicy Asian food.

Wine of the Week, June 8, 2014

Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc, 2012 

Marlborough, New Zealand

By: Ed “The Wine Guy”

This wine exhibits what has become known as the classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc taste: highly aromatic, zesty, powerful fruit flavors (tropical fruit, tart gooseberry, lime peel, lemon-grassy), with an acidity that makes the wine crisp and fresh-tasting. The screw cap, becoming more and more popular throughout the wine world, makes for easy opening. I suspect that in a few years, the screw cap will be the rule, not the exception. No loss, except, perhaps, for the romantic pop of the cork. A cork, if tainted, can impart a musty smell and taste to a wine. I know of a vintner (wine maker) in Italy who bought back his wine because of a tainted cork. Pair Astrolabe with summer salads, cold noodle salads, seafood, or, now that the warm weather is finally here, have it on its own out on the deck.

Wine of the Week, June 1, 2014

MOULIN DE GASSAC ROSE 2013

LANGUEDOC, FRANCE

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy" 

Over the last few years, imports of French Rose wines to the United States have increased by 40%. This wine is the new release of our largest selling Rose of 2013, with which many of you are already familiar. A blend of mainly Grenache and Syrah, it is very dry (not sweet), light, crisp, and easy-to-drink, with aromas and flavors of strawberries and citrus, and with mineral notes. It is very food-friendly; I suggest pairing it with tossed salads, potato salad, and just about any of your favorite summer dishes. Harney's has an ample supply of Moulin de Gassac to carry us through the entire summer season and beyond.