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June 2006
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Iron Horse Vineyards 2005 Rosato Di Sangiovese
Ah,
the hot summer days are coming for Homo sapiens residing
in the northern hemisphere. Wine wise, there is no better
substitute to cool you down at sunset than with a sweet
glass of rosé. Increasingly popular, both still
and sparkling rosés are the way to go. The real
fun begins when you ask a third party to do a blind taste
test of a rosé—they take on so many interesting
characteristics, it’s difficult to identify them
without seeing their tell-tale pink color. Here, winemaker
David Munksgard plays with the noble Italian grape varietal
Sangiovese.
The offering is full of life with a strong backbone. Rich
and full-bodied, it’s vibrant and loaded with summer
fruit flavors with a strawberry dominance. Perfect as
an aperitif and great with something like a grilled halibut
with fruit salsa…and it’s cheap.
Rating:
14/20
Price: $12
Other Sangioveses
we've tasted
Check out our guide to California
For more information, visit www.ironhorsevineyards.com |
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Morlanda 2001 Criança
The
Priorat Denominaciones de Origen of Catalonia,
Spain,
is hot. Since there aren’t many acres of grapes planted
in this northeastern corner of the country, and the demand
is high, prices have been going up for these wines. Morlanda—owned
by The Heredad Collection (makers of Freixenet, Gloria Ferrer,
Segura Viudas and others)—is a small winery. It produces
only 2,690 cases of this 2001 blend of Garnacha (60 percent),
Cariñena (30 percent) and Cabernet
Sauvignon (10 percent). Since Garnachas tend to reach
their first peak at ten years of age, this offering is still
quite young. This is a robust and intense vino showcasing
a plethora of fruit scents and flavors. Full-bodied with
a rich mouth feel, it remains entertaining all the way to
its long finish. We recommend it with grilled meats.
Rating:
14.5/20
Price: $30
Other Red
Blends we've tasted
Check out our guide to Spain
For more information, visit www.heredadcollection.com |
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Whitehall Lane Winery 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
 The
folks at Whitehall Lane Winery are serious about what they
do. Winemaker Dean Sylvester runs this small designer winery
owned by the Leonardini family, producing ultra-premium
wines from top-quality fruit. Whitehall Lane chose, quite
literally, not to screw around when bottling their Cabernet
Sauvignon Reserve by being the first winery in North America
to use the Vino-Seal
glass closure. Just pull this recyclable glass cork
(it resembles a decorative decanter stopper) and out pours
the prestigious vino in your glass. Whitehall Lane selected
Cabernet
Sauvignon grapes from the Leonardini Vineyard in St.
Helena, Calif., and the Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford,
Calif., and aged the juice in a combination of American
and French oak barrels for 25 months. The result is a deep
and complex beverage with a plethora of fruit flavors, mocha
and spice. It has a noble mouthfeel and leads progressively
to a smooth and pleasurable finish.
Rating:
17/20
Price: $75
Other Cabernets
we've tasted
Check out our guide to Napa
Valley
For more information, visit www.whitehalllane.com |
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Wölffer 2002 Reserve Chardonnay
This
week we head to Christian Wölffer’s magical
estate in Sagaponack, N.Y., on the south fork of the Long
Island wine country, 100-mile drive from the concrete
jungle and fancy restaurants of New
York City. Roman Roth, Wolffer Estate’s winemaker
since 1992, is seriously dedicated to his art, producing
Chardonnay,
Merlot,
Cabernet
Franc, Pinot
Noir, Rosé
and Sparkling
wines of great character. As a result, should you be lucky
enough to experience the hard-to-get 2002 Reserve Chardonnay,
you’ll be pleasantly surprised. A light golden color
greets you with a bouquet of pear and apple scents. Crisp
with hints of citrus, yet creamy and yeasty, this vino
has good balance and treats wood lovers to elegant oak
notes. For a taste treat, serve it with white fish accompanied
by a cilantro and mango salsa.
Rating:
14/20
Price: $20
Other Chardonnays
we've tasted
Check out our guide to New
York
For more information, visit www.wolffer.com |
Read
about the wine world's most influential critic: Robert
Parker, Jr.
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