Fleur du Cap Chenin Blanc 2008

south african chenin blanc are really making a statement. this is a new one for me and has some really interesting characteristics. selling for about $11, this very nice white has a nose of melons, peaches, some butterscotch and some interesting earthy, meaty notes. the palate is creamy and lush, with peaches, guava, honey and earthy notes. really interesting to get the earth notes like this in a chenin blanc. surprising but nice. very good wine for seafood, sushi, spicy asian food, or just enjoy it on its own.

Warwick Valley Chardonnay 2009

new york produces a wide variety of wines. the shawangunk wine trail has become a favorite place for the comely brunette and i to find new wines from the empire state. this chardonnay, with grapes from the finger lakes district, is a nice find at a good price of $14. the nose had lots of melon and apple, maybe a little peach, and some toasty vanilla. the palate is a combination of pear, peach, a little melon and some apple, along with nice vanilla and some nutty flavors. this wine has a rich, buttery mouthfeel because of the malolactic fermentation. try it with stuffed clams or shrimp.

Oxford Landing Viognier 2008

the comely brunette and i enjoyed a valentine dinner of crab cakes, red potatoes and asparagus with this beautiful viognier from australia. selling for about $9, this white has an expressive nose of stone fruits, minerals, some nice floral aromas and a little musky note. the palate is full and slightly creamy in the mouth with peach and mineral flavors, followed by some very interesting floral notes. think of lily of the valley. the wine ended with a very crisp finish. a wonderful complement to our meal. try this one the next time you have seafood on the menu. you won't be disappointed.

Zaca Mesa Viognier 2008

i wrote about the 2006 vintage of this very nice white some time ago and mentioned that this 2008 vintage scored 90 points in a wine magazine. after trying it i would agree that this was better than the 06. the nose had tropical fruit, honeysuckle, and some slightly smokey aromas. the palate had nice white peach and melon flavors, and a little citrus. not too much minerality and the finish was crisp and clean. sells for about $18 and works with chicken, sushi, or lighter seafood dishes.

Tiamo Pinot Grigio 2008

i am still enjoying nice summer white wines and pinot grigio usually finds its way into the fridge when the temperature outside gets warm. this particular pinot grigio is from italy and sells for about $12. the nose has lots of apple, pear and some floral aromas. the palate is nice and crisp with peach being the dominant flavor. there are some subtle apple flavors and nice acidic and mineral notes. clean and crisp in the finish. worked well with summer fare of cheese and crackers, fruit and other nice summer snack foods. this is a good summer patio pounder.

Stoutridge Glen Vidal Blanc 2001

i have been very excited about the wines of new york lately and this one is no exception. the stoutridge winery (http://www.stoutridge.com/index.php) produces old world style wines and this vidal blanc is no exception. still excellent at this advanced age for a white wine, it has a nose of peaches, honeysuckle, and a little pear. the palate is fruit sweet but not overpoweringly so, it tastes of the peach and honeysuckle you get on the nose. i also got some nice floral notes as well. works well with fish and seafood dinners and sells for about $16 and can be purchased at the winery. well worth the stop if you are in the new york area.

Viking Vineyards Chardonnay

i had the pleasure of visiting viking vineyards winery in kent, ohio recently, tasting some very nice ohio wines. the chardonnay was one of the standout wines for me. this is aged in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation with, so the wine is true to the flavor of the grape. nice and crisp a fruity, without the oak and butter you get from a california style chard. the nose was peaches and a little mango. the palate was more of the same, with some nice mineral notes as well. beautifully crisp and fruity. nice price too, selling for about $15. if you ever get the chance to visit, the winery is open year round and is in a gorgeous setting. great weekend get-away! thanks to our host dana and jeff nelson at viking and to the comely brunette, nati-lite and the crabby grape and the feisty tomato for the company. sorry for the lack of a label picture. subbed in a picture of the deck at the winery.
here is a link to the viking web site: http://www.vikingvineyards.com/index.php

Funf German Riesling

i noticed i had been hitting the red wines pretty hard so i will throw a few white wine reviews in. i tend to drink more reds during the cooler weather, so i neglect the white wines during this time. the comely brunette and i got this bottle as a gift from a friend. i have blogged on 10 rieslings previously and had mixed feelings on a few. this one falls into that arena. the nose was white peaches and honeysuckle. very sweet and floral on the nose at first pour. on the palate, an almost syrupy mouth feel and a sweet, almost cloying taste. flavors of honeydew and a little honeysuckle, with a sweet grapefruit-like finish. most rieslings have some mineral notes that actually help tone down the sweetness a bit. not this one. way too sweet, almost dessert wine quality. and the name means 'five' in german. funf after five? not for me thanks. sells for about $6.

Alamos 2007 Viognier

i don't buy very much white wine during colder weather months, keeping a bottle or two in the fridge for that occasional glass of wine. i have always been a fan of alamos, especially their malbec, so i decided to try their viognier. the nose is pears and a little citrus, with some nice floral aromas as well. on the palate, a crisp peach and mineral combination, with a little floral note at the finish. very light, easy drinking wine that will work well with seafood and spicy asian food. sells for about $12.

Palliser Sauvignon Blanc 2006

back down under for this sauvignon blanc from new zealand. selling for about $18, this summer time white has a nose of passion fruit, white peach and some nice floral notes. the palate has really nice peach flavors, along with a little citrus and grass notes. this is not a typical grapefruit sauvignon blanc from new zealand, so it is worth a try for that reason alone. nice full finish on this one. good summer food wine or just as a refreshing sipper on the deck.

Flying Fish Riesling 2007

i am on a bit of a riesling kick lately, especially from the northwest. decided to try this one. the nose was lemon and lime, with hints of peaches. the taste was peaches, apricots and citrus. very crisp and not extremely sweet, slightly dry. very nice white that paired well with shrimp and vegetables. and at a nice price of about $12. the flying fish is named for the salmon the swim past the winery in the columbia river to spawn. the winery donates a portion of their profits to ocean conservancy.

Leitz 2006 Dragonstone Riesling

one more from the chicken grill out. this is a typical german riesling. we had a few german rieslings lately and i'm not quite sure what the fascination is with them. the food pairing will determine if i drink this. it's definitely not a wine to just sip while you are just interested in a glass without the food. the dry, less sweet rieslings i've tried from the states are more to my liking. personal taste aside, here is what i discovered. nose of minerals and fennel. taste is very sweet, like a very ripe peach. almost cloying up front with a mineral bite toward the end. it worked okay with the spicy meal, but it was a bit too sweet for my taste. if you like sweet wines, this ones for you. sells for about $12. i'll pass on this one next time.

Monchhof Robert Eymael Mosel Slate Riesling Spatlese

we enjoyed this 2007 riesling with various cheeses after a long day of travel. this is a very good riesling that is typical of germany. on the nose you get the blue slate that is featured on the label. there is also a lime citrus note that i picked up. on the palate, the prototypical sweet rieslings of germany come through. peaches, lemon, lime, minerals, and a nice zesty zing that leave you wanting more. it sells for about $18 a bottle, so it is not to pricey. i'm not a huge fan of sweeter wines, but they do have their place. this was perfect with the different cheeses we snacked on. the earthy cheese paired very well with the sweetness of the wine.

Fess Parker 2006 Viognier

fess parker winery does an excellent job with all the wines they produce and this viognier is no exception. a nose of honeysuckle, peaches and hints of floral and mineral notes. on the palate the wine was full and round in the mouth with peaches as the central flavor. the wine was crisp and there were hints of jasmine and some citrus. there was also a full, buttery mouth feel that reminded me just a bit of a chardonnay. i paid about $21 for the bottle and although it was a little pricey, it was a very nice wine. i think you can find a nice viognier for less money but this one is very good.

Harmony Hill Concerto 2007

the first of the harmony hill vineyards wines i am going to touch on is perfect for the warm weather months…concerto. this wine is 100% vidal blanc. this grape is well suited to the colder climates in the ohio area and is generally used in very sweet ice wines. in this case, the wine is more like a dry riesling with a bit of the sauvignon blanc citrus characteristic. nose of peach and apple. on the palate, crisp and clean with a slightly sweet taste. flavors of peaches and pears, a crisp apple flavor and a slightly acid finish that lingers on the tongue. very food friendly wine that will go with all your summer time fare. priced at $11 a bottle, this white is worth every penny.

Burnet Ridge 2005 Sauvignon Blanc

this is a "local" ohio wine in name only. winemaker chip emmerich has his operation in a cincinnati suburb, importing his grapes and making his own blends. this is 100% sauvignon blanc with the grapes coming from russian river valley. if you like new zealand and australian style sauv blanc, this may not appeal to you. it is more chardonnay like in mouth feel and taste. the nose is peaches and melons. the taste is full and round with grassy notes and a long soft finish. by itself it was good, but the wine really showed with the enchiladas that we enjoyed with it for dinner. the chardonnay like character really lent itself to the spicy mexican meal. sells for about $15.

Barefoot Chardonnay

this is the third varietal from barefoot that i have written about. better than the shiraz but not quite as good as the pinot grigio. nose of apples and vanilla, this wine has a creamy texture and drinks very easily. a nice summer time wine. ripe peach and green apples. nice price of about $6-7. try it if you are on a budget.

Chardonnay Comparison

Concha Y Toro Chardonnay Marques de Casa Concha 2006 - Chile
vs
Styring Vineyards Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2006 - Oregon

had a nice little dinner on the deck with the crabby grape and his partner the feisty tomato along with the comely brunette and enjoyed several bottles of white wine. the meal consisted of grilled tuna, brown rice and asparagus. both of these wines were a part of the meal. the chilean had a nose of peach and mango, which paired well with the mango salsa that the tuna was on. it had a very nice medium bodied taste of peaches and some papaya. slightly woody with hints of vanilla in the finish.
the oregon based styring chardonnay was a different animal. very pear like on the nose as well as the palate. this was the first oregon chard i have had. much different from the california variety, a little more sauvignon blanc like in taste, especially in the bright, crisp pear flavors. not the butter bombs that the southern chards tend to be. this also paired well with our meal. hints of melon with a nice long finish. both these sell for about $18 and are different enough to try and compare them. and they both are excellent food wines. the styring may be a bit harder to get at your local wine merchant, but you can buy it on-line directly from the vineyard.

Maculan 2006 Pino & Toi

people are going to start thinking a like white more than red, but don't be swayed, it is during the warm weather months that i will enjoy the white wines much more than the red. cool and refreshing, these wines really quench your thirst on a warm summer day. and this wine, maculan, was just such a wine. i had finished mowing the lawn and was having a dinner of salad with chicken cubed on top of it with the comely brunette and opened this. a blend of 25% pinot bianco, 15% pinot grigio, 60% tocai, the wine had a nose of apples and citrus. on the palate, a balanced taste of peach, pear and an acidity. very fresh and crisp with a medium finish. at about $16, this is another very nice white wine.

MacMurray Ranch 2006 Pinot Gris

weekend was filled with no time to blog so i have several posts, this being the first. another really nice white from a favorite winery of the baldwinegeek and the comely brunette. they have an excellent pinot noir and this pinot gris is very nice as well. interesting nose of peach, honeydew, and honey and some slightly musty notes. on the palate, peaches, figs, some citrus and spice. very full mouth feel. slightly sweet and the price is Nice at about $14. cool white wines in the warm summer…priceless,