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Howard W. Hewitt

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Howard W. Hewitt

Tag Archives: Whispering Angel Rose’

Summer’s Last Gasp Wine Choices

30 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by Howard in Newspaper Column 2013

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David Hill 2011 Estate Pinot Gris, Domaine Ott Rosé, Four Graces Pinot Blancm Matua 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Franciscan 2012 Equilibrium, Joly Blanc 2011, Whispering Angel Rose'

Leaves are turning yellow and they’re soon to be glorious red and brown so can the frost on the pumpkin be far behind?

Grape Sense LogoIt’s a gloriously beautiful time in vineyards across the Midwest as grape harvest has been underway for 3-4 weeks with another week or two likely in some areas.
But don’t leave summer behind just yet. There will be mild and warm days in October perfect to clear the shelves of those summer wines. Here are a few easy-to-find lighter style white and Rosé wines I’ve enjoyed this summer.

3134Myt5uUL._UX480_CR0,-5,480,490_Domaine Ott Rosé – The 2011 Les Domaniers was still on the shelves early this summer but the 2012 shouldn’t be hard to find. Wonderful floral scents with a well-rounded mouth feel that will hold up to BBQ and bigger meals or sip fine all alone. It’s a classic blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah. ($19)

Whispering Angel Rosé – My absolute favorite Rosé from Château d’Esclans of Provence represents Southern France’s best effort at pink wine. The 2012 is dry, light, and still delivers full flavor. It’s fabulous Rosé for the price point. ($16-$23)

david-hill-logoDavid Hill 2011 Estate Pinot Gris – This has bright and pronounced acidity with aromas of stone fruit. Many of these white wines don’t offer much of a finish but David Hill delivers. Try this with some grill shrimp on the BBQ. It’s great white wine from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. ($18, Trade Sample)

Franciscan 2012 Equilibrium – Red blends are all the rage so why not a good California white blend. Franciscan makes great wines and reasonable prices. The blend is a mix of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Muscat. It’s a well-balanced glass of wine with a hit of peach. It would be a perfect match to a salad or spicy food. ($23, Trade Sample)

domaine-virgile-joly-languedoc-le-joly-blanc-languedoc-roussillon-france-10504697Joly Blanc 2011 – Okay, it’s pretty cool to say you have a friend, maybe acquaintance, who is a French winemaker. Virgile Joly’s Joly Blanc – Grenache Blanc – is consistently one of the best whites I taste from the land of fries and crepes. The wine is Grenache Blanc with a hint of Rousanne delivering great aromas and a hint of peach. It is delightful with grilled fish or lighter meats. ($13-$15)

Four Graces Pinot Blanc – This Willamette Valley winery makes small batches and highly-stylized wines. The Pinot Blanc is quite different than the valley’s Pinot Gris wines. This is a light bodied wine with hints of honey, banana, and perhaps apricot. It’s a great white for warm weather meals. (SRP, $24. I bought it in an Indiana shop for $16)

Matua 2011 Sauvignon Blanc – It’s impossible to write about warm weather wines and not have at least one Sauvignon Blanc on the list. If you like your whites with big citrus, big acid, and a crisp refreshing finish, you’ll love the Matua. This comes from New Zealand’s Marlborough region, known for its Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. ($16)

 

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Sluggers’ Row of Great Wine

14 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by Howard in California, Oregon, Paso Robles & Mendocino

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Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon, Jack Creek Cellars, Lange Pinot Noir, Whispering Angel Rose'

lineup

Found this on net - bottle holder for the wine drinking, baseball guy on the couch! Oops, or lady!

Found this on net – bottle holder for the wine drinking, baseball guy on the couch! Oops, or lady!

There is nothing better than great wine with great friends. Wine is meant to be shared and the sharing is even more fun and exciting when wine geeks get together.

I had guests from California recently and we went through quite a line up of tasty treats. There wasn’t a strike out in the bunch, a home run or two, and a grand slam. Corny I know, but I think I’ll go with it for today.

Château d’Esclans 2012
Provence Rosé Whispering Angel

This wine led us off with a wonderful hint of strawberry and citrus. It’s a beautiful light pink/salmon that you expect from Provence. It’s dry, light, and pink – what else can you say about a great summer wine? A solid double (Highly Recommended) to get our group started. A few in the group had not had a good dry Provence before – sworn Red lovers – and came away liking it. You can find this great representation of Southern France in the $16-$23 range at better wine shops. This is pretty darn good Rose for the price point!

LangeLange Estate Vineyard 2008 Pinot Noir

I’ve long been a big-time Lange fan and this 2008 I carried back from Oregon didn’t disappoint. Lovely strawberry, raspberry and beautiful balance from the deft hand of Jesse Lange. It had a big beautiful nose and a wonderfully soft finish for a young wine. Lange wines often show more minerality than this bottle, but the fruit was gorgeous. The group loved it for its lighter Oregon style. At $60 SRP, it doesn’t come cheap but it’s a great representation of the upper end of Oregon Pinot Noir – a definite triple (Highly Recommended).

jccellarsJack Creek Cellars 2008 Estate Pinot Noir Reserve

Guests brought this Paso Robles Pinot and I was impressed. You couldn’t have a better contrast than go from the lighter Oregon style Pinot to a California Central Coast wine with a nice big rich mouth feel as opposed to the acid, mineral and more Burgundy-like touch of Oregon. One review called it full-bodied and juicy and I’m not sure I can top that. Cellartracker members gave this a very respectable 89 points. I think that’s about right, maybe 90. Jack Cellars, SRP $43, drives a triple into right center with this stylish and big California Pinot (Highly Recommended)

Yes, I started the baseball thing and I’m sticking with it!

PetersonPeterson 2010 Bradford Mountain Zinfandel

This wine rocked! If you like Zinfandel, you need to look for Peterson wines. The wine was bold, rich, and I got some black raspberry near the finish that was stunning. It had mild pepper and tannins on the finish and beautiful balance from start to finish. Here is an awesome wine for some dark chocolate! The average price according to Wine-Searcher is $37. CellarTracker members rated this at 89 but I’d go 90-91 on that scale. In other words, a home run! (Very Highly Recommended)

beringerBeringer 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Smooth Cabernet from California always hits the spot. The 2004 was deeply rich with dark cherry and a bit of caramel or similar flavor. I loved its smoothness. The wine was a good example of every palate being a bit different. The professional critics liked this wine more than the citizen sites. Wine Spectator awarded the wine a 90 while Wine-Searcher and Cellar Tracker were at 89-88, respectfully.

Never mind any critic – if you like it, drink it, and buy more. I liked it a lot and thought it was the winner of the night in a pretty impressive lineup of wines!

The average price for this wine, if you can find it, is about $50 but upper $40 to upper $60 range isn’t unusual according to online sites. Beringer is an old name in California wine. Their higher-end Cabernet wines are usually well worth the money. That’s what I thought on this one – I’d go 92 points and make this the grand slam of my goofy night at the plate! (Very Highly Recommended)

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To Bordeaux and burgundy for this weeks Saturday Sipps at the Wine Shop, 11-4 pm. Taste these great wines and you can buy them Saturday only for 20% off.
Panko, breaded, shrimp and Michigan, Leelanau, peninsula, Shady Lane cellars” Chardonnay. Pretty great small dinner after a night at the Wine Shop. #shadylanecellars

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