Category Archives: White

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Winzer Krems – Gruner Veltliner, 2016

  • Basic info: Winzer Krems – Kremser Sandgrube Gruner Veltliner, Austria, 2016.
  • Type: White
  • Price estimate: $13 (Total Wine)
  • Look: Very pale yellow, almost clear and colorless.
  • Smell: herbs, citrus
  • Taste: Tart. Citrus, lemon with a slight sour note. Little bit of effervescence with a short finish.
  • Conclusions: It was not bad, better than some whites, but not fantastic.
  • Other notes: After having the PFAFFL gruner veltliner a few weeks before, I was super excited to try a different wine of the same grape. This one was nice, but it just lacked that something special the other bottle had. The finish was shorter and there was a slight sour taste that was not in the PFAFFL. I wanted to love this wine, but I just didn’t. It also had a 90 point rating from Wine Enthusiast which I know, logically, mean very little, but I was hoping it would give some direction when picking a new bottle. Sadly, it did not.
  • From the bottle: No bottle notes, but from Total Wine, “Savory notes of crushed chervil and yeast join lively, almost fizzing notes of lemon zest. This is ultrafresh, light-footed and very toned. Juicy, ripe acidity animates you to drink this almost as a thirst-quencher.” 12.5% alcohol by volume.

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Serranarrocco – Grillo, 2015

  • Basic info: Serranarrocco Grillo Terre Siciliane – Sicily, Italy, 2015
  • Type: White
  • Price estimate: $17 (weekly tasting)
  • Look: Medium yellow with some legs. Nice appearance in the glass.
  • Smell: apple and citrus
  • Taste: apple, stone fruit (like white peach and nectarine). Crisp, but not tart with a medium, round finish.
  • Conclusions: Pretty good. I liked this wine a lot, but it wasn’t super memorable a week or so later (when I got around to writing it up). It was very drinkable, and it kept well over the week that I had it.
  • Other notes: This was the wine I opened when Bob was away for business. I had a glass most nights when he was gone, usually while giving some attention to the furry creatures, new and old, after a long day at work. It was a great wine for just enjoying, and it didn’t require a lot of thought to enjoy it.
  • From the bottle: No bottle notes, but from Weekly Tasting, “This wine is medium-straw in color, with aromas and flavors of apricot, stone fruit, peach, grilled pineapple, and hazelnut, with a textured and decadent finish that you can describe as ‘custard’ or the feeling of creme brûlée.” 13% alcohol by volume.

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Adalia – Soave, 2014

  • Basic info: Adalia Soave/Garganega, Venteno, Italy, 2014
  • Type: White
  • Price estimate: $17 (Chamber Street Wines)
  • Look: Pale yellow with a slight green tint.
  • Smell: Citrus and cotton. (you know, that fresh laundry smell or cloths hanging outside to dry? That’s kind of the smell of this wine at first sniff – seriously.)
  • Taste: Lemon, lime, salt and a touch of mineral. Short finish.
  • Conclusions: Good, Drinkable. Love the flavors, but it wasn’t a memorable wine. I would very willingly have it again, but would not go out of my way for it.
  • Other notes: I tried this wine over the course of a  few days to see if my initial impression of it changed. It didn’t. It was a good wine and well worth the money, but it isn’t a superstar. (I do love that I have Tigger in the background on the picture of the wine in the glass. That just makes me happy.)
  • From the bottle: No bottle notes and no notes from Chamber Street. 12% alcohol by volume.

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Patricius – Furment, 2014

  • Basic info: Patricius Dry Furment, Tokaj, Hungary – 2014
  • Type: White
  • Price estimate: $17 (Weekly Tasting)
  • Look:Very pale yellow with a slight green tinge to the wine.
  • Smell: Slightly sweet, citrus
  • Taste: Lemon pie, apple, white cherry. Good acid with a long, tart finish.
  • Conclusions: Completely unique. I’ve never had a wine like this and the flavors were so different than what I generally expect in a light white wine. It was fantastic. Both Bob and I thought it was clean and crisp with a lot of interesting flavors (most of which we just could not identify).
  • Other notes: I wasn’t sure what to expect from this wine, but I went into it with an open mind. Whenever something note that the varietal is usually sweet, I hesitate, but I’m glad I tried this version because it was actually a dry wine. Was there some sugar there, yes. But it wasn’t sweet.
  • From the bottle: No bottle notes, but from Weekly Tasting, ” honeysuckle, fresh and dried apricot, and a candle wax-type note hop out of the glass. … it’s completely dry with a ripe peach and apricot note. Strong white flower and honey flavors play against high acidity. There a touch of bitterness on the finish, giving this wine a tension that will surprise you.” 12% alcohol by volume.

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Seghesio – Arneis 2014

  • Basic info: Seghesio, Arneis, Russian River Valley, CA – 2014
  • Type: White
  • Price estimate: $18 (from Weekly Tasting)
  • Look: pale straw in color
  • Smell: honey, lemon and peach
  • Taste: crisp, white peach with a tiny bit of melon about half way through. Good acid – tart and refreshing with a medium finish.
  • Conclusions: Good. This was interesting, but not my favorite. Good wine, but not one I would seek out again.
  • Other notes: This was one of the few wines I’ve had where it was better alone than with food. I generally prefer wine with food, but this one was much better on its own. It took on a slightly sour note when I ate it with lo mein that was not particularly pleasant. That could be influencing my general feelings about the wine, but if I don’t like it with food, I’m probably reluctant to drink it.
  • From the bottle: No bottle notes, but from the Weekly Tasting notes, “This wine is medium bodied, with a light straw color and flavors of yellow apple, white cherries, grilled pineapple, and light white flowers. The texture is a bit creamier than some crisper white wines, and yet it is still very refreshing and tart with a lot of stones, almonds, and minerality.” 13.3% alcohol by volume.

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Adelsheim – Pinot Blanc, 2015

  • Basic info: Adelsheim “Bryan Creek Vineyards”,  Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley, OR – 2015
  • Type: White
  • Price estimate: $25 (from vineyard)
  • Look: Very pale yellow – almost no color. Some legs.
  • Smell: Lemon, honey – very light smells.
  • Taste: Crisp. Apple, lemon, light stone fruit.
  • Conclusions: Excellent. This wine was clean, crisp, refreshing and very tasty. It had a touch of sweetness, but was definitely not a sweet wine. It was super easy to drink and didn’t taste of alcohol at all. Bob and I had this with a friend over our cheese box dinner and all three of us loved it.
  • Other notes: I’ve had Pinot Blancs before and have never been really impressed with them. Generally I find them cloying or with very little flavor. This one was different. While the flavors were light, they were present and enjoyable. This was a wine you could sit and think about or just drink and both methods would make you very happy. I was a little concerned about how easy it went down when I realized the alcohol content, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it.
  • From the bottle: “This 3 1/2-acre AVA at the 800-foot level delivers richness balanced by the wine’s racy acidity and bright, focused fruit.” 13% alcohol by volume

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PFAFFL – Gruner Veltliner, 2016

  • Basic info: PFAFFL, Gruner Veltliner “Vom Haus”, Niederösterreich, Austria – 2016
  • Type: White
  • Price estimate: $18 (? Weekly Tasting pack, so I’m not certain)
  • Look: Pale straw in color with minimal legs, even when warm.
  • Smell: Apple and vanilla. Not much smell to this one and I *think*  I got those two smells, but in retrospect I might have wanted to smell those.
  • Taste: Under ripe peach, salt, lime and white grape. (Yes, seriously, white grape)
  • Conclusions: This was a pretty amazing wine. It was light and clean tasting, but there was a lot going on in it. This was a wine you could drink and ignore as you sat and chatted (which is what we did the first night we opened it with a friend) or ponder as you sip it as I did the next time we had it.
  • Other notes: I think this wine goes on the list of favorites – right there with the Soter Pino Noir and Decoy or Haywood Zinfandels. It is that good.
  • From the bottle: “This classic, crisp and fine fruity Gruner Veltliner has a good pinch of black pepper. A great house wine that is incredibly versatile.” 12% alcohol by volume.

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Laurent Barth – Gewurtztraminer, 2012

  • Basic info: Laurent Barth, “Le Clos des Trios Chemins”, Gewurtztraminer, Alsace France, 2012.
  • Type: white
  • Price estimate: $17 (Chamber Street Wines)
  • Look: Deep yellow color. Lots of legs, even when cold.
  • Smell: lemon flower, honey, and orange blossom. Bob got peach and some fruit he could not identify.
  • Taste: Sweet. Round and full bodied with a crisp end when cold. Orange blossom, Chartreuse and vanilla flavors. Bob swore there was another flavor he could not identify and later said lychee. Nice finish – longer than expected.
  • Conclusions: Very cold, this wine is fantastic. It is sweet – no mistaking it for a dry, off-dry or semi sweet wine. It is complex and interesting and reminds me a bit of an oaked chardonnay in the texture of the wine. As the wine warms, the sweetness intensifies and it was a little hard for me to finish a glass.
  • Other notes: I am not a fan of rich, buttery wines or of sweet wines, so I was surprised that I liked this one so much. It had a lot going on in the glass and ice box cold, I really liked it. As the wine warmed (we were eating dinner) I found it harder to drink and the sweetness really started to coat my mouth. I’m not sure if this is a typical example of the varietal, but it is definitely interesting and I really want to try a dry version, and maybe one with just a little less richness in texture.
  • From the bottle: No bottle notes, but from Chamber Street, “This one has the perfect level of sweetness. It’s not cloying or sticky, but is instead balanced and fresh with white flowers and other classic Gewurz aromatics, a rich and textured apart, and great underlying acidity which lends well to the dreamy and majestic finish.” 13.5% alcohol by volume.

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Jonc Blanc – White Blend, 2014

  • Basic info:Jonc Blanc, “Les sens du fruit” white blend, France, 2014 (sauvignon, semillon and sauvignon gris)
  • Type: white
  • Price estimate: $11 (Chamber Street Wines)
  • Look: Pale yellow in color with no noticeable legs when cold. Few legs noticeable as the wine warmed up.
  • Smell: wine, maybe a little citrus. very little aroma.
  • Taste: Apple, lime, pear and a slight mineral taste part way through. Good acid, but not overpowering. Medium finish with a touch of lemon on the end.
  • Conclusions: I liked this wine a lot and found it surprisingly easy to drink. I had to be careful with this one as it didn’t taste like it had a lot of alcohol and was very smooth. I liked the citrus taste in this one – lemon and lime that were just sweet enough.
  • Other notes: We had a merlot by this same producer that was great the first day we opened it, but a few days later, I could not drink the wine as it had turned. The white lasted much longer and I’m not sure if it was the specific bottle or if whites just last a few days longer after opening. I was hoping for more stone fruit in this white, but I still loved the wine. It had character and that is hard to find at this price point.
  • From the bottle: The bottle was in French, so I have no idea what it actually said, but the description from the store, “fabulous aromas of lime-flower, orange peel, ripe pear, melon and since – really unique and lovely. Very complex fruit on the palate – pear and apple with citrus and mineral flavors backed by firm acidity.” 13.5% alcohol by volume.

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Domaine de la Roche Bleue – Chenin Blanc, 2015

  • Basic info: Domaine de la Roche Bleue “Jasnieres” Chenin Blanc, Loire Valley, France, 2015
  • Type: White
  • Price estimate: $19
  • Look: light straw color, some legs, but not many when chilled.
  • Smell: honeysuckle, lemon and melon
  • Taste: Lemon, salty. Crisp and clean, but with a little brine. Medium finish.
  • Conclusions: Good wine. Easy to drink and great on a hot day. Not something I will seek out again, but it was definitely a good wine.
  • Other notes:
  • From the bottle: No bottle notes, but from Chamber Street, ” The Roche Bleue 2015 Jasnieres shows pale bronze color with beautiful aromas of pear, lime-flower and peach with hints of stone, anise and citrus peel. The palate reveals almond, pear, stone and chalky minerals that continue in the ver long, tart, very mineral finish.” 12% alcohol by volume.

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