St. Clement Vineyards 2005 Oroppas Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

St. Clement is a boutique winery located in the heart of Napa Valley. Its flagship wine is Oroppas, an opulent Bordeaux blend. Oroppas is a big, bodacious red that is rewarding from the moment the cork is popped until the last drop is drained.

Oroppas is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot and Petit Verdot included in the blend. In addition to its own vineyards, St. Clement includes grapes from some of the top Napa sub-appellations including Mt. Veeder, Howell Mountain and Rutherford in Oroppas. This wine (if you can find the 2005 vintage) sells for about $45.

The wine opens with succulent aromas of berries and jam.  On the palate, Oroppas exhibits great depth with black cherry, smooth dark chocolate and rich fruit. The tannins are smooth leading into a extended, complex finish.

This is a winning wine, delivering world class flavor and demonstrating the art of winemaking at its finest.

Rating: 5 of 5  Value: 3.5 of 5

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Flying Otter Winery: Adrian Michigan Winery Visit

Winery report by Tasting Team member “Dr. J.”

I was sitting in the airport in Portland reading the blog while I waited for my plane to arrive.  In an article about the Pioneer Wine trail, I noticed a new winery that has shown up: Flying Otter.  It turns out that they have been open since last fall.  My wife and I just so happened to have a birthday party to go to in Adrian, so what a perfect opportunity! 

Have your map or GPS ready because this is not the most easy to find.  It is well worth the trip though.  The tasting list consists of 7 red and white wines made mostly from hybrid grapes, ranging from dry to sweet.  First on the list was the Noiret.  Noiret is a hybrid grape developed by Cornell University.  I have only had this once, so I needed a reminder on the great wine that this grape can make.  It is peppery with hints of berry and a good amount of oak.  It will go well with red meats.

Chancellor was up next.  This is becoming more and more popular to those who are starting to realize the quality of wine a hybrid grape can produce.  This one is done very nicely and is fruity on the nose and palette.  This will go well with red meats and especially pastas.

The Northern Lights is a blend of Chardonel and Traminette grapes.  I love this crisp, semi-dry white.  These are both hybrids that produce excellent wines.  Chardonel was bred from Chardonnay and to me; it produces the closest wine to the real thing.  

The Vignoles is a lighter wine with tropical flavors and floral aromas.  This is great for the patio or picnic.   

Continuing on down the list, we got to the Riesling.  This one is made in the German style and is semi-sweet.  I would consider this a nice sipping wine also.  It has big, bold varietal flavor and a nice citrus finish.

The “Cherry Pie” was a nice transition to the sweeter wines left on the list.  This is a blend of grape and cherry.  I thought it was a little light on cherry flavor but the acidity more than made up for it.  It is not too sweet and is a very drinkable wine.

Finally was the Starboard; a dessert wine made from Frontenac grapes and fortified with grape spirits.  This is a great wine for those who want a dessert wine that is not overly sweet.  It is just the right consistency and tastes wonderful with chocolate!

Flying Otter is a great addition to the local winery scene.  I look forward to future releases.

Technorati Tags: wine,Michigan wine

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Toledo Area Wine Tastings & Events: June 20-23, 2012

Pinot noir grapes have a much darker hue than the bluish-gray coloring of Pinot gris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wednesday, June 20

The Andersons, Sylvania, Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Wonderful and unique Italian wines: 1. Marramiero Pecorino DOC Superiore, 2. Rocca delle Macie Vernaccia di san Gimignano, 3. DaMa Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo, 4. Stefano Accordini Valpolicella Classico. $8 or nominal fee per sample.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. Thief Wines from Wahluke Wine Company, Columbia Valley, WA. Come out and meet Rachel Nasatir of Grand Cru Wines. These wines will steal your heart but not your wallet, affordable and delicious. $15.

Thursday, June 21

Andersons, Maumee, Wine Tasting. 5-7 PM. 1. 2010 Mersoleil – Unoaked Chardonnay – Santa Lucia Highlands, California, 2. 2008 Fontevecchia – Verdicchio – Italy, 3. 2008 Cameron Hughes – Pinot Noir – Santa Maria Valley, California, 4. 2009 Mas de Gourgonnier – Red Blend – Provence, France. Flight $6 or nominal fee per sample.

The Andersons, Talmadge Road. Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Pinot: Blanc – Gris – Grigio – Noir: 1. Au Bon Climat Pinot Gris & Pinot Blanc Santa Barbara County, California, 2. Foris Pinot Blanc Rouge Valley, Oregon; 3. Lechthaller Pinot Grigio Trentino, Italy; 4.A to Z Pinot Gris Oregon; 5. Sean Minor Pinot Noir Carneros, California; 6. 2 Two Pinot Noir
Santa Rita Hills, California; 7. Styring Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon; 8. Elizabeth Spencer Pinot Noir. Nominal fee per sample.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. Thief Wines from Wahluke Wine Company, Columbia Valley, WA. Come out and meet Rachel Nasatir of Grand Cru Wines. These wines will steal your heart but not your wallet, affordable and delicious. $15.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. Nominal fee per sample.

TREO Wine Bar, 5703 Main St., Sylvania, (419) 882-2266. Wine & Cheese Thursday. Explore the wonderful world of wine and cheese. Try four different wines with a sample platter of the day’s cheese.

Friday, June 22
Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Rieslings: 1. Burg Ravensburg "Dry" Riesling, 2. Valckenberg, 3. Clean Slate, 4. Seven Hills. $10 tasting.

Saturday, June 23

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Rieslings: 1. Burg Ravensburg "Dry" Riesling, 2. Valckenberg, 3. Clean Slate, 4. Seven Hills. $10 tasting.

The Andersons, Woodville Mall. 1-3 PM. Vine Smoothies: White wine blended with Dutch cream and natural flavors (If you like Chocovine, try these). 1. Berry, 2. Strawberry, 3. Peach, 4. Pineapple. Flight $2 or nominal fee per sample.

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. 12 – 5 PM. Rock the Schrock!  - The Wines of Heidi Schrock. She is perhaps the world’s finest female winemaker and a true trendsetter in the world of organic/natural wines.  Her wines are also almost impossible to find.  We have put a together a collection of some of Ms. Schrock’s finest new releases and you will have a rare chance to taste these wines together.  Premium tasting. Nominal fee per sample.

Walt Churchill's Market, 26625 Dixie Hwy, Perrysburg, (419) 872-6900. Wine Tasting. 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Nominal fee per sample.

AREA WINE BARS

• The Bistro at Maumee Wines, (419) 893-2525, 2556 Parkway Plaza, Maumee.
  
• Tres Belle Wine and Martini Lounge, (419) 874-4555, 3145 Hollister Lane, Perrysburg (Levis Commons).
  
• Zinful Wine Bar & Restaurant, (419) 878-9463, 7541 Dutch Road, Waterville.

Technorati Tags: wine

[Information on tastings can be sent to TWAV@ATT.NET.]

Flickr photo by Eflon

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J. Moreau & Fils 2005 Chablis

In the not too distant past, Chablis had a bad name in America. Chablis was a generic term loosely and inappropriately used by some U.S. wine producers for inferior “jug” wines.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Chablis is an appellation in the Burgundy region of France known for its spectacular Chardonnay. Unlike the buttery, oaky Chardonnays of California, these are fermented in stainless steel and are light and very dry.

Green Dragon is not a Chardonnay fan, mostly because of the oak aging. So I thought we’d go French and see if this was more pleasing to her palate.

The color was pale gold and the bouquet was clean and slightly fruity. On the palate this was mineral driven with a crisp light body. The flavors were mostly subdued grapefruit and citrus peel.

This wine didn’t paint a masterpiece. I would consider this enjoyable but unremarkable. This wine was slightly past its drinking prime and perhaps that is why it lost its spark. It cost a paltry $12 and, unfortunately, I got what I paid for.

Technorati Tags: wine,Chablis,French wine

Rating: 2.5 of 5  Value: 2.5 of 5

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St. Innocent Winery: Willamette Valley, Oregon, Winery Visit

Winery Report by home winemaker and Tasting Team Member “Dr. J.”

My wife and I recently spent our honeymoon in the Pacific Northwest. Our goal was to tour some of the major wine regions of Oregon and Washington. We did just that and we were very impressed. I will try to highlight some of our best experiences in a series of posts.

One of the first of our many stops was St. Innocent. We had tasted their Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir at a wine tasting in the past and really loved it, so it was exciting to visit in person. First up was the Oeil de Perdrix or more simply “ODP”. We were told this translates to “eye of the partridge”, which is an old name for a pale rosé made from Pinot Noir. This is an excellent white wine that resembles a German Riesling and would be great for sipping on the patio. A bottle of this went with us.

Next were the Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. The Pinot Blanc had a wonderful refreshing nose; with flavors and aromas of peach and apricot. It was made specifically to pair with shellfish. The Chardonnay had great minerality and a soft, smooth texture from lees contact in the barrels it was fermented in. We really liked this, but knowing the Shea Pinot Noir was coming up and the fact that it was early in our trip, we refrained from purchasing this one.

We finished with a menagerie of Pinot Noirs from the Shea and Zenith vineyards and a Villages Cuvèe (blend) of other vineyards. All were of course, wonderful. The blend was to show off the winemaker’s style and vintage character, while the Zenith is a much warmer site that produces smoky nuances and the Shea produces the most complex and ageable wines. The Shea vineyard is one of the most famous in Oregon. The fruitiness, spiciness, berry flavor, and tannin structure were remarkable. We were told this particular wine could age as much as 15 years! I most definitely had to get a bottle of this.

Great wine, a beautiful tasting room, and a very picturesque setting made for a very enjoyable experience.

Technorati Tags: wine,Willamette Valley,Oregon wine

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