NV Seven Daughters White Blend

Non Vintage White Blend sourced from vineyards all over California. The blend is 26% Chardonnay, 25% French Colombard (a Bordeaux grape), 19% Symphony ( a new grape developed in California in the 40’s), 12% Orange Muscat (usually in dessert wines), 8% Riesling, 7% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Gewurztraminer. Non Vintage means the grapes did not all come from one single vintage year, such as there could be grapes from 2009 and 2008 in the mix. The alcohol content is 13.5%.

The color is a light golden yellow. The nose is all citrus and flowers, grapefruit, orange and magnolia trees in full bloom.  A nice silky mouth feel. Tangerines and peaches, a touch of minerality and enough acidity to work well as a food wine. A lengthy tart lemony finish.

Very light bodied, crisp, refreshing and tasty. Perfect for sitting out on the balcony and watching the sun go down or pair with grilled shrimp and pasta.

2004 Rainer Wess Loibenberg Riesling

Sourced from the Loibenberg Vineyard in the Wachau Region of the Danube Valley in lower Austria. The Wachau growing regions is one of the oldest wine growing areas in Europe. 100% Riesling and an alcohol content of 13%. Rieslings from these growing regions have very good aging potential and after 6 years in the bottle the Rainer Wess Riesling should be very interesting.

Pale golden yellow in color. The nose is Anjou Pear, flower garden, orange blossom honey and apricots. Good fruit upfront, peaches, pears, pink grapefruit and pineapple, then an earthy mineral quality, slate dust and a late dash of acidity. A nice tart pineapple finish. Very well balanced, the fruit, the minerality and the acidity all have their place. A full bodied Riesling with depth, but still light and refreshing. The fruit flavors are very fresh, ripe and juicy, but not sweet, a very good tasting Riesling.

I found this bottle at a local wine shop, the importer was downsizing and all the inventory from wine producers they no longer carried was sold at fire sale prices. 8 bucks for quality Riesling stored for 6 years under proper conditions is an out and out  steal. The Rainer Wess Loibenberg Riesling would pair very well with spicy Asian food or Cajun seafood dishes

2008 Darby And Joan Chardonnay $10

Sourced from vineyards in the Riverland, Barossa Valley and Mclaren Vale regions of South Australia. Very small amounts of Riesling, Semillon and Verdelho were added to the Chardonnay, mainly to improve the acidity. The wine undergoes very little manipulation by the wine makers, wild fermentation, no malolactic fermentation, about 15% of the wine sees some aging in French oak barrels, the remainder is “on lees” for one year. The Darby and Joan Chardonnay was intended to be made as simply as possible, to showcase the Chardonnay grapes and not the winemakers bag of tricks.

Pale straw yellow in color. The nose is light melon, pear, a touch of vanilla and a hint of flowers, all very subtle. The flavor is velvety white peach and pear, a touch of acidity in the back of the palate, and then a decent light pear finish. The various textures and tastes are all well integrated, no one component leaps out.

An every day white wine, that can double as a food wine. Subtle and balanced, should drink well throuugh 2015.

2009 Diddley Bow Riesling $19

The grapes are sourced from the Frankland River Region (south of Perth) of Western Australia. Part of the Southern Gothic Series of wines by R Winery and Chris Ringland. 90 points Robert Parker.

The color is a crystal clear straw yellow. The nose is fresh lemons and flower garden, a beautiful and refreshing aroma. The flavor is not too tart grapefruit, lemon, some minerality, then a bit of sweetness in the mid palate with a burst of tangerine. The acidity and the sugar are very well balanced. The finish is a long lasting lemon/ lime.

A very delicious Riesling, not sweet and not too acidic, it has very clean, fresh flavors. The Diddley Bow Riesling has wonderful balance, it is very much a food wine. Enjoy it at an up-scale Asian joint.

2007 Vallarom Vadum Caesaris $12

Guest Wine Review By Bob

A single vineyard White Blend sourced from the Vallagarina area of Italy. The wine is aged for 8 months in stainless steel vats, then another 6 months in the bottle. 50% Pinot Blanco, 30% Chardonnay, 10 % Riesling and 10% Sauvignon Blanc.

Great body and mouth feel with nice acidity and great fruit. Nice refreshing white for summer.

2008 Snoqualmie Winemaker’s Select Riesling $9

Columbia Valley, Washington wines can compete with Chilean and Argentinian wines in terms of price and quality. If your looking for bargains in American wine, it’s a good bet to look to Columbia Valley. The Winemaker’s Select Riesling is 90% Riesling, 5% Muscat Alexandria and 5% Viognier. Alcohol level is 10.5%.

The color is a light straw yellow.The aroma is sliced pears, dried apricots and the faint scent of lilacs. Syrupy  mouth feel, the flavors coat your mouth. Tastes of pears, sliced canned peaches and apricots. The finish is mostly apricot and it does linger. A slightly sweet wine for a dry wine.

A good tasting, light, crisp, fruity wine. A good cook-out, picnic wine.

2008 Woolaston Estates Nelson Riesling $13

Estate grown and bottled in the Nelson Region of South Island, New Zealand. The vineyard is certified sustainable wine growing and is transitioning toward full organic production in the next few years. The Riesling vines are recently planted and are just starting to produce grapes mature enough to be turned into wine. The grapes are hand picked and bottled with a gravity feed, a handmade wine made in the old style.

Crystal clear, very light straw yellow in color. A floral nose, with chalk dust and citrus notes. The mouth feel is velvet, with crisp delicate flavors expanding over your palate. Smooth citrus flavors and light minerals upfront, with a long lime and tangerine finish. Delicate in nature, the tart edges are rounded off the fruit, with just a touch of acidity.

The Woollaston Riesling would pair very nicely with seafood.

2009 Kung Fu Girl Riesling $11

We reviewed the 2008 vintage of Kung Fu Girl and were impressed by the quality of the wine. Sourced from a single vineyard, the Evergreen Vineyard, located in the Columbia Valley region of Washington State. The label does not take itself too seriously, but the wine is a serious Riesling.

Real pretty nose, fragrant, delicate aromas of peaches, apricots, cut flowers and slate dust. A light oily mouth feel, tons of flavor exploding in the front of your mouth. Tastes of tangerines, apricots and a bit of minerality up front with lemon/lime in the back of the palate. A solidly constructed wine, not sweet at all, has the nice initial burst of fruit flavors, then the slightly tart mid-palate then a smooth long finish. Very well balanced, has enough acidity to stand up to asian food, but with enough fruit to make this a wine to drink on it’s own.

I was a big fan of the 2008 vintage and the 2009 is even better. Made by Charles Smith Wines, this is a Winemaker to take note of, he is making some really excellent wines in the under $20 price category.

2007 A to Z Oregon Riesling – $12

Sourced from 4 vineyards, two in the higher altitudes of Southern Oregon and two of the oldest vineyards in the Northern Willamette Valley. No malolactic fermentation (Wine Fact: Malolactic fermentation gives the wine a full lush mouth feel and imparts a buttered popcorn nose and a green apple flavor to the wine.) Fairly small production of 2,733 cases.

The color is a very light golden wheat yellow. The nose is tangerines, mineral dust and key lime pie. The flavor is soft orange blossom honey, delicate, not tart citrus. The finish is soft ripe peaches, again very delicate. A seductive wine, it does not hit you over the head with flavor, but it sneaks up on you, it wraps itself around your taste buds.

The A to Z has nice acidity, but don’t pair it with food that is too spicy. The soft honeyed citrus and fruit would better accompany lighter meals and dessert.

2005 Skillogalee Riesling – $9

There is a Australian Video Blog that I watch, www.wineweek.com.au . The reviews are not super detailed , but Danny and Brad are very enthusiastic about Aussie wines and I get to keep up with the latest Australian slang. One thing they have been saying lately is to keep away from Australian and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, they insist it tastes of “cat pee”,  the Aussie Riesling has really been on the money lately and it is a far better choice.

Which brings me to the 2005 Skillogalee Riesling, the grapes a sourced from a single vineyard, family owned estate in the Claire Valley and produced in small batches. The bottle I found must have been an end of the bin special, because the 2009 vintage has already been released. It seems that this is a very popular and award winning wine in Australia, but in checking the Web, I did not see much information on this Riesling from U.S. sources. The price for this wine in Australia runs between $15 and $20, so this is proof there are bargains to be had in this economy.

The color is a pale straw yellow. The nose is citrus, minerals and dusty slate. The flavor is smooth rounded pears and honey, muted grapefruit in the back of your palate. The mouth feel is slightly oily and the finish is light citrus that goes on and on and on.The five years of bottle age have been kind to this wine, all the different tastes are well blended, the sharper citrus flavors just dance around the edges. Not a sweet Riesling at all, very dry and very smooth, very tasty. At this price this wine is an amazing steal.

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