2011 Saladini Plastri Pecorino

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net





2011 Saladini Pilastri Pecorino
#nb-35-12


Once in awhile you receive an unexpected surprise, which makes enjoying life all the more pleasant. I received a sample wine to taste recently which I knew nothing about.  The grape and the vineyard were new to me so I had some reservations before tasting the wine. That is what makes the world of wine so wonderful. There is always something new just around the corner, and this round world has some pretty smooth corners.

The 2011 Saladini Pilastri Pecorino is an organic white from the Marches region of eastern central Italy, which is where and old favorite of mine, the Verdicchio grape hails from. The Pecorino grape is a light skinned white noted for its dry and mineral qualities. The Pilastri family dates back many centuries, and have been associated with wine through-out their history in central Italy

This is a dry and crisp wine with big fruit and a pleasing earthy finish. The nose is a brilliant bouquet of flowers and tropical fruit which transcend into complex flavors of mango, pineapple and a strong citrus presence. The finish lingers with a strong suggestion of the citrus backed by a dry mineral and spice tanginess. This is a good wine with fish or fowl, and is most pleasing as a back porch sipper accompanied by a bowl of grapes, and soft cheeses. Norm's score is 87.

Score: 87
Price: $11 - $14

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

2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay

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





2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay

We are back from our little cottage by the sea, and paradise! The seafood was great and the fishing was pretty good, so we were able to enjoy a dinner of fresh caught Speckled Sea Trout, my favorite fish behind salmon and grouper. While we sampled several good bottles of wine during our stay in paradise, my favorite was an old standby, the 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay. I wrote about this wine about ten months ago and had this to say:

"Quite often I am asked to recommend a good Chardonnay, for a decent price, to be served at weddings or other social gatherings. During the past five years this has been an easy question to answer because regardless of vintage, the Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay from the Columbia Valley In Washington has been a great answer! Its scores have been consistently in the high eighties and low nineties year after year.

The 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle is an in-between style, which is somewhat classic French, and a little bit California, and is neither too fruit forward, nor too steely in nature. It has the true Chardonnay flavors of apple and pear which are accented by a hint of oak. This vintage was aged surlie for about six months in both French and American oak. The finish is clean and crisp, with a little toasty oak and a slight citrus breeze, as it reminds the palate of the need for just one more sip. The alcohol content is 14%.

This is one Chardonnay which is so consistant that I bought several bottles of this 2010 vintage without even tasting it, because I new it would be good! We enjoyed this bottle with broiled Cod fillets accompanied by pasta Alfredo, and a fresh garden salad. It was wonderful! This wine will be excellent with almost any fish or fowl dish, or just by itself."

I had scored this one an 89 last November, when it had just come into the marketplace, and I am sure that now the vintage is probably running out, as the 2011 should be arriving pretty soon. However if you can find any of this wonderful 2010 still on the shelf, buy some, I would now score it a 90, and I believe it will drink well for the next couple of years, and it is great with trout and other mild white fish.

Score: 90
Price: $10 - $14

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