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September 28 - Killer Whites from around the Globe

Another great tasting this week focused on some of our favorite white wines. We tend to overlook whites because red wine seems more complex and able to offer more flavor, but we had several “I only drink red” people at the tasting and they were blown away. We first contrasted two Sauvignon Blanc based wines and then two Chardonnays and finally a Gruner Veltliner from Austria and a six year old Gewurztraminer from Alsace.
Here’s the rundown . . .

Seresin Estate 2003 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc $24.00
Right off the bat this wine impressed, it popped out of the glass with bright, vivid citrus notes and crisp aromas of lime, lemon, gooseberry and unripe kiwi. On the palate its mouthwatering acidity is buffered by ripe fruit nuances of lemon, pineapple, green apple and spice. “Very tangy, very fruity” were several of the frequent comments, and the swordfish appetizer we were served paired beautifully with the wine. This showed very well on its own and comes highly recommended from this taster.

Chateau Carbonnieux 2003 Bordeaux Blanc $52.50
The Carbonnieux is a blend of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semilion and was an incredible contrast to the Seresin. From hot 2003, this was a round and ripe version of Sauvignon Blanc, and illustrated well why white Bordeaux is so expensive with its toasty new French oak shadings. In the glass the wine was only slightly more golden than the Seresin, and still had a touch of green to it. On the nose the wine was definitely toasty more than fruity, but still had beautiful aromas of quince, fig, tangerine and coconut. On the palate the wine was full-bodied and immediately complex with notes of green apple, lemon, vanilla and toasty spice. It was interesting to note reactions to this wine, some people didn’t care for it at all and most preferred the Seresin at half the cost, myself included. A textbook example of white Bordeaux, this definitely needs food, probably sauced-up grilled poultry.

Defaix 2002 Chablis “Vielles Vignes” $33.00
This was gorgeous and everyone loved it! The first of the two Chardonnays, this was lovely in the glass with layers of grilled pineapple, toasted bread, lemon and apple. I noticed a touch of oak on this Chablis, which is not uncommon with wines of this quality. It was an interesting grace note to the wonderful acidity and steely fruit character this wine exhibited. I liked this because it was such a unique style of Chardonnay, which, by the way, I love. (Don’t tell anyone!) It showed flavors of green apple, green pear, almond and mineral and had a long, creamy finish. Wonderful and highly recommended!

Robert Keenan 2004 Spring Mountain District Chardonnay $29.50
This Napa Valley producer is newly available in Michigan and most were not familiar with it. Most of the attendees well-versed with Napa Chards really weren’t looking forward to this wine. Wow, were we surprised! Possibly the wine of the night, this was big and rich without being ponderous. Replete with aromas of ripe pear, apple, cream, spice and toasted nuts, this was more Burgundian in style than California. Being a 2004 it was the youngest wine of the night and will certainly age well for 3 or 4 four years. Drinking well already, it had beguiling flavors of red apple, ripe pear, fresh fig, honey and cream. Again, a beautiful contrast to the Chablis.

Loimer 2003 “Kaferberg” Gruner Veltliner $29.00
At this point in the evening, we announced that the next two wines would be “truly special” and possibly wines that no one had experienced before. From the Kamptal region of Austria, this reserve Gruner Veltliner is stunning and pleased the crowd. It boasts aromas of spring blossoms, peaches - lots of peaches, a touch of licorice and tropical citrus notes. On the palate it’s vibrant, and dare I say this, almost velvety with traces of apricot, mineral and honey intermingling. One of the biggest Gruner’s I’ve had, this was seductive and lingering and really surprised everyone at the tasting. It was the most ordered wine of the night.

Schleret 1999 “Herrenweg” Gewurztraminer $26.50
We finished the night with this six-year Alsatian Gewurz, and yeah, it was very different from the other wines this evening. Deep gold, it has turned into a very intensely aromatic and complex wine with notes of apricot, mango and smoke along with litchi, rose petal and spice. It’s become thick and viscous, and the flavors really vary drastically from the other wines tasted this evening. Almost sweet, or rather, not fully dry, this sports deep flavors of orange peel, burnt brown sugar, grilled apricot, smoke and spice. The spice really shows on this beauty and as such it was difficult for some of the guests to appreciate this after the super smooth Gruner. Big and almost overpowering, I have to say, for most, this will be an acquired taste. For me, it was revelatory and stunningly beautiful.

Ranking up there with the best tastings we’ve done and certainly exciting, these “Killer Whites” showed both power and elegance in almost every example, and as such accomplished what I feel is the essence of a good white wine, which is to convey a sense of individuality and surprise with every glass you try.

All of the wines we taste, no matter what night we tried them…even if it was over a year ago…are available either on our shelf or to special order. We are always very happy to special order a bottle of anything you’re looking for. If you are interested in trying some of these, please email or call us anytime and we will include it on our next order – almost always delivered within two to three days!
 
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