The flood plains recede in Iowa, Al Gore endorses Obama, and I finally have a chance to note some of the wines we've been swirling around here. It's been a crazy week, sort of. My Chateauneuf du Pape craze seems to have subsided, and I worked through my case of under $20 wine weeks ago, but I have certainly benefitted from those two experiences. Now it's time to focus back on something closer to home: summer whites (but not all). We've been drinking mostly French table wines at home recently, although this past week's line-up is nicely diverse. Listed in no particular order....
Channing Daughters Mudd Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2007 North Fork of Long Island * A pale golden hued sauvignon with nice grassy hints and citrus, but mostly what you find here is depth of sweet fruit characteristic, to me, of Mudd's Vineyards. Very enjoyable summer wine.
Domaine Mathieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 (blanc) * Lovely sweet aromas of petrol (sounds strange, right?) and peaches. Medium bodied, with very gratifying acidity, well balanced with the fruit, but a shortish finish. Fun, but no blockbuster.
Domaine Auther Pinot Auxerrois Vin D'Alsace 2005 ** Gorgeous - indescribable - nose. A voluptuous body on this light white wine, with significant honey notes, but there is lemongrass and minerality too. From the back label:
"Who? Richard Auther - artist, winemaker, and non-conformist.
What? 100& Pinot Auxerrois grown on granite soil at an altitude of 300 meters.
Where? The estate is located in the town of Blienschwiller and is comprised on 13.09 acres of vines in 3 different villages."
From me to you: Highly recommended.
Boutari "Kallista" 2004 * I would tell you what this wine was all about if I could read the back label in modern Greek. Obviously, I cannot. This is the second, and last, bottle of Santorini wine I brought back in 2006. When we opened it on one of the first 90 degree days of the year last week, my heart leapt at the thought of those Santorini sunsets we experienced back then. Unfortunately, the wine has not lived as well I'd hoped. It carried a little woodiness with it, and the fruit was subdued, the acidity a little dried out. It was nice, but I found myself wishing I'd taken this out last year. Boutari's vineyards, which we visited at the time, are gorgeous... interspersed throughout the middle and south of the island, inland, well protected from the winds.
Domaine Catherine le Goeuil Cotes du Rhone Village Cairanne "Cuvee Lea Felsch" 2005 - This wine didn't do it for me. A bit tannic, austere, and dry, with little to recommend it.
Shinn Estate Vineyards North Fork of Long Island "Coalescence" 2007 * A blend of Shinn's many white varietals this was pale white gold with heavy citrus top notes but surprising balance and chalk on the finish. A good summer wine.
Brewer Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay "Seasmoke" 2005 **** Awesome. My favorite Brewer Clifton from 2005 hands down, this wine literally knocked my socks off...It's a yellow gold hue, with mango, honeydew, nectarine, and mellow white rose petals, cream and butter on the mid note, all backed up with a gorgeous, zangy, ear splitting acidity that grips you like a stripper grips a brass pole and doesn't let go.
As for this next wine, I must confess - German wine labels confound me. I'm not sure exactly what this is called, but I'll do my best here....starting at the top of the label and working my way down....
Weingut Ch. W. Bernhard "Scheurebe" Spatlese 2005 (the label also says Hackenheimer and Kirchberg, and I am still trying to figure out what all that means) *** Yes, well, my inability to tell you what the name of this wine is notwithstanding, let's just admit it was freaking outstanding - the kind of German spatlese that reminds one of just how complex, aromatic, and convincing a $20 bottle of white wine from the continent can be when stacked against the North Fork. I would drink this wine repeatedly and recommend it heartily to my friends. What more can I say?
And finally....
Ridge Vineyards "Monte Bello" Santa Cruz Mtns. 2000 *** A tremendous wine. Here is the terroir-ist black berry, chunky tannin, resonant acidity reminds me of aged Barolo, the cedar has become nuance, the spice has long since faded, it has put on some weight and lost a little sweetness - Hell, it's bone dry - but there is nothing else like this in the world.
I found that Bernhard two weeks ago in Chicago on closeout. Blew my mind with its balance, and the next morning the glass it had been in smelled like Sauternes. Thanks for the review -- I've been trying to find others who have tasted it.
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