Monday, April 12, 2010

"Anything But Chardonnay"

I found it! I found my tasting list and notes from the Bin Ends tasting on Sunday! One very important note - all of these wines are under $15!

Martinshof Gruner Veltliner (Austria) 2008
- tasty, light, a little spicy and easy to drink... best yet, it comes in a 1L bottle with a beer-style cap instead of a cork!

Indaba Chenin Blanc (South Africa) 2009
- floral, tropical fruits and citrus, good acidity and structure

Woop Woop Verdelho (Australia) 2007
- fresh and fruit-driven, crisp, nicely fragrant

I Stefanini "Il Selese" Soave (Veneto, Italy) 2008
- so apparently Soave used to be Italy's crap wine that only the locals drank. Good thing they started revamping it because it turns out to be a seriously tasty summer wine. Soft, medium bodied with melon, faint citrus fruits, and a distinctly fruity aroma.

Chateau Campuget, Rose' of Syrah/Grenache (Costieres de Nimes, France) 2009
- this was an early Rose' (just harvested Sept '09), and I got a clearly "watermelon Jolly Rancher" taste - not in an unpleasant way... just... yeah... let's just say Rose' and I have some work to do in our relationship

Callia Alta Torrontes (Argentina) 2009
- suprisingly good! Oranges and richly floral (not in the awful perfume-y way), well-balanced on the tounge with moderate acidity. Interestingly, it had a slightly greenish-tint....

McManis Family Vineyards Viognier (California) 2008
- Viognier used to be one of my favorite white wines (Horton Vineyards Viognier in C'ville, VA to be exact). Honey and apricot mix with serious minerality and grapefruit. Long, rich finish... mmmm.

and last but not least...

Lanzos Blanco Sauvignon Blanc/Viura (Spain) 2008
- dry, fresh white wine, with grapefruit, nectarine, and tropical fruit. I'd guess it to be a great salad/appetizers wine.

Now that summer is peeking her head around the corner, it's time to try something other than the usual Sauvignon Blanc! I plan to do some Soave testing in the upcoming months :)

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