This Week at The Tasting Bar—July 29-31, 2010

Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc, 2007, California (Sonoma Valley) Aromas of honeysuckle, kiwi and pear are accented with an underlying note of Braeburn apple.  Rich and complex flavors of pears, tropical fruit and a hit of tangerine lead to a creamy finish. Valley of the Moon is the name given by the Miwok Indians who observed the moon rising from behind the mountain peaks.  Pinot Blanc is a relative of Pinot Gris and creates wines high in acidity, yet well balanced with vibrant tropical fruit.  It is characteristically fresh, crisp and flexible with food pairing. We score this wine Four Corks at The Savvy Wine Cellar.  Food Pairing:  This wine is fabulous on its own or pair it with crab cakes, pear and gorgonzola salad, seared Ahi tuna, shrimp pasta primavera or grilled halibut.

Kono Sauvignon Blanc, 2009, New Zealand, (Marlborough) Marlborough’s free-draining, alluvial loams over gravelly sub-soils provide ideal growing conditions for Kono Sauvignon Blanc. With the abundant sunshine, cool nights and a long growing season in this region, this wine is vibrant with intense citrus and gooseberry flavors and notes of capsicum and passion fruit. A blend of fruits from the Awatere, Waihopai, and Lower Wairau Valleys gives this Sauvignon Blanc the classic Marlborough fruit burst with great palate weight and a clean, crisp finish. Kono SB received a score of 90 Points from Wine Spectator: “… Light and silky, with refreshing pineapple, peach and green apple flavors in tremendous focus, lingering elegantly. Drink now."  Friends gave us a bottle to try and, when we tasted it, we said, “WOW… We have got to get this into the shop!”  And so we give it a score of Four Plus, Plus Corks.  Food Pairing: Shellfish, seafood, summer salads, Caesar and Greek salads.  Delightful on its own as well.

Toad Hollow Winery “Eye of the Toad” Rosé, 2009, California (Sonoma) Pretty in pink and proud of it! At a time when most American Rosé wines have either an overabundance of residual sugar or are “flabby” and lacking in acidity, the folks at Toad Hollow continue to produce true French-Style, bone dry, and elegant Rosé wine produced from the noble Pinot Noir grape. This is their eleventh vintage of Pinot Noir Rosé and, by far, their best to date. The wine has incredible body and weight for a Rosé of Pinot Noir. The color is a beautiful pink with a hint of “Beaujolais blue”. This wine has a nose of rose petals and violets. Whether in sun or shade, this is a truly dry, uncomplicated statement of Pinot Noir at its lightest and most delicate. Delicious! We score it Four Plus Corks. Food Pairing:  A wine that is great with sushi and wasabi or spicy Thai food.

Bacchantes “The Dancer” Shiraz, 2005, Australia (Barossa Valley) This Shiraz is from a single, old vineyard in the Barossa called Gomersal, and new-generation winemaker, Ben Glaetzer. Great care was taken to insure ripeness and concentration.  A portion of the fruit was aged in oak with the remainder in stainless steel.  Judicious use of oak resulted in optimum flavor in this vintage.  This is a very elegant wine with a great structure.  It is bursting with black fruits and a touch of white pepper. wearing a perfume of blackberry, fennel and pepper, surprisingly delicate and poised for such a voluptuous wine with strong backbone. Wine Advocate’s Robert Parker named Bacchantes’ winemaker Ben Glaetzer, “Wine Personality of the Year” in 2005.  We loved this wine at The Savvy Wine Cellar when we sampled it and we score it Four Plus Corks!  Food Pairing: Pair with grilled steaks or veal chops in the summer; or roasted rich meats in the winter.  Delicious all by itself!

Red Rock Winery Merlot, 2007, California (Healdsburg) Lush concentrations of ripe cherry, strawberry, raspberry, and slight vanilla aromas with flavors of briary blackberry and raspberry. The intense red and black jammy aromas and flavors are complemented by soft, rounded tannins. The grapes for the 2007 Merlot were de-stemmed but not crushed, leaving about 20% whole berries in the fermenter. This 'Partial Whole Berry Fermentation' method was used to enhance the varietal character of the finished wine. The grapes were then fermented on the skins for five to seven days at a temperature of 88 F. The entire blend underwent Malolactic Fermentation to add complexity to the aroma and flavor and to ensure stability in the finished wine. This is a really tasty Merlot at a very low price.  It is certainly deserving of our Four Corks rating.  Food Pairing:  Red Rock Winery Merlot is an excellent match for a wide range of foods, particularly herb-based dishes, pasta, grilled meats and goat cheese.

Join us Thursday and Friday from 5 to 8 and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.