First Fortnightly Wine Romp
What will be a regular feature is a fortnightly collection of wine tasting notes, including bottle porn, and other thoughts about wine and how it fits into twenty-first-century life. This first post is a mere taste, a collection of wines my wife a
Future posts will include the best parts of my previous wine column, on Vino.com, a now defunct site, sorry to say, and other musing on the fine subject of wine, wine snobbery (boo) and finding things to love (yay).
Notes: A Crisp,
Notes: A solid if not spectacular Napa Sauvignon Blanc: very nearly clear in the glass with highlights in goldenrod. A few long and slow legs and medium viscosity. I was stuffed up a bit, so didn’t get a lot of the nose, but on the palate, it showed honey and nectarine notes, with soft acidity and full body. I would never have recognized it as a Sauvignon Blanc especially with the long mandarine touched but balanced finish and notes of caramel cream candy. (Of course, being a bit stuffed up could have thrown my off more than I believe.) A 3 of 5 🍷.

A fair, if unimpressive Sangiovese from Toscana; it did, though, do the job with

Light style Pinot Noir from Chile, with a touch of Burgundy. Clear garnet with distinct brick/brown on the meniscus. Very slow legs. Cherry nose with a hint of barnyard (which I love) and a touch of grilled meat. Light on the attack with fine gripping tannins later that last through the Long finish that includes a lick of red fruit. Loves food. 3 of 5🍷. #RedWine#PinotNoir#ChileanWIne#CasablancaValley

Die Argitek Western Cape Chenin Blanc 2017: Zippy example of this South African Chenin Blanc: Pale parchment in color with a clear meniscus and many slow legs around the glass. Tropical fruit, especially banana, with a touch of cream hiding behind that. TART! Right in the attack, saliva squirting acidity, with some notes of smooth stones, a vague fruitiness (pear?) that moves into a zippy finish of good length. Medium body. Not something to sip on its own. Spritzer material for a hot summer day— 3 of 5🍷 #whitewine #southafrica#cheninblanc #westerncape

Lustra Monterey County Pinot Blanc 2016: Rich, well balanced Pinot Blanc from California. Very pale goldenrod, many, thick legs all around the glass. Fairly viscous. Has a clear, orange-Mellon notes, some deeper hints of tropical fruits in the background. That melon-exotic fruit carries into the attack, which then shows off an excellent balance of fruit, unctuousness, and acidity—this all plays continuously through the solid mid-pallet and the pleasing, long finish, which shows off a touch of caramel very late.
4 of 5🍷 #whitewine #california#pinotblanc

Culaccino Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2016: A middle of the road Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, leaning to the ripe side. Pale garnet with some browning on the meniscus—a few long slow legs. The nose is a touch hot, with some floral (violet), earth and old wood notes. Comes on as
3 of 5🍷#redwine #Italianwine#montepulciano

Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro
A fair Lambrusco. Moderately dark garnet, with clear meniscus, a quick falling, creamy purple head, many quick falling legs around the glass. Fairly tight nose with hints of mixed berries late. A mild attack that opens up into bright fruit with hints of Concord grape (in a good way), acidic, balanced with some fine tannins late. A long bright finish (w/hint of that grapey-ness. Subtly bitter at the end. Light-medium body. Not bad, but could have been better sort of wine: 2.5 of 5 🍷. #SparklingWine #Lambrusco #ItalianWIne🇮🇹