2009 Root One Carmenere

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




2009 Root One Carmenere
#nb-22-11



I really love spaghetti, and at our house that may mean many different styles and sauces. The traditional Marinara with meat is my favorite, and we usually open a bottle of Chianti. The other night however, we chose the 2009 Root One Carmenere from Chile to pair with our spaghetti dinner. We have enjoyed several vintages of this wine in the past, including a few which I have written about.

Carmenere is the "Lost Grape of Bordeaux", which was wiped out in France in the 1880's due to Phylloxera, and was thought lost to the world. Originally grown in the Medoc of France, cuttings had been taken to Chile in the mid 1800's and were growing along with Merlot, and thought to be a Merlot clone. A few decades ago the grape was re-identified in Chile as Carmenere rather than a strain of Merlot. Since then its popularity has continued to grow around the world.

This wine is a dark purplish red, with a heady nose and a solid backbone. The flavors suggest spice and plum, but are dominated with an intense blackberry presence which is absolutely delightful! The wine finishes strong with a peppery nuance sailing into mild vanilla flavored tannins. It is 90% Carmenere, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah, and it comes in at 14% alcohol. This Carmenere was aged for ten months in a combination of French and American oak.

This wonderful bottle of wine could easily pass for a thirty dollar Bordeaux, and compliments almost any spicy meat or pasta dish. Norm's score is 89.


Price: $10 to $14
Score 89
Norm

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

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
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WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2010 Louis Jadot Macon Blanc Villages

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





2010 Louis Jadot Macon Blanc Villages
#nb-21-11



The house of Louis Jadot, founded in 1859, has been providing the world with good French wine at a decent price for about one hundred and fifty years now. While I haven't been around that long, I have been around long enough to have sampled a few hundred of their wines over the years, and the Macon Villages has always been a personal favorite.

There are forty three communes within the Maconnais which are allowed to use the term Macon Villages for the Chardonnay which they produce. The soil there is rich in limestone, which imparts a distinctive mineral flavor to the wine. The Louis Jadot Macon Blanc Villages is made from grapes sourced from these forty three different areas.

The 2010 Jadot Macon is typical of the Chardonnay produced there. The nose is bright and delicate with floral notes. The wine has been fermented in stainless steel to bring out the zesty fruit flavors of apples, melon, and a hint of citrus. The finish is clean with no cloying aftertaste, and no oak presence, of course, because of the stainless steel fermentation.

We enjoyed this bottle of wine with a delightful shrimp and pasta dish, served with a sauce of wasabi and ginger. The Jadot Macon was an excellent companion with enough backbone to stand up to the wasabi and ginger, and a finish which was not overbearing.

This would also be a great back porch sipper on these hot summer nights. Norm's score is 87.

Price: $11 to $15
Score: 87


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
cumminghome.com
pineisland-eagle.com
thecherokeeconnection.com







WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2008 Castle Rock Central Coast Chardonnay

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




2008 Castle Rock Central Coast Chardonnay
#nb-20-11


One of our favorite meals is Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo, which is very simple to make, since it is just shrimp, fettuccine, and Alfredo cheese sauce, oh, and a lot of fresh garlic, about three cloves worth. A few weeks back we enjoyed this "favorite" with fresh Gulf Shrimp, and a bottle of 2008 Castle Rock Central Coast Chardonnay.

The Central Coast of California is producing some very good wines at value prices. The warm sunny days with cool evening breezes from the Pacific Ocean are accounting for some good Chardonnays, and the Castle Rock is no exception. The wine opens with a delicate nose suggesting flowers interwoven with fresh melon. The flavors are ripe pear and melon, with citrus undertones, which lead to a crisp finish and a touch of vanilla toasty oak. This wine has been barrel fermented, but is not over powering with oak, but rather just the right touch. The alcohol content is 13.8%.

This is a delicious summertime Chardonnay, and can be enjoyed with fish or fowl, or as an afternoon treat served with a bowl of fresh ripe fruit and cheese. Norm's score is 88.


Price: $10 to $14
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
cumminghome.com
pineisland-eagle.com








WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2009 Robert Mondavi Napa Fume Blanc

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




2009 Robert Mondavi Napa Fume Blanc
#nb-19-11


The fishing in Matlacha, Florida in May of 2011 was only fair, but the dining was superb!
We of course consumed great quantities of seafood and numerous bottles of really good wine, and an occasional cold beer with oysters on the half shell. We even provided ourselves with a terrific dinner of fresh spotted sea trout. However the biggest treat of all, was being invited to dinner with our neighbors for a feast of home cooked Chicken Milanese with lemon, butter and garlic sauce. It was fabulous, and so was the bottle of 2009 Mondavi Napa Fume Blanc which we enjoyed along with this wonderful Italian dish!

Several decades ago when California Sauvignon Blanc was having personality problems, a number of wineries began to designate their Sauvignon Blanc as Fume Blanc, in order to emphasize the dry nature of the wine. One of these wineries was Robert Mondavi, and we have enjoyed many vintages over the years of their Napa Fume Blanc.

The 2009 Napa Fume Blanc is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon and has a delicate pale straw color, with an alcohol content of 13.8%. The nose is bright and sunny with notes of flowers, pineapple and citrus. The flavor is complex, and yet simple, with the pinneaple and citrus being complemented by nuances of apple and melon, leading into a crisp lingering finish. The flavor is not to bold, but sturdy enough to stand up to the garlic and butter sauce in the Chicken Milanese.

Our Neighbors provided us with a delightful feast, which was highlighted by the Napa Fume Blanc. This wine would pair well with almost any seafood or fowl dish, and would make an excellent accompaniment to Shrimp Scampi! Norm's score is 90.


Price: $13 to $17
Score: 90


Norm

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

Norm's Tasting Notes availablee online at either:
dawsontimes.com
cumminghome.com
pineisland-eagle.com






WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity