This is not just an aperitif wine, it’s a dinner wine too. When poured, its light straw gold color didn’t prepare me for the heartiness of this wine. Made with 100% chardonnay, this is a rich and full-bodied sparkler. In the glass I found a fine mousse with a creamy
The wine starts with a dusty nose of dried cherry and a bit of raisin coming up from the glass. Cherry leads on the palate, with touches of pencil lead, followed by raisin on the mid-palate. Bright tart red fruits dominate up front and linger on the finish. Tannins are fine
The Blanc de Noirs was my favorite of the Gloria Ferrer sparkling wines I tasted this season. A very delicate-seeming wine, pale red-gold with light aromas and flavors, made mainly with pinot noir. -- hence the name “blanc de noirs” which means white wine made with black (aka red) grapes.
This has a lovely smoky aroma, white florals with flame-seared citrus peel. Lemon peel, smoke, and tart apple show first on the palate, then smoke and lemon linger. Acids are bright, mouth-feel creamy. This is an interesting and unique wine, with barrel smoke adding layers of complexity, without overwhelming vanilla
This producer has been a sentimental favorite of mine for some years. This wine is a clear tan-gold with nice, small bubbles. It opens with fresh mineral aromas and a hint of raspberries. Green apple on the nose moves onto the palate. The wine becomes toastier and more raspberry-fruity as
This is a new import into the US, from New Zealand. If It wasn’t proudly proclaimed on the label, I would not have guessed this wine was made with sauvignon blanc. It’s produced in the Upper Wairu Valley of Marlborough, which is known for its Sauvignon Blanc. I guess it
As a long-time wine journalist, I have always taken a laissez-faire attitude when it comes to wine production. I have declined to be outraged at “industrial” wine production of millions of bottles of low-priced wine, as long as the wine is not unhealthy and if the claims made on the
Nearly one hundred fifty wine lovers came to the Seventh Annual Palate Press Grand Tasting, held in the home of our publisher, David Honig. The Palate Press Grand Tasting is a unique consumer-driven wine tasting event. More than two hundred wines were blind bagged and placed on tables throughout the