Wines & Cheese Tasting
January 5th & 7th
Thursday 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Saturday 12 PM – 5:00 PM
Truchard The Shepherd Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Origin: Carneros,Napa Valley, California
Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting Notes: Aromas of passion fruit, honeysuckle, and lime are highlighted with notes of lychee and jasmine. The mouthfeel has subtle richness, filled with intense flavors of grapefruit, white peach, and melon. Bright acidity provides a zesty finish of citrus, minerality and spice that makes “The Shepherd” Sauvignon Blanc is irresistibly crisp and refreshing. Only 1,010 cases produced.
Food Pairing: This wine can be enjoyed on its own, or
accompanying baked seafood, roasted vegetable salads, and even Thai food.
Quinta da Alorna Rose 2010
Origin: Ribatejo, Portugal
Varietal: 100% Touriga Nacional
Tasting Notes: This wine is deep pink in color with a classic strawberry nose. It is an old world drier style Rose with classic strawberry flavors with a crisp and clean finish.
Food Pairing: Rose’s pair well with a variety of foods from
seafood, pork, chicken and turkey to salads, burgers and most
cheeses. Some cheeses go better with white wine, some with red; yet
almost all pair well with dry rosé, which has the acidity of white wine and the
fruit character of red. Serve lightly chilled at 50 to 52 degrees.
Manu
Pinot Noir 2009
Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes: A soft approachable wine with moderate structure supporting bright red fruit characters of cherries and plums. The palate exudes warmth and ripeness with hints of smoky oak and chocolate. This wine has beautiful balance and excellent persistence of flavor. 92 points Gary Vaynerchuck; Best Buy/Top Tip/Consumer Choice “Enjoyed by judges and consumers alike .” - TiZWine.com, June 2010
Food Pairing: The bright fruit characters and hints of smoky
oak make this wine an ideal match with almost anything from the barbecue. The
wine is moderately structured so will be perfect with lunch as well as at
dinner. Winemaker’s best match to date: slow roasted whole chicken in the
Weber.
Querciabella Mongrana 2006
Origin: Maremma, Toscana, Italy.
Varietal: 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. Fermentation takes place first in stainless steel vats and then cement vats, until they are bottled. A small selection of the wine is aged in barriques for three months and then added to the final blend.
Tasting Notes : Mongrana is the quintessential expression of the colors, sights and sounds of the Maremma: fruity and intense, fresh and embracing, the wine takes its name - and its character - from that of the family of noble knights depicted by Ariosto, in the epic poem Orlando Furioso. The Daily Telegraph June 28, 2008 “This supple, spicy biodynamic beauty is one of the best Italian wines I’ve had in ages.”
Food Pairing: This wine pairs well with Osso buco, steak, veal, lamb, hearty pasta dishes, and hard cheeses.
Bigvine Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Origin: Napa Valley, California
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes : “Our 2009 vintage is a classic Napa Valley blend from three different sub-appellations. Our Atlas Peak vineyard provides enough structure to support the weighty fruit from Rutherford and Coombsville. Our final blend shows obvious dark fruit and earthy notes reminiscent of ‘Rutherford Dust’. This vintage is very approachable in its youth, but will also reward long term cellaring.”The wine was aged for 18 months in 30% new French oak and the remainder in neutral French oak. Alcohol: 14.2%
Food Pairing: This wine is the perfect partner with steaks, venison, standing rib roasts, braised short ribs, strong cheeses and fresh grilled salmon.
Razor’s
Edge Shiraz
Grenache 2008
Origin: McLaren Vale, Austrailia
Varietal: 75% Shiraz and 25% Grenache
Tasting Notes: The 2008 Razor's Edge is a wine greater than its parts. Bright red in color, Grenache once again provides an intense lift with touches of dark cherry, minerals and spice. The Shiraz component provides structure to the wine and tightens the lifted notes of the Grenache. It is a pure expression of fruit, displaying the attributes of a vibrant blend with plenty of character. This leads to a concentrated, well structured palate with ripe cherry and blackberry fruits. The tannins are soft and supple yet giving a long, lingering finish. It is a palate that begs for more! Aged 18 months in 35% two year old French oak, 15% three year old French oak and 50% American oak. "Fully ripe and verging on jammy, this 75-25 blend is nonetheless charming, with raspberry fruit cosseted by lashings of vanilla. It’s round in the mouth and exceedingly supple, picking up intriguing dusty spice, cocoa and coffee notes on the finish. A notable value for drinking over the next 6–12 months. " 90 points - Rated #22 - Top 100 Best Buys Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Food Pairing: This wine pairs well with grilled meats or veggies, wild game, richly flavored red meats, beef stew, lamb and Turkey .