2012 Clean Slate Riesling

Norm's Tasting Notes

By: Norm Bentley

North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

 

 

 

 

 

2012 Clean Slate Riesling

#nb-35-13 

 

It is not too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving, and I have just sampled a wine which would be a good choice for your Thanksgiving turkey.  The 2012 Clean Slate Riesling from the Mosel Region of Germany is a typical German Riesling which pairs well with both fish and fowl.

The nose is fresh and clean with aromas of apple and citrus.  This is a fruit- forward style wine, with flavors of peach, apple and tropical fruit.  The finish is clean and simple with a hint of citrus, and no real aftertaste.  The wine is 100% Riesling, and was aged in stainless steel for four months, and has an alcohol content of 10.5%.

Riesling is always a good choice for Thanksgiving, since it pairs well with a variety of foods, and its slight fruity characteristic is a good companion for turkey.  This wine would also be nice with spicy Asian or Mexican fare.

 

 

 

Score: 85

 

Price: $10 - $13

 

 

Norm

 

 

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

Norm’s Tasting Notes available online at either:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

http://dawsontimes.com/

 

 

Also on "The Patch" at Oconee, Dunwoody and others:

oconee.patch.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his love for humanity

2011 Root One Carmenere

Norm's Tasting Notes

By: Norm Bentley

North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

 

 

 

2011 Root One Carmenere

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Root One Carmenere has been a house favorite for several years now, and 2011 will be at least the fourth one which I have sampled.  I think of Carmenere as an in-between flavor, possessing the best of both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The "lost grape of Bordeaux" seems to have captured fans from both of those two more famous grape varieties.  It is rapidly achieving the status in Chile, which Malbec has already claimed in Argentina.  If you really enjoy red wines, and have not as yet sampled a Carmenere, then you are in for a treat.

 

The 2011 Root One Carmenere has a nose which leaps out of the bottle as soon as the cork is released.  The aromas of dark fruit and summer blackberry vines are prevalent.  The flavor is just as powerful, with big gobs of fruit suggesting blackberry and plum, with gentle under currents of vanilla and spice.  The finish is long and lingering and begs for another sip!  The alcohol content is 13.5%

 

We enjoyed the Root One with a big thick fillet from the grill, combined with a big salad containing everything from the garden, and a hot baked potato.  This is also a great wine for lasagna and other rich sauced pasta dishes.  Norm's score is 88.

 

 

 

Score: 88

Price: $10 - $13

 

Norm

 

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

Norm’s Tasting Notes available online at either:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

http://dawsontimes.com/

Also on "The Patch" at Oconee, Dunwoody and others:

oconee.patch.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his love for humanity

2012 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay

Norm's Tasting Notes

By: Norm Bentley

North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

 

 

 

 

 

2012 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay

#nb-33-13

"Tasting Talker" attached

 

 

After two  weeks of catching a few fish, and eating a lot of fish and shrimp, we are back in the big "A".  It was wonderful at our "Little Cottage by the Sea" in Matlacha, FL, and we certainly enjoyed the local cuisine, along with several good bottles of wine.  The standout was the 2012 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay.

The Coppola Chardonnay opens with an intense bouquet of tropical fruit and a hint of honeysuckle.  The flavor is abundant with gobs of big fruit tasting of ripe apples and some pear, which is enhanced by tropical fruit and a hint of orange zest.  The finish is strong and clean with a crisp lingering aftertaste of vanilla, imparted by its six months of aging in French oak.  The alcohol content is a perfect 13.5%.

We enjoyed this Chardonnay with a big platter of shrimp, but it would pair well with almost any seafood dish, including grilled grouper, or even steamed clams.  Norm's score is 89.

 

Score:89

Price: $11 - $15

 

Norm

 

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

Norm’s Tasting Notes available online at either:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

http://dawsontimes.com/

Also on "The Patch" at Oconee, Dunwoody and others:

oconee.patch.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his love for humanity

2013 Fall Fishing Trip

Norm's Tasting Notes

By: Norm Bentley

North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

 

2013 Fall Fishing Trip to Matlacha

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The "Chardonnay Queen" and I are heading for our little cottage by the sea, in Matlacha, FL, for a couple of weeks, so there will be no Norm's Tasting Notes for the next few weeks, but on our return I will post the results of our fishing, seafood and wine events. Meanwhile, here is something to look at while we are gone.

 

The Isle of Matlacha

Our Backyard in Matlacha

 

 

Score: 100

Price: Priceless

 

Norm

 

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

Norm’s Tasting Notes available online at either:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

http://dawsontimes.com/

 

Also on "The Patch" at Oconee, Dunwoody and others:

oconee.patch.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his love for humanity

2011 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay

Norm's Tasting Notes

By: Norm Bentley

North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

 

 

 

 

 

2011 Ferrari-Carano Sonoma Chardonnay

#nb-31-13

 

 

 

Always a favorite at our house, Ferrari-Carano wines hail from the Dry Creek Valley, where their estate winery is located in the heart of the Sonoma wine country.  This 2011 vintage Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay is definitely one to bank on, and contains grapes from several vineyards within Sonoma County, including Alexander Valley, and Russian River.  We have enjoyed many vintages in the past, and this one lives up to its reputation. 

This is a crisp and clean Chardonnay with a nose bursting with  apple and peach, leading into big fruit flavors of green apple, underscored with citrus, and a touch of pear and tropical fruit.  The finish keeps coming sip after sip, each begging for one more.  The “Wine Spectator” scored this one an 89, but Norm’s score is 91. 

If you really enjoy Chardonnay, like the "Chardonnay Queen", just cuddle up in a comfortable chair with just you and the wine.  If you must pair it with food, try a big platter of shrimp scampi and a baguette of warm French bread.

 

 

Score: 91

Price: $19 - $24

 

Norm

 

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

Norm’s Tasting Notes available online at either:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

http://dawsontimes.com/

Also on "The Patch" at Oconee, Dunwoody and others:

oconee.patch.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his love for humanity

"Questions and Answers"

"Questions and Answers"

Posted by Norm Bentley , August 12, 2013 at 05:43 PM

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Norm Bentley "North Georgia Wine Advisor"

 

Norm's Tasting Notes

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

"Question" (from Mr. William Johnson follower of the Brookhaven Patch)

It interests me that wine writers generally ignore the under $5 wines, which are the ones I am most interested in. For an everyday wine, it really has to be that cheap for most of us. And, it seems that most blind tastings that I have read about show that there is little correlation between price and perceived goodness. In the CR article it looks like there is almost a negative correlation. I suggest that a column about the cheaper wines might be of general interest. Also, it might be useful to know what a professional wine critic thinks about the methodology used by CR and others who conduct blind taste tests.

Cordially,

William Johnson
Brookhaven, Georgia

"Answer"

Mr. Johnson,

Thanks for the comments and the interest in Norm's Tasting Notes.  Charles Shaw blends juices from wineries which do not normally make their own wines.  His efforts have been very successful and he made a reputation selling wines through Trader Joe's under the label Two Buck Chuck.  He has a number of other labels, of which one is Crane Lake.

Blind judging is often used to determine a wine's value, and I have been such a judge on many occasions including the Atlanta International Wine Festival.  The success of these competitions often depends on the knowledge and the experience of those doing the judging.

My advice has always been, and still is, that you are the best judge of which wines are pleasing to you, and that is the most important criteria in making your choice.

Norm

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