After a hiatus of almost 2 years due to some virus pandemic thing you may have heard about, a group of friends gathered by the Jersey Shore the other weekend for another in a semi-regular series of wine tasting dinners for which I select and present the wines. This time I made selections from my own wine cellar, some of which had been previously earmarked for previous tastings that never materialized for some reason, and others which I just thought would be a delightful, cool and refreshing treat for what turned out to be a perfect summer day by the sea.
We started off appropriately with a bubbly from the Loire region of France sourced from Cabernet Franc grapes - a "blanc de noir" as it were, that is, a sparking white wine made from red-skinned grapes. (The juice is extracted from the grapes with no maceration with the skins.) This was quite a hit among the group, and I must say that the "Crémants" of France (sparkling wines from outside of Champagne) are often a very good deal in which you can avoid paying exorbitant prices for highly touted Champagnes. This particular sparkler was in the $20 price point.
The theme of the tasting was actually "A Trip Around the World" and so we continued our exploration with wines from Portugal, Argentina, France, New York State (Finger Lakes) before bringing it all back home to Pennsylvania. According to consensus, pretty much every one was a winner, although there were certainly favorites among the imbibers.
Most of the wines were around $20 or less, but the Saperavi, a special cuvée that is aged for 18 months and then cellared for a few more months, topped out at around $30. I've written previously about the winery near Lewisburg that produces this Georgian-grape wine. https://phillywineguy.blogspot.com/2018/10/ It's definitely worth a visit if you're up in the region.
Cheers to a (halting) return to normalcy!
Du Petit Thuouars Brut Crémant de Loire NV
Appellation: Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) Crémant de Loire, France
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc
Production/Tasting Notes: Méthode traditionelle; aromas of apple, pear, brioche; dry, medium-bodied; delicate bubbles.
Alcohol: 12.5%
Herdade do Esporão Monte Velho Branco 2017
Appellation: Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal
Varietals: 40% Antão Vaz; 40% Roupeiro; 20% Perrum
Production/Tasting Notes: Temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks; membrane filtration prior to bottling; average vine age 17 years; aromas of delicate white stone fruits and lemon; firm, intense on the palate; well-balanced with long aromatic finish
Alcohol: 14.5%
Crios Rosé of Malbec 2019
Origin: Valle de Uco, Argentina
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Production/Tasting Notes: Hand harvested; sourced from the highest Andean vineyards at 3700 feet; aromas and flavors of strawberry and gooseberry; dry; delicate; balanced palate and crisp finish.
Alcohol: 14.5%
D’Autrefois Pinot Noir Reserve 2016
Appellation: IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) Pays d’Oc
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Production/Tasting Notes: 100% aged in oak barrels for 6 months; aromas of cherry, red
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Production/Tasting Notes: 100% aged in oak barrels for 6 months; aromas of cherry, red raspberry; subtle vanilla and spice notes; medium bodied.
Alcohol: 12.5%
Hermann J. Wiemer Gewurztraminer Dry 2017
Appellation: Seneca Lake AVA, New York State
Varietal: 100% Gewurztraminer
Production/Tasting Notes: Hand picked and sorted; whole cluster press; 3-month indigenous yeast fermentation; limited skin contact during fermentation; flowery aromas; hints of fruit and spice distinctive of the varietal; long, vibrant finish.
Alcohol: 12.8%
Fero Saperavi 2017
Origin: Lewisburg, Susquehanna Valley, Union County, Pennsylvania
Varietal: 100% Saperavi
Production/Tasting Notes: 18 months aged in oak; primary grape of the Republic of Georgia; extremely dark grape skin and juice due to red anthocyanin pigment; fragrant, fleshy, grapey, floral; creamy vanilla; faintly herbal meaty notes; moderate acidity; long finish.
Alcohol: 13%
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