The Men’s Wine Council Rides Again
Friday, January 13th, 2012 — posted by Roger L PaigeThe MWC’s signal light panned across the sky like Batman’s did whenever Gotham City needed him to save the day. Ahem, okay, so I lied. I received an email from Linda saying it’s time for another council meeting.
Each of us paired one of the wines with an entree. We had before us more than a table of exquisite food, it was actually research and development. Anyway, after wiping the drool from our chins it was time to address the rules of engagement. Five points were given to the wine liked best, and one for the poor S.O.B. most resembling mouthwash.
So on with the show in the order reviewed….
The 2009 Chardonnay from Dunning Vineyards limped in at number five. It was quite soft and seemed to be your average oaky chard with muted notes of vanilla, minerality, and citrus. With the exception of the smoked gouda it appeared no one could find a pairing that brought out the best in the wine. It wasn’t over oaked, just much lighter than we had anticipated. The finish came and went like the wind. Ok, so it wasn’t exactly mouthwash.
Next at bat: 2010 Honker Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from Tudal Family Winery. Scoring in at numero uno, it produced an abundance of oohs and aahs from the group. It was very crisp, with notes of granny apple and citrus fruit like mandarins and kumquats filling my olfactory system. It went well with darn near everything; brittle was a huge hit, and amazingly enough even the ever challenging artichoke. With a price tag of $14 it’s a must have.
Scoring third was 2009 Tractor Shed Red, again from the Tudal Family Winery. A nose of bing cherries, black plums, and strawberries led me to think fruit bomb, but not true. As a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Zinfandel, with sixty percent being Sangiovese, it was pleasantly soft with lower tannins. This wine’s tasting notes stated it possessed an impressive substance. Good, yes. Impressive, no. Rising to the pairing challenge were shepherd’s pie, candied fruit dipped in chocolate, and spiced pecans. A shocker was how well it went with garlic mushrooms.
The 2009 Ridge Top Zinfandel from Dunning Vineyards came in like Flynn and captured the number two prize of, well, being number two. Deep and sensuously dark, with a fruity nose loaded with raspberry and spice. Its finish could hang with the big dogs. Roast beef and candied oranges were big hits, with curry dip making the wine explode with flavor. Topping the price list at $28, it caused a slight pucker factor. Even though it is delicious, I’m a cheap date and would think twice about buying it at that cost.
Rolling in with fourth place was the Terra D’ Oro’s Zinfandel Port. Tom said it smelled hot, and it was. Sitting at a whopping 19% alcohol you couldn’t help but smell it. Even though it was a young ruby port I still picked up raisined fruit that’s commonly associated with an aged tawny. Ports go with anything chocolate, and this was no different. The only thing missing was a good cigar out of my humidor, probably a Rocky Patel 92.
Until next time my friends here is a recap on our review.
#1 Tudal Family Winery’s 2010 Honker Blanc Sauvignon Blanc ~ $14
#2 Dunning Vineyards’ 2009 Ridge Top Zinfandel ~ $28
#3 Tudal Family Winery’s 2009 Tractor Shed Red ~ $12
#4 Terra D’ Oro’s Zinfandel Port ~ $12
#5 Dunning Vineyards’ 2009 Chardonnay ~ $24
Roger Paige
http://socalwinenews.com ~ wine & adventure
http://rogerleepaige.com ~ photography
http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/artist%3Arogerpaige.html ~ stock photography
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