Producer: Yalumba
Wine: Viognier “Y” Series
Vintage: 2005
Country: Australia
Appellation: South Australia
Wine Type: White
Varietal: Viognier
Grade: B
Designation: Cheap and Good
Price: $10

Review:

Yalumba is one of the oldest wineries in Australia, originating back in the year 1849. True, not old by French, Greek, or Italian standards—but it’s practically an Ancient Mariner based on New World standards. Yalumba has wines to cover the full spectrum of varietals common in Australia with red and whites from the top-tier all the way down to everyday value wines. Their “Y” series represents this latter category but they generally deliver higher value than most of their competitors. Their Viognier has been consistently well-made and delicious over several vintages. If you are unfamilar with Viognier, its origins are traced back to the southern Rhone region in France and the varietal invokes aromas and tastes of a spring in Provence. That can’t be bad, can it? In my opinion, it can’t. As proof, Yalumba’s 2005 vintage makes a great case for a delicious good value at around ten bucks. Unscrew the cap, pour, swirl and sniff. You’ll get a sizeable bouquet of breezy honeysuckle blossoms and stone fruit. The mouth livens up with flowers, apricot nectar, and tropical fruit and a creamy coconutty zip. The finish is generous, pleasing complexity and a silky texture that is lush and refreshing. It’s a crowd-pleasing wine and something different than the usual Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. I say, “Ripper”.

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Producer: Yalumba
Wine: Viognier “Y” Series
Vintage: 2005
Country: Australia
Appellation: South Australia
Wine Type: White
Varietal: Viognier
Grade: B
Designation: Cheap and Good
Price: $10

Review:

Yalumba is one of the oldest wineries in Australia, originating back in the year 1849. True, not old by French, Greek, or Italian standards—but it’s practically an Ancient Mariner based on New World standards. Yalumba has wines to cover the full spectrum of varietals common in Australia with red and whites from the top-tier all the way down to everyday value wines. Their “Y” series represents this latter category but they generally deliver higher value than most of their competitors. Their Viognier has been consistently well-made and delicious over several vintages. If you are unfamilar with Viognier, its origins are traced back to the southern Rhone region in France and the varietal invokes aromas and tastes of a spring in Provence. That can’t be bad, can it? In my opinion, it can’t. As proof, Yalumba’s 2005 vintage makes a great case for a delicious good value at around ten bucks. Unscrew the cap, pour, swirl and sniff. You’ll get a sizeable bouquet of breezy honeysuckle blossoms and stone fruit. The mouth livens up with flowers, apricot nectar, and tropical fruit and a creamy coconutty zip. The finish is generous, pleasing complexity and a silky texture that is lush and refreshing. It’s a crowd-pleasing wine and something different than the usual Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. I say, “Ripper”.

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Producer: Shenandoah Vineyards of California
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Amador County 2006
Vintage: 2006
Country: USA
Appellation: Amador County
Wine Type: White
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Grade: B
Designation: Cheap and Good
Price:$8

I usually pick up a bottle of Shenandoah’s Zinfandel wine when I want a non-bully Zin. The winery along with their sibling winery, Sobon Estate are located in the Sierra Nevada foothills in California’s Gold Country and they produce wine with organically-grown grapes. On this particular day I wanted to get out of my Shenandoah Zinfandel rut and decided to pick up their $8 Sauvignon Blanc. For that price, I figured, I wasn’t risking much. Now, if I were buying a bottle of Chardonnay at that price I would automatically know I would be regretful and remorseful as I sipped a fruity wine that is probably ungainly with oak and butter-vanillin. I confess I’ve had better Sauvignon Blancs, but I’ve generally paid more for those. The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc’s nose is laden with flowers and spice. It’s crisp and lively with tropical fruit, lime, some green bean bits, and a dimension of toasted coconut and minerals. It offers a clean taste with spring to it. This will make a good default wine to turn to for a refreshing aperitif or companion to seafood and fowl. It’s not exactly like hitting the Mother Lode but finding a sprinkling of dust in the pan that will make you smile.

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.St. Helena’s Charles Krug is the earliest winery that appeared in Napa Valley back in 1861. The winery has a lot if history, the most interesting not involving Krug, the Prussian immigrant who got the barrel rolling. No, that occurred when the winery changed hands from the second owner James Moffitt to Cesare and Rosa Mondavi. Led by impassioned Cesare and his capable hands, the Mondavi’s built Krug into one of the premier wineries in the Valley. But peace and harmony do not always co-exist in a family business. The two Mondavi brothers took over managing the winery upon their father’s passing with Mother Rosa acting as president. However, Peter and Robert often disagreed over the business and eventually, in 1966 when Peter became president, Robert in less than amicable fashion left to start on his own down the road in Oakville. As you know, there’s a lot of passion in these tight-knit Italian families. But, in the long run the split has had a dramatic and mostly effect on California’s wine industry. And while Robert Mondavi is the more high profile brother, Peter Mondavi and his family at Charles Krug do not need to share their Mondavi legacy in Napa Valley with anyone else. So, about the wine. The 2005 season was an arduous trial with an early growth, rains early and late, cooler summer temperatures, and a late harvest. This may have caused some consternation to the growers but somehow they managed and things came together successfully. The results for their Sauvignon Blanc are quite positive. First there’s an inviting nose of lush stone fruit, tropical fruit, and floral tinges. It’s crisp and invigorating in the mouth with a complex mash of peaches, green apples, melon, and bananas that smooths out into a velvety texture. There’s a lovely lingering finish with complementing acidity. Works well as an aperitif and not to mention seafood, poultry, salads, and cheese.

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Producer: La Cave de Lugny
Wine: Macon-Lugny, “Les Charmes”, Chardonnay
Vintage: 2005
Country: France
Appellation: Burgundy-Macon
Wine Type: White
Varietal: Chardonnay
Grade: B+
Designation: Cheap and Good
Price: $10.00

Review:

I turned my back on Chardonnay many years ago. This aversion to the modern-day ubiquitous white wine developed after way too many glasses of the California over-the-top oaked variety with its heavy vanilla extract flavors and its dearth of mineral tones. White wine is best when served with food but the woody Chardonnay versions make it conundrum to match. Ahh, but I picked up this bottle of “Les Charmes” and was captivated by this vibrant and balanced Chardonnay from a cooperative in the Macon region in Burgundy. This wine demonstrates what I like in Chardonnay. This White Burgundy shows an excellent balance of fruit, minerals, and acidity. “Les Charmes” solicits your affection with its bright aroma of apples and a palate rich in apples and subtle pineapple flavors with bits of flint. It’s vinified in stainless steel tanks without any time spent in oak barrels to obliterate its state of being. It’s fresh, clean, and crisp with harmonious fruit. It should go particularly well with any crustacean but I wouldn’t hesitate serving with fish or poultry. Hey, and it’s charming enough to have just as an aperitif. C’est bon, trust me.

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Producer: St. Clement Vineyards
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Bale Lane
Vintage: 2005
Country: USA
Appellation: Napa Valley
Wine Type: White
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Grade: B+
Designation: Excellent Value
Price: $20.00

If like me, you have opted out from the Chardonnay crowd and are seeking to go your own white wine way, then a crisp and zingy Sauvignon Blanc could be your ticket. Sauvignon Blancs are produced worldwide and their character and flavors vary according to the spot on the earth where the grapes are grown and their wines produced. The French Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé represent the varietal’s pinnacle in France while New Zealand rocks everyone’s boat with their version from Marlborough. California? For a long time this state’s Sauvignon Blanc has been considered the poor man’s Chardonnay but driven by the ABC refugees, producers are paying attention to consumers and are improving its production, quality, and marketing for this citrus, grassy, and refreshing white wine. One such winery is St. Clement Vineyards. The small winery is located in Napa Valley off the west side of Highway 29 just north of St. Helena. St. Clement is probably best known for their Oroppas Cabernet Sauvignon blend and Cabernet Sauvignon wines and they hold some of the plum Cabernet vineyards in Napa Valley. But, they also craft delightful and complex Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines. The 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, Bale Lane, is a good example of their winemaking talent. It is a single vineyard wine with an aromatic bouquet of green apples and lemony fruit. The first sip embraces with the crisp tang of lemon and grapefruit that turns to rounder orange melon, tropical fruit, and mineral tones. The wine has depth and complexity that takes a surprising turn with a rounding finish with coconut and bananas that will delightfully raise your eyebrow. The St. Clement Sauvignon Blanc is excellent as an aperitif or with seafood, particularly crab and other shellfish.

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