Thanksgiving Special

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net





2010 Thanksgiving Special

Thanksgiving is the one day of the year when people who do not normally drink wine have at least one glass with their traditional Thanksgiving Feast. If you are going to have a glass of wine only once per year, make it a good one, since it is a long time between now and the next Thanksgiving Dinner! It is always difficult to select the perfect wine for this occasion, because the table offers such an array of aromas and flavors, but there are a few guidelines which will make this dinner more memorable than ever.

Here are a few suggestions for the standard Thanksgiving Dinner. If you like Chardonnay, choose one which is not bone dry, but rather one with a strong fruit presence. This will serve well with the white meat turkey, which can sometimes be a little on the dry side. Sauvignon Blanc is also a good choice if you like dry white wine with your meal. If you like red wine with your meal, choose a lighter style Pinot Noir, or one of the softer Merlots. For myself, I always go for a German Riesling, or one of the good domestic ones from New York State, or Washington State. The fruity, but dry finish of a good Riesling is perfect for that dry white meat turkey, which did not turn out as juicy as you had hoped for. Italian Pinot Grigio would also be a good choice for the same reason.

There is only one rule to adhere to: "The best wine to serve is the one which you like best." However, be prepared to have something different for those whose tastes may differ from yours. Also, please don't forget to consume large quantities of water with the feast, as it compliments both the food and the wine, and aids in digestion.

Below is a list of wines which I have written about during this past year, which would be good choices for your Thanksgiving Dinner.

Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay (California)
Louis Latour Grand Ardeche Chardonnay (France)
Simi Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc (California)
Chateau Ste. Michelle Horse Heaven Sauvignon Blanc (Washington State)
Geyser Peak California Pinot Grigio (California)
Brotherhood Riesling (New York State)
Wild Horse Central Coast Pinot Noir (California)
Santa Cristina Sangiovese (Italy)

I hope each and everyone of you has a happy and enjoyable Thanksgiving!

Norm


Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/


Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:

dawsontimes.com or
pineisland-eagle.com

2009 Just Chardonnay by Paul Sapin

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2009 Just Chardonnay from Paul Sapin
#nb-23-10

Recently a friend gave me a bottle of wine to taste. I had reccomended several inexpensive Chardonnays to him, and this was one which he had found at a local store, and felt it was as good as any of the recommended ones. It was French in the below ten dollar range, and we decided to taste it against a California Chardonnay in the same price range which we had enjoyed several times in the past.

We had a delicious meal of roasted chicken and green bean casserole, and sampled the two wines against each other along with our meal. The California wine was the 2007 Concannon Central Coast Chardonnay, and the French was the 2009 Just Chardonnay from Paul Sapin. Both wines have the typical apple-pear taste of Chardonnay, and are well rounded with a fruit forward nature. The Concannon is a deeper yellow in color partly because of being two years older and having been 50% oak aged for five months. The Just Chardonnay is 100% Chardonnay with no barrel aging.

Both Mary (the Chardonnay Queen) and I prefered the Just Chardonnay to the Concannon. It has a lighter, crisper finish, with no cloying aftertaste. It is more California in style than French, although like most French Chardonnay's it has a little less acidity than typical California Chardonnays. If you like an oak finish, you may not like it as well as some that do, but it is crisp and clean and is easy to drink. All of the Just Wines are 100% of the varietal, and have no barrel aging, or anything other than the grape itself.

For light fare such as our roasted chicken, the 2009 Just Chardonnay would be an excellent choice. Norm's score is 85.

Price - $8 - $10
Score - 85

Norm


Norm's Tasting notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:

dawsontimes.com or
pineisland-eagle.com

2008 Bogle California Cabernet Sauvignon

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2008 Bogle California Cabernet Sauvignon
#nb-22-10

It takes a good farmer with good soil to grow good grapes. The Bogle familly has been farming the Sacramento River delta near Clarksburg, California for quite some time, in fact the family's history of farming in California goes back to the mid 1880's. Today their operation includes over 1200 acres under cultivation, with a number of metals and awards to attest to the winery's reputation for producing good wines at value prices.

The 2008 Bogle California Cabernet Sauvignon is a great example of their ability to produce good wine at an honest price. "The Wine Spectator" commented, that the wine "shows good richness and a range of flavors, with roasted herb, sage, dried currant and mineral notes. Full bodied and rustic, but serves up a tasty mix of unbridled Cabernet." - 87 Points. The "Wine Enthusiast" gave it a 90, and labeled it "a terrific value"

We paired this rich cherry and plum flavored Cabernet Sauvignon with a two inch thick Fillet cooked medium rare on the grill, with side dishes of grilled zukini, and penne pasta baked with cheddar cheese. The wine was wonderful with this meal. The aroma was enticing with scents of currant and cherry evolving into the plum and cherry flavors, which finished strong with lingering notes of cedar and oak.

The wine was aged for fourteen months in American Oak and comes in at a perfect 13.5% alcohol. Serve it with any meat dish or with aged cheese after dinner.  It would, however, be hard to beat that two inch steak! Norm's score is 88.

Price - $9 - $12
Score - 88

Norm

Norm's Tasting notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/


Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
dawsontimes.com or
pineisland-eagle.com

2008 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2008 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay
#nb-21-10


This one gets the stamp of approval from my wife, Mary, "The Chardonnay Queen"!
It also gets 89 points from Robert Parker, 89 points from Stephen Tanzer, and 88 points from "The Wine Spectator". I am however going to up the score to a 90, since it was so delicious when served as a companion to my fabulous Coq au Vin!

The 2008 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay is a superlative wine and almost perfect with a dish like Coq Au Vin. Our dinner consisted of the Coq au Vin, which was boneless chicken breast cooked in red wine (Merlot), fresh garlic, and butter. For this meal we added wild and long grain rice, and asparagus cooked in olive oil with sea salt, and alongside was fresh warm French bread.

The aroma of the Napa Chardonnay literaly leaped out of the glass with an abundance of fragrant tropical scents. The flavor was true to Chardonnay, with lots of apple and pear, but there was also a wonderful spiciness, which suggested roasted pineapple with a hint of cinnamon. This was a fruit forward wine with lush overtones and a clean and crisp finish which really stood up to the wine and garlic flavors of the chicken.

The quote from Robert Parker was, "A sleeper of the vintage as well as a stunning value, the 2008 Chardonnay Napa ranks alongside some of the great bargains in California." I truly enjoyed this wonderful Chardonnay, and would suggest it for your Thanksgiving Dinner, which is only a few weeks away. Norm's score is 90.

Price - $11 - $15
Score - 90

Norm