Tasting- Edna Valley Chardonnay

 

Name: Edna Valley Chardonnay 2021

Variety: 100% Chardonnay

Region: San Luis Obispo, California

Country: United States

Year: 2021

Price: $12.99

Wine Review: "Ripe banana, plumeria, and coconut aromas make for a very tropical entry to the nose of this wine. Pear, peach jam, and apple sauce flavors play on the soft palate" --(Matt Kettman, 2022) -- 86

Wine Folly: On page 96, Chardonnay is described as having flavorings of yellow apple, star fruit, pineapple, vanilla and butter. I personally could absolutely taste the lightly tangy sweetness of the pineapple with the sweet highlights of vanilla and apple was definitely present as well. This particular chardonnay however, was really not that buttery all things considered. On page 288, wine folly doubles down on CA Chardonnay having flavors of pineapple, vanilla and yellow apple, but also adds crème brulee and caramel to the mix. I do think though that these extra sweeteners were a bit excessive for this specific wine as while it was sweet, caramel and crème brulee were not that present, at least for me. Instead, light fruity, tropical sweetness was the most prominent and carried the wine.

My Review: I did like it, but it wasn't my favorite Chardonay and actually left me a little disappointed. My previous Chardonnay was a cheap, but nice tasting wine with light, rich fruit flavorings and a buttery finish that created a phenomenal mouthfeel. This wine however, was privy to sweet fruit rather than anything else. It tasted very sweet, like that of apple, or peach, or mango with a tropical whisper to it. I even thought I felt a taste of strawberry in there, and what tasted almost like chocolate. As a result of this, the wine was sweet, fruity, but had not very much balance. The tannins and acidity were not particularly present whatsoever. Even while drinking, it was a half glass satisfaction type taste, rather than something where I would immediately want another glass after finishing like many of the wines I have had in the past. Once again, it was by no mean bad, but at least for me, it wore out its welcome quite quickly. I am definitely going to need to pick up Chardonnay from a different region next time I inevitably want to pick up a bottle.

This was not tasted with any food.

Wine and Cheese Pairing Report: 4/8

 

Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Prosecco

Cheeses: Irish Aged Cheddar, Raclette, Port Salut

Wine #1: J. Lohr Paso Roble Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 

Impression: This wine was fruity with strong tastes of darker undercurrents of black berry, cherry, and similarly dark fruits. There was nice and deep tannins present as well as undertones of lighter spices such as vanilla and peppercorns which added to the mouthfeel and made it one of my better Cabernet Sauvignons

Combination #1: Cabernet Sauvignon and Irish Aged Cheddar

Impression: When tasted with the cheese, there is a strong and fast cancellation of the immediate flavorings occurring within

the cheese. However, the tannins began to linger far longer when intermingling with the saltiness of the aged cheddar. It was an interesting combination, but the tastes of the two seemed to cancel each other out taking away from the overall experience.

Wine #2: Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio 2022

Impression: The wine was very nice and light with a strong acidic force pulling it along as a prominent feature. It emanated citrus flavors like lime and lemon, along with some lighter fruits such as peach to create a more comfortable flavor profile though, it was not very sweet as the balance leaned more towards an acidic style. This Pinot Grigio was also far better than my previous experience with the same varietal which was quite nice. 

Combination #2: Pinot Grigio and Raclette cheese

Impression: The raclette by itself was an interesting cheese as besides having a salty profile, it was also ever so slightly bitter, which was likely due to the particular fermentation process to develop this kind of cheese. However, when tasted with the acidic and slightly bitter pinot grigio, the matching was fantastic with it resulting in an overall salty aftertaste that lasted longer than either the cheese or the wine by itself which was actually quite pleasant as they complimented each other well.

Wine #3: Lamarca Prosecco 2022

Impression: This was my first foray into sparkling wine and I was rather pleased by it. It was light and slightly bitter with a hint of apple and other lighter fruits like peach and maybe even blue berry. In addtion, the mouthfeel of the carbonation was quite nice as I am a fan of carbonated soft drinks. However, 

As much as I did like it, there aren't many more descriptors I can appropriately apply to it. The fact of the matter was that for a palate like mine, the intense carbonation masked most of the hidden flavorings and whispers more evident in reds especially, but even in whites. Instead, I was spearheaded with the brunt of bubbles in my mouth which only left the most palpable tastes to roam free and for me to recognize. I still rather enjoyed it though.

Combination #3: Prosecco and Port Salut Cheese

Impression: When tasting prosecco with the very salty and soft port salut cheese, the carbonation immediately masked the flavor almost in its entirety. However, upon swallowing, there was a very strong amplification of the salt and bitter flavorings hidden in both items as they began to harmonize and create a strong and unique after taste that you could feel on the tongue.

As interesting as this combination was however, it was unfortunately not for me. This was a unique scenario where I believe that they combination did in fact mesh well and I am certain that others would have enjoyed the combination, but I personally did not. For me, it tasted almost sour and bitter which simply was not of my preference, despite how well it may mix in a vacuum.

My thoughts: I very much so enjoyed this tasting experiment. The last cheese and wine tasting I did, involved purchasing random cheeses and later pairing them up with a wine based on what I felt would probably go best. This time however, I tried to better match ahead of time and picked out cheeses that, for the most part (there was limited stock), matched with the wines chosen. As a result, two of the three combinations worked very well in my opinion, though one of the two was not of my personal preference. Of the wines themselves, I was extremely satisfied with my purchases as I had made, as I had not enjoyed my previous pinot grigio purchase and my Cabernet Sauvignon purchases had left me a mixed back of emotions regarding the wine. But these two that I picked were some of the better ones in my opinion and I enjoyed them both. I also thoroughly enjoyed the prosecco and I will definitely be picking up more sparkling wine in the future. For the combinations, my least favorite was probably the Cabernet Sauvignon and the cheddar as I felt that it wasn't the potential of both fantastic ingredients and made them both almost functionally inert to the taste buds. My second favorite was the Prosecco and the port salut as it wasn't fantastic in my personal preferences, although the matching did work, and my favorite was the Pinot Grigio and the raclette which was an unexpected contender and created a unique harmonization in the form of the aftertaste. I have discovered from this taste experiment and my previous, that I thoroughly enjoy pairing cheeses and other snacks with wines to see what sticks, what misses, and what combinations leave me in a state of surprise and has encouraged me to continue this kind of shopping to see what other matches that I can gift my taste buds.

Tasting- Chateau De Valcombe

 

Name: Costieres De Nimes Chateau De Valcombe

Variety: 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache

Region: Costieres De Nimes, Rhone

Country: France

Year: 2022

Price: $19.95

Winery Review: "Chateau de Valcomb Costieres de Nimes Rouge, Rhone 2022 is a rich and flavorful red wine produced in the Rhone Valley of France. This wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah grapes, and boasts an intense ruby red color with aromas of ripe red fruits, black berry, and hints of spice. On the palate, it is full-bodied with a silky texture, balanced acidity, and a long and persistent finish. The wine is aged in oak barrel for several months, which gives it a subtle and elegant touch of vanilla and toasted notes. (Vintage Cellar)

Wine Folly: On page 172, Syrah which is the prominent varietal in this wine is described as having notes of blue berry, plum, chocolate, and green peppercorns. I could detect the fruity pieces, though not much of the blueberry. The chocolate and spice of the peppercorns were not lost on me though and added wonderful flavor and mouth feel. For the other main varietal present, page 117 describes Grenache as containing flavors of strawberry, plum, dried herbs, and leather. I believe that the plum and strawberry coalesced into a flavor resembling that of black cherry which was a prominent taste for me and the dried herbs present I think aided in the spice to give it a bite on the way down which lingered in the throat. On page 219, Wine folly looked at Syrah from Rhone, and mentioned it containing flavors of olive, plum, black pepper and even meat juices. While the meat juices remained a mystery to me, the plum once again added to the fruity flavor I detected along with the black pepper for spice. I was also pleasantly surprised to see mention of olive because it placed wording or the salty, almost buttery sensation I detected that I couldn't put a finger on which was a wonderful addition of flavor.

My Review: This was a wonderful wine and one of my favorite so far. It had an abundance of conflicting flavors and sensation that created a jubilant experience for the tongue. The deep fruity flavors I detected resembled darker fruits like cherry and plum and created a nice taste, compounded with what I though was almost nutty and buttery in the form of olives, added complexity to it. This was moved further by the abundance of spice that was strongly evident on the way down after swallowing and an aftertaste that paired perfectly with the tannins working in harmony with the flavorings provided. I enjoyed this wine and am excited to experiment with more blends of Syrah, as well as more wines from this region.

This was not tasted with any food.

Tasting- Wild Thing Viognier

 

Name: Carol Shelton Wild Thing Central Coast Viognier 2022

Variety: 84% Viognier, 11% Roussanne. 5% Marsanne 

Region: Sonoma County, California

Country: United States

Year: 2022

Price: $25.95

Wine Review: "Supple and plum with fruit, this Viognier offers cantaloupe, honeysuckle, and spice flavors that finish with a rich oily texture" (Wine spectator) -- 93

Wine Folly: Page 186 in Wine folly describes this wine as having an abundance of fruity flavors such as tangerine, peach, mango, honeysuckle and even floral hints such as rose. I could not pick up all these flavors however, especially the more citrus-y flavorings. However, the floral scent and after taste was not lost on me, nor was the lighter fruits such as peach which gave it a nice light taste. Interestingly, according to page 290, the central coast of CA which is where this wine came from is noteworthy for its Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and Syrah, but does not mention Viognier whatsoever. It seems as though instead, the north coast which is known for its cooler overall climate is more situated for white wines in general, but this one seems to be an exception and makes me wonder if more Viognier and white wine varieties will start coming from Central coast California in the future.

My Review: I rather enjoyed this wine. I still have yet to find a white that can top Chardonnay for me, but I certainly liked this more than the Sauvignon Blanc I had tried in the past and makes me excited to try more whites in the future. I particularly enjoyed the light flavorings with refreshing fruits such a the peach mentioned. I also felt like I detected a latent melon flavor along with some delicate spice that that aided in creating a refreshing and comfortable mouthfeel. I am excited to try more Viogniers, especially since this one comes from a region not typically associated with Viogniers. I can only wonder if the regions more traditionally associated with this varietal translates to a better flavor, and so I will certainly be trying the different regions soon.

This was not tasted with any food.