Wine Tasting: 02/23

Cremant De Loire

This bottle of wine was served as an apertif with my girlfriend before we went to dinner. We are long distance and celebrated Valentines Day this weekend. I bought her a this bottle from the Vintage Cellar. It is a Brut wine from the Loire Valley in France, produced by Vigneau Winemakers and it is a blend of 50% Chenin Blanc and 50% Chardonnay

What Others Said

"Lemons and peaches are bright and citrusy aromas. The perky bubbles are firm yet creamy as they dance around the tongue, leaving a trail of chalky minerals. Notes of earthy hay and dried flowers add complexity to this tasty all purpose wine." - Loire Valley Wine Buyer's Selection

from Kysela

What I thought

Very fancy and tasty! It smelled very floral and fruity, like ripe limes. The flavor was much more delicate, slightly toasty with more mellow fruit expressing. The wine had a fine texture, not aggressively carbonated with a refreshing finish. Wine Folly gives tasting notes for Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley as "expect aromas of soft baked golden apples with undertones of quince, dried flower, and beeswax, with an element of crisp minerality"
 

Wine Tasting: 2/25

 

CHALKBOARD

This bottle came from the Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg. I went in hunting for a 10 dollar bottle with a nice full body for a chilly winter day and I was recommended this. Chalkboard is a 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from California produced by Chalkboard Vineyards

What others said: 

Blackberries and cherries are complemented by subtly toasted herbs. Supple and well-textured on the palate with ripe tannins and plenty of fruit on the lingering finish. A tasty, juicy California cabernet sauvignon and an incredible value! - Josh Hull, Chairman’s Selection® wine buyer from Fine Wine & Good Spirits

What I thought:

A nice fruity and bold red. Smelled red fruit with a little hint of cinnamon. Full bodied with medium tannin but not too mouth puckeringly dry or acidic. A long finish with nice spices at the end. Wine Folly describes California Cabernet Sauvignon to taste like black currant, blackberry, pencil lead, tobacco and mint. I didn't get any pencil lead with this bottle though!

Wine Tasting:

DOUBLE TROUBLE

This bottle got recommended to me by the sommelier at Kroger after I asked him for a good full bodied red wine at a $10 price point and it did not disappoint! It is a 2019 Red Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from Charles & Charles winery in Washington State. 

What Others Said:

"An awesome value! Ripe and bold, without becoming a fruit bomb, this has heaps of black plum and red cherry flavors. There are also some nice smoky, bacon-like notes, which make it a great wine to have with grilled steaks or burgers" - Joe P from Arlington Wine

What I Thought:

Did not disappoint. Smelled fruity and rich. Very heavy notes of red fruit and slightly chocolatey. Second taste I got some pepper at the end, probably from the Syrah in the blend. Wine Folly says that Washington Cabernet Sauvignon are "noted for their rich raspberry and black cherry" and the Syrahs from the state "are smoky, rich and tart" at the same time. Concur!

Wine Dinner Report 1

 

The Meal

- For the meal, I baked a Rainbow trout that I had caught from Goose Creek in Floyd County, I stuffed it with lemon, dill, garlic, and butter then wrapped it in tin foil and threw it in the oven while I prepared the rest. My two sides were a lemon parsley couscous with toasted pine nuts and a soul food style Swiss Chard. 

The Wine

 - The wine was a Sea Glass Sauvignon Blanc from Santa Barbara, California (I bought it from Food Lion in Blacksburg, though). I like Sauvignon Blanc and use it frequently to cook with, and I purchased this bottle for that reason. I thought I was going to make a wine butter sauce for the fish but decided against it. I drank it chilled for this dinner. Wine Folly describes this variety as herbaceous, with notes of gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach and passionfruit.

Tasting Notes

 

- I bought the wine for the fish and I was most excited to pair it with the fish. The trout is delicate and flaky, light on the palette. The added dill, lemon and butter give it more depth without drowning out the flavor of fresh fish. The wine pairs nicely because it is crisp and citrusy. It washes the fish down without overpowering and doesn't linger long in my mouth. It isn't a very complex wine but I wasn't looking for complexity with this meal. 

Next, the wine with the couscous. The couscous is nutty and tangy from the toasty pine nuts and lemon, with a little bit of fresh grassiness from the parsley. The wine compliments and adds to the fruit (maybe a little too much) and highlights the nuttiness of the dish, bringing it to the front of my mouth.

Finally, the wine and the greens. Chard is sharp and slightly peppery, I cooked it with bacon, garlic and shallots to add some meaty umami flavor to it. Surprisingly, the wine worked well with this by lightening all the flavors and contrasting. Greens and salads are typically thought of a white pairing but I figured this would work well with a complex red like a Cab Sav or a Shiraz. I think this wine is a nice palette refresher and doesn't demand much thoughtful introspection into dense complexity, body and flavor profile. The nose is the mouth and its crisp, simple and delicious.