Drink the Bottles

The long days of summer are here and that means it is white wine season!  Historically, we have only tasted red wines from Flora Springs Winery, so we were excited to have the opportunity to try something new to us and this one was timed perfectly with the hot weather.  The  Flora Springs Soliloquy White Wine  is a blend of primarily Sauvignon Blanc with Chardonnay and the lesser known Malvasia added for complexity and flavors.  This is one of Flora Springs flagship wines and it is quickly noticeable why it carries that identity. Pale gold in the glass with hints of greenish blue on the rim, this wine is immediately identifiable as primarily Sauvignon Blanc by the familiar meadow grass, floral and stone fruit aromas.  We tasted this slightly chilled to take advantage of the full tasting experience, but there is no doubt this would be a porch sipping or pool party wine served well chilled.  Citrus fruit, vanilla, and apples are dominant with honeycomb a...

  Hot days are made for cooler wines and Sauvignon Blanc almost always fits the bill.  But when you have a Sauvignon Blanc like this one that is so pure, straightforward and extremely easy to enjoy, you know you have hit the jackpot.  Don't mistake this as simple, because it isn't.  It is just very well made and exactly how we enjoy SB.   Shepherd Wines , aka Truchard Vineyards, presents a fine California example of this wildly popular grape.  Aromas of cooked pear, grapefruit and crisp linen resonate throughout the glass and intensify as the wine begins to warm.  Delicious and crisp citrus flavors lead to a zippy and memorable medium acidic finish.  Absolutely and easily a daily drinker! ABV:  13.9% Napa Valley, CA (Carneros Region) Suggested retail price:  $18.00 Drink The Bottles  score:  90/100

  Here's another fine example of great wine made with exceptional fruit.  The  2019 Pope Valley Reserve Sauvignon Blanc sets itself apart from many others made with this grape.  If you're looking for a Sauvignon Blanc that is overly grassy with an strong acidic backbone, look somewhere else.  This wine effortlessly blends tangerine, yellow baked apple, honey, and interesting hints of river rock on the outer edge and finish.  This wine is surprisingly very silky smooth and a welcome change to "traditional" SB.  And talk about a food wine!  We feel that the versatility of this offering would pair with anything from artisan breads & jams to Eggs Benedict to sashimi and beyond!  We tasted this near room temperature but served chilled, this wine would be a porch drinker for certain.  Drink now. The 2020 vintage is currently available from Pope Valley Winery on their web site. ABV:  14.46% Napa Valley, CA Suggested retail price:...

We were very blessed to be able to travel to California recently for a wine trip with great friends.  We had planned the trip in 2020, but we had to postpone for a year due to most of the world shutting down from the Covid pandemic.  We decided that we would take this trip in 2021, come hell or high water. Our "Winos" group as we jokingly and affectionately call ourselves, spent a few evenings and many text messages back and forth to discuss the "must visit" wineries as well as those that had been on various wish lists throughout the years.  After much discussion and many emails back and forth to the wineries on our radar, we finally decided on nine wineries that would complete our adventure.  And, so we begun with Day #1...... Repris Wines. We love Southwest Airlines!  However, a non-stop flight from IND to OAK would be ideal. There were three couples who took part in our journey and each one flew into a different airport.  Kris & Scott flew into Sacra...

  We've been tasting and writing about some lovely white wines lately and that has put us in the mood for warmer weather.  The 2019 Pope Valley Winery Sauvignon Blanc is without a doubt a wine that you should stock up on for summer sipping!  Not only is it very affordable, but it is extremely well put together and very tasty.  Pale to medium yellow in the glass, aromas of lemon zest, wild grasses and stone fruits work well together and get the mouth watering.  In the mouth is a lively, welcoming combination of lemon candy, lime and the wonderful crispness that we expect from a well-made Sauvignon Blanc.  We tasted this at room temperature of 67° like we do most wines to really capture the aromas.  There's a zippy finish that presents hints of river rock and we think this wine is a keeper! ABV:  14.37% Napa Valley, CA 1,050 cases produced Suggested retail price:  $20.00 Drink The Bottles score:  91/100

  I wish you all could have been here to experience this wine with me.  That's not me bragging, but rather telling you that you are missing out on an incredible opportunity if you don't seek out this wine!  For Sauvignon Blanc lovers, this wine will prove to be something out of the ordinary and wonderfully delicious.  This wine was tasted at room temperature (67°) as are all of our white wines. Most of the time when we think of Sauvignon Blanc, we think brightness and lemongrass.  And most of the SB on the market taste very similar - until now.  The 2017 Patel Winery Sauvignon Blanc is unlike any in recent memory.  Medium golden in the glass with focused aromas of lemon peel, nutty cheese and dried spices.   The  wine has a fuller mouthfeel than most Sauvignon Blanc, but does not feel weighted or heavy in any way.  The flavors of lemon candy, basil, mint and oak are dominant but again, a lovely, smooth mild cheese flavor presents i...

I had the pleasure of tasting this 2016 JACK   Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, but I missed the mark by not enjoying it over a major league baseball game.  (Check out their story to see what this means!).  What first catches the eye on this specimen is the beautiful golden color and the logo that ties into the story of the founders.  This bottle is as handsome as Vernon and Chris are and popping the cork permeates the air with wafting aromas that suggest something special is about to happen to you.  I love California Sauvignon Blanc because it doesn't express overly grassy aromas like its New Zealand counterparts and it spotlights more fruity and floral aromas, which is the case here.  Honeysuckle and spring bouquet are dominant and inviting.  In the mouth is a silky example of a wine that has been well refined and initially has me dreaming of pineapple whip ice cream. This wine has bits of honeycomb and loads of baking spices along with a crisp green app...

Such incredible concentrated aromas of peach, pineapple and lemon zest, this 2016 Galante Vineyards Wagon Wheel Sauvignon Blanc is definitely now in my all-time favorite top 10 for this varietal.  A lot of Sauvignon Blanc give an almost pungent, overly strong grassy overtone on the nose, but not this one.  It is well refined, not overly acidic and is bursting with flavors of peach, slate, pineapple and lemon candies.  The wine is refreshing, bright and extremely memorable.  The back of the throat really opens up for this wine.  My biggest regret is not having a plate of soft cheeses or some bruschetta to sit back with, watch the snow fall and finish this beautiful bottle of wine.  You better hurry with this one, as the production was only 380 cases.  If you're looking for something different and delicious that will drink well over the next 3 years easily, this is it.  Thank me later. ABV:  13.5% Carmel Valley, California...

The 2017 CMS Sauvignon Blanc from Hedges Family Estate is a brand new, freshly bottled offering that is a very nice surprise compared to the thousands of other options you have.  This wine doesn't stun you with the color, but rather the incredibly aromatic displays of lemon peel, pineapple and pear.  It's not overbearing with lemongrass or fresh cut grass like many of it's brothers and sisters of the same varietal.  While that's quite typical of SB, a little can go a long way!  And just like 99% of white wines, I tasted this one at right around room temperature of 70 degrees.  I do that to get the real feel of the wine.  If you're looking for something refreshing, pop this in the fridge and drink it with a slaw dog and fried mushrooms!  Made in the traditional Sauvignon Blanc style, but this has a fuller mouthfeel with less brightness than typical SB's.  It's a very welcoming surprise and I'm a really big fan! ABV:  13.5% Columbi...

Dry Creek Vineyard has been a favorite of mine for several years, as they have a great selection of red and white wines and this 2016 Fumé Blanc is one of their staples.  This varietal has become more popular over the years, but still pales in comparison to a Chardonnay or Riesling.  And if you're going to put yourself out there, you better make this wine stand out and make it memorable.   That's exactly what the good people at DCV give you with their latest Fumé Blanc.  Tons of lemon and lime fruits are front and center at swirling.  A little bit of honey and pineapple are faintly familiar.  Oh, I guess this would be a great time for me to tell you that I drink most of my white wines at room temperature or just slightly cooler than that.  I hate going to someone's house where they pull a white wine out of the refrigerator and start pouring.  Refreshing?  Sure.  Flavorful?  Not as much as if the wine is warmer.....at leas...