March 2012
Private Event, Wine Tasting, North Attleboro Lions Club
2010 Simi Chardonnay Sonoma County (California)
Lots of bright, ripe, spiced pear on the nose and the palate. Nose also has some honeysuckle and vanilla. Texture is creamy smooth and rich, an ideal vessel for the creamy vanilla, maple, and spice flavors. Though it is obviously oaked and has an almost maple syrup quality, it is not cloying. A decent amount of acidity tries to stand up to the fruit, but needs help from a fair dose of alcohol to provide structure. A thick, rich, full-bodied, full-flavored wine that may be best drunk alone, but also has enough acidity to match successfully with equally rich dishes. Go with bolder pork and poultry dishes, gamey fish (salmon), flavorfully prepared scallops or sea bass, corn chowder, and other dishes that you might consider matching with Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. wineweekly.com
2011 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough (New Zealand)
“Oyster Bay makes consistently good wines. Their 2011 Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best vintages of this variety I’ve tasted from this winery. The wine has that characteristic passion fruit and gooseberry nose with a fresh, clean palate that sustains on mouth-watering acidity for a long time.” Tony Aspler, Tidings Magazine, Canada, March 2012
2011 Chateau Ste. Michelle Harvest Select Sweet Riesling Columbia Valley (Washington State)
2010 review: “This second vintage of our Harvest Select Sweet Riesling is made in a slightly sweeter style than our “Columbia Valley Riesling” but still shows the elements of classic Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling. It offers beautiful crisp Washington Riesling character with rich flavors of ripe peaches and apricot. The fresh fruit and decadent character is balanced with crisp acidity to keep the wine in harmony. This is a perfect patio sipping wine or would be a great match with Thai food. Enjoy!” Winery
2010 Concha y Toro Casillero de Diablo Merlot Reserve (Chile)
“Ripe and fresh,this red delivers a tasty core of mocha, raspberry and boysenberry flavors that push through the fleshy finish. Drink now. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.” Rated 87 Wine Spectator
2010 J Lohr Pinot Noir Falcon’s Perch Monterey County (California)
This wine has a garnet color, and is adorned with aromas of red fruit, lilac, rose petal, vanilla and notes of sage and thyme. Tar, beeswax and oak frame the complex varietal character unique to Pinot Noir. Soft tannins on the palate give way to the fine, talcy finish on this very food friendly wine. Winery
2009 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County (California)
“Readers should be on the look-out for the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (which will be released in March, 2011). It is one of the great buys in Cabernet Sauvignon from northern California. Accessed from Gallo’s Frei Ranch, Barelli Creek, Monte Rosso and Sunnybrook vineyards, it is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc, all aged in large tanks with wooden staves. Soft, round notes of plums, black cherry jam, licorice and roasted herbs soar from the glass of this perfumed Cabernet. This corpulent, plump, juicy, delicious, hedonistic effort should keep for up to a decade. The good news – 320,000 cases were produced and it came in at a mere 13.5% alcohol.” The Wine Advocate