Norm's Tasting Notes

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2016 Easter Special

#nb-12-16

If you are having ham for Easter this year, you may be in a quandary as to the right choice in wine for this special dinner. My suggestion would be one of the choices below.

2014 Tavel Rose:

An intense nose with aromas of pureed strawberries and raspberries. A beautiful palate that is fresh tasting, delicious and perfectly balanced.

Wine & Spirits - "Firm and dense, this lives up to Tavel's reputation for lusty, full-bodied rosés. From 60-year-old vines in limestone-rich soils -- Mostly grenache with some cinsault, clairette and syrah, all vinified in cement tanks.” Score 90

2014 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc:

Brilliant pale yellow hues are speared with youthful hints of green. Aromas are rich and enticing. Grapefruit, green lime, caper, and citrus tones couple with a vibrant note of lychee. Flavors present incredible intensity of grapefruit, lime and lemon zest, all with a subtle thread of fennel.

Wine & Spirits - "Succulent and round, this takes sauvignon's passion fruit flavors in a red-hued direction. Its full-on fruit has a musky edge, finishing clean." Score 92

2014 Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio:

Straw yellow in the glass. This wine shows notes of meadow flowers, pears, and golden apple. The bouquet is fresh and complex, showing refined notes of sage and mint accompanied by an elegant minerality typical of Pinot Grigio. Medium bodied, lively, and elegant. A touch of minerality lingers in the finish, with notes of lemon peel. Score 88

Norm

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WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

Friday, March 18, 2016

2012 Chateau Lestage Simon

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2012 Chateau Lestage Simon

#nb-11-16

If you are a true red wine lover, then you have to open a bottle of Bordeaux every now and then to set next to a thick and juicy piece of beef, and enjoy one of life's best flavor combinations. In our case this past week, it was a Cru Bourgeois from the Haut Medoc, and a nice thick medium rare New York Strip. The wine was the 2012 Chateau Lestage Simon, and the combination was a flavor extravaganza.

The wine has a heady nose with notes of violets, cherries, and dark berries. The flavors were robust with pronounced black cherry and plum in the forefront, and undercurrents of black raspberry with a bit of tannin toward the end. The finish was lingering and had the ability to make one anticipate the net sip. The alcohol content is 13.5%, and Norm's score is 89.

Great with steak, this wine would pair well with a variety of foods, including Beef Stroganoff or Veal Parmesan.

price: $20 - $25

score - 89

Norm

Available online at:

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

Friday, March 11, 2016

2013 McManis Family Viognier

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2013 McManis Family Vineyards Viognier

#nb-10-16

If you are looking for a refreshing, dry, yet different alternative to Chardonnay, you might enjoy a Viognier. The 2013 McManis Viognier would be a good place to start. The McManis family grew grapes in Central California for fifty tears before they started making wine back in 1990. Viognier has been one of their best offerings year after year for those seeking a decent dinner wine at an affordable price.

The 2013 McManis opens with a fragrant nose leaping out of the bottle with an abundant array of scents highlighted by pear and apricot. The flavors are enticing with heavy accents of vanilla and apricot, underscored by a dash of spice, and a bit of ripe peach. The wine was fermented in stainless steel accomplishing a clean and refreshing finish with no cloying after effects. It reminds me of a more spicy Chardonnay.

We opened a bottle of the 2013 Viognier as a companion for grilled salmon and it was a wonderful matchup. This wine would be great with most grilled or broiled fish, and would be excellent with most spicy Thai or Korean dishes. You might also enjoy it with Veal or Chicken Piccata. Norm's score is 89.

price: $9 - $12

score - 89

Norm

Available online at:

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

Friday, March 4, 2016

2013 William Hill North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2013 William Hill North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

#nb-09-16

I love to drink California Cab and I love to eat steak, together its a tough combination to beat. The other night we paired up a big thick New York Strip with a bottle of William Hill Cabernet Sauvignon and had a feast!

This 2013 Cab is from the North Coast and is full of big juicy fruit. The nose is fragrant, with aromas of plum and cherry sailing through the night. The flavor contains an abundance of cherry and wild dark berries, underscored with a little blueberry and a trace of vanilla. The finish is lean and clean with a bit of oak rounding things out. The alcohol content is 13.9%, and Norm' score is 88.

The William Hill was great with our steak, and would also be good with lasagna, or perhaps Veal Parmesan. This is an easy to drink Cab and a good buy in the category of good under twenty dollar California Cabs, which are sometimes hard to find.

price: $13 - $18

score - 88

Norm

Available online at:

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

Friday, February 26, 2016

2014 Kenwood Sonoma County Chardonnay

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2014 Kenwood Sonoma Chardonnay

#nb-08-16

We arrived at the Little Cottage by the Sea in Matlacha, Florida this week and were greeted by rain and near gale force winds. Of course the best course under these conditions was to cook a good seafood dinner and open a bottle of Chardonnay. We prepared Scallops Linguine Alfredo accompanied with a fresh tomato and avocado salad, and soon forgot all about the weather.

The wine we chose was the 2014 Sonoma County Chardonnay from Kenwood. The majority of the grapes in the bottle are from Russian River, one of the best places in the world to grow Chardonnay. The Kenwood has a fragrant nose with a fresh apple scent. The abundant fruit flavors swirl with the presence of apple and citrus with a bit of pineapple, and just a hint of vanilla. The finish is clean with a very small taste of oak, with no real lingering effect. Norm's score is 87.

The Kenwood Chardonnay was great with scallops, and would also pair well with chicken or shrimp. It would also be a good "back porch sipper" for those warm nights ahead in the next couple of months.

price: $11 - $16

score - 87

Norm

Available online at:

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

Friday, February 19, 2016

2011 Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Ruffina

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2011 Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Ruffina

#nb-07-16

Being involved in wine and food for most of my life has led to some pretty fine dining experiences over the years, and I have a few restaurants which have become favorites for many long years. One such place is Alfredo's of Atlanta. It is that little Italian place that has been there for decades and holds special memories for many in the Atlanta area.

We were distressed to hear that Alfredo's will be closed and possibly moved to a new location sometime later this year, so some good friends and I made reservations to dine there at least one more time. There were six of us, and we had a wonderful meal with most choosing either veal or chicken. I had the Veal Marsala, with a small side of Spaghetti Marinara, my long time Alfredo's favorite. It was delish!

The wine we chose was the 2011 Nipozzano Riserva Chianti from Marchesi de Frescobaldi, which I know was scored 90, or above, by most of the big name wine critics, including James Suckling who gave it a 91. Mr. Suckling's comment was, "A chewy, rich red with blueberry and blackberry character, a full body and a firm tannin backbone."

My thoughts were, big and round, with soft, but full bodied flavors of dark cherry and blackberry, with a touch of spice and a lingering finish suggesting subdued tannins. It literally exploded in my mouth as a willing companion to the veal. Norm's score is 92. Thanks Alfredo's, and thanks Frescobaldi!

price: $19 - $25

score - 92

Norm

Available online at:

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

Thursday, February 11, 2016

2013 The Seven Deadly Zins Zinfandel

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2013 The Seven Deadly Zins Zinfandel

#nb-06-16

The town of Lodi, California is sometimes referred to as "The Zinfandel Capitol of the World". Others might know it as that place about halfway between Los Angles and San Francisco, which was immortalized in the Creedence Clearwater Rival song when the lyrics wailed "Oh Lord I'm stuck in Lodi again". I could think of worse places to be stuck, especially if I am stuck with a bottle of The Seven Deadly Zins from the Michael David Winery.

Famed wine critic Robert Parker liked the 2013 Seven Deadly Zins so much that he scored it a 90, and said, "Loads of ripeness, fruit, glycerin, and medium to full-bodied silky mouthfeel make for a delicious effort." It is a rather soft style despite being aged in American oak, and coming in at 15% alcohol. Norm's score is 89.

Jammy blackberry and black cherry flavors swirl throughout the glass and explode in you mouth like a basket of warm fruit straight from the briar patch. There is also an underlying hint of coffee and spice will a bit of tannin for backbone. The finish is clean and sturdy, an requires further attention.

This is a quality Zinfandel at less than fifteen dollars per bottle, and was a great match for our slow-cooked pork tenderloin, bathed in Norm's Original Homemade Barbeque Sauce.

price: $13 - $18

score - 89

Norm

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