2009 Geyser Peak California Sauvignon Blanc

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





2009 Geyser Peak California Sauvignon Blanc
#nb-11-11

I'm back from paradise (Matlacha, FL) and the report is, well, paradise is still paradise! The fishing wasn't great but I still managed to catch a few Speckled Sea Trout, and along the way there were air battles between bald eagles and osprey, and a chance to watch a couple of porpoises doing some fishing of their own. Temperatures were between 60 at night and 85 during the day, not bad for March, even in South Florida. The food was great as usual, with good seafood dinners at Red's and Toucan's. (which used to be Moretti's)

The most enjoyable meal was fresh shucked oysters on the half shell and a bottle of 2009 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc. The oysters were great and the Geyser Peak was the perfect companion. This wine has a fresh citrusy aroma, and opens into a pronounced flavor of lime and lemon zest, with just the slightest hint of melon. The finish is clean and crisp and that citrus appeal is there until the end. It takes a little acidity to compliment oysters, and this Sauvignon Blanc has just the right balance between fruit and acidity.

The 2009 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc would be great with a seafood cocktail or steamed clams, and when the summer gets here, it would be a perfect back porch sipper!  Norm's score is an 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:

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WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

Wine Poetry

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




I'm going down to our little cottage by the sea in Matlacha, Florida for a couple of weeks. There will be fishing and seafood dinners, and lots of wine. There will not be a Norm's Tasting Notes while I am gone, so below find some sustenance for the soul which should last until I am back. Upon my return I will convey the wine and seafood news from paradise, as well as the fishing report.


WINE POETRY

Wine is bottled poetry. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages. ~ Louis Pasteur

The best kind of wine is that which is most pleasant to him who drinks it. ~ Pliny the Elder, Natural History

Wine is the proof that God loves us. Benjamin Franklin

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

2008 Bogle Old Vines Zinfandel

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





2008 Bogle Vineyards Old Vines Zinfandel
#nb-09-11

It takes old vines to produce good wines, and in California there aren't many vines older than the old Zinfandel vines. With its origins in Italy, Zinfandel is a wonderful wine with most pasta and other spicy dishes, and even barbecue. In the 1800's there were many Italian immigrants in California who planted Zinfandel vines, many of which still produce wine today.

The 2008 Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel is produced from grapes from Lodi and Amador Counties which come from vines ranging from forty to eighty years old. These old vines produce grapes which have heavily concentrated juice, with a full range of dark berry flavors. The flavors range from blackberry, to black raspberry, intermingled with pepper and a slight jammy nature. The wine has been oak aged for ten months and comes in at 14.5% alcohol. This is an intense wine with big fruit flavors, and is most enjoyable with a wide range of spicy foods.

We enjoyed the Bogle Old Vines Zinfandel with a big plate of pasta, with tomato sauce, including beef and and Italian sausage, and a lot of garlic. It would also be great with pizza, or some really spicy barbecue. Norm's score is an 87, which happens to be the same score from "The Wine Spectator".

Price - $10 - $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

2009 Simi Sonoma Chardonnay

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




2009 Simi Sonoma Chardonnay
#nb-08-11

When you cook dinner for your sweetheart on Valentines Day, it had better be a good one, especially if your sweetheart is the "Queen of Chardonnay"! The dinner was lobster and shrimp, steamed and served with drawn butter, accompanied by fresh asparagus, and parslied new potatoes.

The wine was the 2009 Simi Sonoma Chardonnay. We have enjoyed every vintage of this wine for the past five or six years, and the 2009 was no exception. The previous vintages have always scored in the high eighties and low nineties, and this one was is consistent with those scores.

The nose is fragrant and graceful, suggesting peaches and pears, with a slight citrus aroma. The fruit is highly concentrated with swirls of apple and pear, with an overlying pineapple presence. The finish is crisp and clean, lingering with a flirtation of oak, begging for another sip. The grapes come from Russian River, Alexander Valley, and the Carneros growing regions of Sonoma County.

The wine just ripples with luscious fruit, and enough oak to be perfect with shellfish served with drawn butter. This was a Valentine present to the both of us. The 2009 Simi Chardonnay would also be my choice for Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo, or most any other fowl or seafood dish. Norm's score is an 88.

Price - $12 - $16
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

2006 Chalone Vineyard Monterey Cabernet Sauvignon

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






2006 Chalone Vineyard Monterey Cabernet Sauvignon
#nb-07-11


There is nothing better than football, steaks on the grill, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Last week was even better, since the game was the Super Bowl, the fillet mignon was two inches thick, and a perfect medium rare, and the wine was a delicious Cabernet from Monterey.

The wine was the 2006 Chalone Vineyard Monterey County Cabernet Sauvignon, and the winery is one which underwent something of a "re-do" about a decade ago. The winery is famous for its mountain estate grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. But in 1998 the winery turned to its lower vineyards in the Salinas Valley to re-plant and begin to produce Cabernet Sauvignon and other varieties which still benefit from the cool Pacific Ocean breezes coming in at night from the Monterey Bay area.

The result is an enjoyable and accessible Cabernet with both finesse and drinkability. The 2006 Cabernet opens with a nice nose of jammy berry scents, followed by bold flavors of blackberry and currants. There is also a slight nuance of black cherry which melts into a mild toasty vanilla finish, which lingers on the palate until the next sip. The wine is nicely balanced with complex flavors that blend well together to form a wonderful food wine.

It was great for our Super Bowl steak, and would pair well with any grilled meat or hearty stew. Norm's score is an 89.


Price - $10 - $15
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:

dawsontimes.com or
pineisland-eagle.com

2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay

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





2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay
#nb-06-11

Columbia Crest Winery, owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington State, has been making good wine at a good price for more than twenty five years now. Their 2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay is no exception. We have been enjoying this Columbia Valley Chardonnay for many years now, and the last four or five vintages have had scores from the high eighties to the low nineties each year. That is consistency, with a wine priced in the ten dollar range, which the winery should be very proud of.

The other night we opened a bottle of the 2008 CC Grand Estates Chardonnay to pair with a meal of broiled flounder. It was a good match! The wine has a lot of complexity for a ten dollar bottle of wine. It starts with big fruit flavors of green apples and pears, with a nice creamy feel, and proceeds into mild vanilla and oak. The finish is clean and crisp with a slight lemon zest flair, and enough acidity to produce a complex and lingering finish. Make no mistake though, the wine while sturdy, did not over power the mild flavor of the flounder.

I can tell you that it is difficult to find a Chardonnay with big fruit, a creamy texture, and a mild oak finish for under fifteen dollars, but this certainly is one! The wine would be great with almost any fish or fowl dish, other than something which is very spicy or buttery. For those type dishes, I like just a touch more oak and acidity, but try this one with either grilled salmon, or grouper. Norm's score is an 88.

Price - $10 - $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 or
pineisland-eagle.com

2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay

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






2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay
#nb-05-11

My wife Mary, "The Chardonnay Queen", almost always cooks from recipes, while I usually just " whip something up". However I wanted to prepare Chicken Florentine the other night, and having never done it before, I looked up the Paula Deen recipe online, which I knew would be good. It was not only good, it was great!

We enjoyed this repast with a bottle of 2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay, which was an excellent accompaniment to our meal. We have had this Napa stalwart many times in the past, but this was our first sampling of the 2008 vintage. The 2008 Napa Chardonnay is as fresh as spring to the nose, and backs up its abundant bouquet with swirling flavors of pear and pineapple. The finish is fresh and clean with a slight citrus note. The wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation and was barrel-aged for nine months. This 100% Chardonnay is 14.4% alcohol.

The result is a clean and crisp wine, which is a wonderful partner to foods ranging from fowl to seafood. We really enjoyed Paula Deen's recipe for the Chicken Florentine, and the Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay along with it. Look up the recipe online and enjoy this dinner yourself!

Norm's score is an 87.

Price - $14 - $19
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 or
pineisland-eagle.com