Hi ho, Feastlings.
I don’t know about you, but I felt a little bit gypped. Last weekend I left work in a sweatshirt, and by Monday, the thermometer had already hit 92 degrees. Why someone who dreads the heat like I do lives in Tucson year after year, I couldn’t say. I get sleepy. I get grouchy. I bemoan my fate. Still, there’s one little twinkle I get in my eye when the warm weather comes: I remember summer wines. Yes, by the time it cools off- in January- I’m aching for big, rich Syrah, but now I’m ready for clean, bright white wine with fresh fruit, whispers of herbs, sheets of minerality and crisp acidity. Mmmm. Pinot Blanc. This month’s wines, then, are the wines I want in my refrigerator all summer long. If you want to taste them, the more the merrier. For a mere $25, you’ll get to taste all six of these wines as well as the foods that we’ve chosen to pair with them.. Call us at 326-9363 to save your spot at the tasting this Sunday the 28th at 3:30 pm. Remember, reserving online or by email doesn’t guarantee you a spot. See you soon.
Pinot Blanc
2008 Tangent Pinot Blanc, Central Coast $17.00
This wine shows off flavors of apples and ripe pears, with a touch of pineapple. A nicely balanced wine, it is rich, full and round, but has a solid acid structure.
2011 Adelsheim Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley $26.00
This 2011 Pinot Blanc features Granny Smith apple, tangerine and meadowfoam honey aromas, accented by hints of fennel. There’s a rich mouthfeel that is offset by the wine’s general raciness.
2008 Coltorenzio Pinot Blanc, Alto Adige $17.00
Straw yellow in color with green nuances, a fresh bouquet reminiscent of apple and pear;
crisp and zesty on the palate, round, fresh and juicy with excellent balance.
2010 Au Bon Climat Pinot Blanc/Pinot Gris, Santa Barbara $20.00
Blending these two grapes fashioned a wine with a generous fruitiness from the Pinot Gris contrasted with minerality from the Pinot Blanc. All the techniques used to make this wine are the same as the other Au Bon Climat white wines. The wine was 100% barrel fermented and completed malo-lactic fermentation. No new wood was used in making this wine, but the wine was barrel aged, sur-lee for 6 months. The invigorating aromas of stone fruits and pineapple are evident at first sniff/taste.
2009 Kubler Pinot Blanc, Alsace $17.00
Beautiful gray pearl with opalescent shades. Its nose rolls between vetiver and saline characters. Fresh vegetal furits (apple, green plum,bergamot) up front, with full body balanced by tangy notes on the finish.
2010 Selbach-Oster Pinot Blanc $21.00
Sweet nose with pretty fruits, pineapple and pears. On the palate apples take the lead, softening to pear on the mid-palate. A bit of ginger on the mid-palate leads to lemon curd on the finish. There is an underlying salinity from start to finish. This wine offers pleasant flavors and interesting layers for a reasonable price.