An eclectic mix for you today, to say the least . . . Cheers!
BUBBLES
Pizzolato Prosecco Fields Brut
From the winemaker: “Aromas of pear, orange blossom, green apple and nettles. Palate delivers lemon zest, pear, white peach and almond, with crisp acidity, consistent refined perlage and a long finish.”
From me: La Cantina Pizzolato, whose organic vineyards cover 58 hectares in the countryside north of Treviso, is said to produce Italy’s best-selling Italian organic wines. Five generations of Pizzolatos have been in the wine business in the Veneto. It seems they’ve got this wine-making thing down pat.
$18.99 at http://wine.com
WHITE
2017 Chêne Bleu Aliot
From the winemaker: “An attractive golden yellow, bright and clear with lime tints. Rich and complex aromas with notes of toasted vanilla, rich ripe white fruits and a touch of hazelnut and brioche. Lovely rich and fresh primary flavors linger, supported by a natural acidity which extends the finish. The palate mirrors the nose with buttery notes, white fruits and a saline minerality.”
From Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 96: “It sports a still-vibrant gold hue as well as an awesome nose of buttered pineapple, white flowers, brioche and marzipan. This carries to a medium-bodied white with beautiful overall balance, a rich, layered mouthfeel, nicely integrated acidity and a gorgeous finish. This stunningly good white will stand up to the best from the Rhône. I’d say it’s fully mature now, but guessing the drinking window on Rhone whites is fraught with peril.”
From me: A classic Southern Rhone blend of roussanne (55 percent) and grenache blanc (38) plus clairette and rolle, it over-delivers even at 50-plus bucks and pairs splendidly with hard-to-pair dishes, even those that are asparagus-centric. No, really.
$55 at http://doubledecanted.com
2021 Cormorant Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley
From the winemaker: “I have been making this Sauvignon Blanc since August 2018. The organic Sauvignon Blanc comes from Martorana Family Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. The wine is fermented in a few drums and a couple of French oak barrels. Stirring the barrels a few times each year enables the wine to build mouthfeel.”
From me: It’s all unfined and unfiltered savignon blanc from Dry Creek’s Martorana Vineyards. And, at 12.7 percent alcohol, feel free to pour yourself a third glass . . . if you’re not driving. Really refreshing, this one.
$24 at http://cormorantcellars.com
2018 Smith-Madrone Riesling
From the winemaker: “Aromatically, the wine opens with Meyer lemons, pomelo, orange flowers, and just a dab of mandarin orange hiding shyly behind a rose bush. This is all backed up with a solid dose of minerality. On the palate the wine is racy and beautifully balanced with a backbone of juicy fruit acidity. Wonderfully stylish and delicious and built to last.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 92: “This is bright and full of energy with notes of tangerines, sliced pears and spices. Attractive minerality to it with a medium body and round, creamy texture. Bright acidity and a flavorful finish.”
From me: I’m actually sipping this one as a write, and it’s indeed special — fruity and flowery but surprisingly complex with a veneer of Old World elegance despite its Spring Mountain provenance. I don’t drink a lot of riesling, and certainly not from California, but that may have to change thanks to the folks at Smith-Madrone.
$33.99 at http://wine.com
2022 Goosecross Chardonnay Napa Valley
From the winemaker: “The 2022 vintage displays a beautiful bouquet of vibrant summer peaches, golden pear, banana, toasted brioche, and bergamot lemon. There is a burst of freshness and balance on the palate highlighted with bright flavors of green apple, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, lemon meringue, graham crackers and green tea.”
From me: Winemaker Bill Nancarrow aged half the wine in steel tanks on the lees and the other half in French Oak, also on the lees. It’s Old World in style but the bright Carneros fruit shines through nonetheless.
$46 at http://goosecross.com
ROSÉ
2021 ViNO Rosé Sangiovese Columbia Valley
From the winemaker: “Lovely pale pink hue, beautiful, vibrant, and pure. Passion fruit, wild strawberry, watermelon, tarragon and white lilac rise up to a crescendo. Focused and long with orange blossom, hints of star anise and juicy white nectarine. The wine is dry and refreshing like a sunny day in a mountain meadow.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 92: “A fragrant nose of sliced apple, rose and orange blossom. Medium-bodied. Rather fresh and mineral with good depth and presence. Very tasty.”
From me: Charles Smith strikes again. I can’t think of anyone who delivers more value and quality in the same bottle than the magic man from Washington state. This 100-percent sangiovese pink has been around since 2014, but I only recently discovered it at Costco. My bad!
$11.99 at http://wine.com
2022 Hampton Water
From the winemaker: “This beautiful wine reflects South of France know-how and terroir, paying a tribute to the Hamptons and South of France’s art de vivre.”
From Decanter, which scored it a 90: “A joint-project between Languedoc wine maestro, Gerard Bertrand, Jon Bon Jovi and Bon Jovi’s son, Jesse Bongiovi, this rosé is inspired by those of Provence but has its own identity. Ripe, fresh cherry and strawberry fruit aromas are joined by a herbal touch, while in the mouth it’s impressively sapid and mineral. Flavors of strawberry and herbs lead the way, with some peppery spice emerging on the fresh finish.”
From me: Bertrand first met Bon Jovi when he performed at his annual music festival at L’Hospitalet in the Languedoc and the rest is history. This pink rocks, as it should given the wine’s provenance. As for the name, Bon Jovi has a home in the Hamptons, of course.
$18.99 at http://wine.com
RED
2020 Ridge Geyserville
From the winemaker: “Ripe cranberry and cassis on the nose. Focused dark bramble fruit on the palate, layered with cocoa and clove. Vibrant acidity balances beautifully with opulent fruit and carries through to a long and elegant finish.”
From Decanter, which scored it a 96: “Enormously complex and full of personality. Lots of juiciness and briary-ness, with notes of espresso, soy sauce and gaminess. Very rich, impressive and structured. 2020 was Ridge’s 55th consecutive vintage of Geyserville, a wine that many Ridge collectors consider the winery’s best zinfandel blend. Made from old vines, some of which are more than 125 years old and 60 percent of which are 50 years old or older. That, of course, leads to tiny yields.”
From me: I’ve been a fan of this red field blend since the 1980s but, regrettably, I hadn’t tasted it in recent years. My bad. To be sure, I’m back on the bandwagon.
$37.79 at Specs
2015 Clos de Trias
From Perfectly Provence: “The Norwegian-American winemaker Evan Bakke is known for his sublime winemaking skills. Above all, he specializes in making sultry reds. These get aged for around five years before the date of release, and are grown on the most ancient soil on the planet, over 200 million years old. All of Evan Bake’s collections are biodynamically grown.”
From me: Bakke spent 14 years learning the winemaking craft in California before launching Clos de Trias in the foothills of Mont Ventoux in 2007. He’s got 25 hectares of old vine grenache, the core varietal in this hearty, earthy gem.
$xx at http://aocselections.com
2020 Spicewood Vineyards Tempranillo
From the winemaker: “Aromas of hazelnut and vanilla cream with flavors of cherry cola and figs.”
From me: Ron Yates, the aforementioned winemaker, suggests trying this tempranillo with angel-food cake or a margherita pizza. I can only vouch for how delicious it was with pulled pork, several kinds of mac-and-cheese and leftover Thanksgiving green-bean casserole. Talk about a versatile red . . .
$39.99 at http://spicewoodvineyards.com
2014 Pinea Red Ribero del Duero
From the winemaker: “Fermented and aged entirely in French oak barrels, it comes from Cardisanto, a unique vineyard from which we obtain the best grapes in our Domain. Such an amazing terroir that surprises in the glass due to its structure, acidity, elegant texture and the echo of aromas on the palate.”
From the folks at Timeless Wines: “It’s clean and balanced, and very intense in aromas. As is typical for the varietal, it is rich in black fruit aromas, predominantly blackberry. The use of new oak gives pungent aromas of bitter chocolate, coffee, cedar and smoky notes that give length and depth. It has a powerful attack on the palate, which fills and envelops the palate from start to finish. Full-bodied, it has high tannins and considerable alcohol, although both are very well integrated. It is perfectly balanced on its passage through the mouth, leaving flavors of black forest fruits, blackberries and spices such as clove and black pepper. It leaves a long, harmonious aftertaste. It all comes together in a finish of smoky, slightly bitter notes, which give it great length and a persistence that lasts a long time after drinking.”
From me: Think I can top that assessment? Nope. So . . . what they said.
$150 at http://timelesswines.com
H-Town happenings
Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com
Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com
Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com
Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Wine Dinner Celebrating the Season and Cabernet Franc: 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Atkins House. $85. http://eventbrite.com
The Rado Wine Club Tasting Experience: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Rado MKT. $50. http://eventbrite.com
Follow me
Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one, hosted by Jeremy Parzen (yep, that’s us pictured above, sharing a bottle in the Piemonte), will be dropping in the next day or two.
Instagram: http://@sportywineguy
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