I ‘ve always thought the best way to start the first full week of the month is Ninth Street‘s First Monday tastings. The 10 wines featured tonight used a wide brush to paint a variety of flavors and colors. From sweet California whites and Rosés to some very nice Spanish reds this tasting was very nice indeed.
Brett Wahl from United Distributors and Ben Johnson from Prestige Wines were the wine educators for the evening and the wines they selected to present were quite popular with tasters I talked to.
As for this taster there were two Spanish Garnarchas to compare and I found the Las Rocas to be one of the best Garnachas I’ve ever had. It was very much a New World wine. Many Garnachas are more Old World style wines and typically less fruit forward and a bit tart. But then again this wine has a higher price point and in my opinion worth the extra price.
And as usual Suzanne DeSandy did a fantastic job of preparing the food but I do have to give a shout out about the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa and the Mango Salsa prepared by Jai West at Casa Blanca.
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Where: Ninth Street Wine Market
12 Ninth Street, Augusta, GA 30901
When: Monday, August 6, 2012, 5:30-7:30 pm
Cost: $10 per person. 706-724-1442. Reservations required.
Here are the wines presented (click to see more):
- Argiolas Costamolino A Vermentino di Sardegna 2011
- Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet 2011
- Honoro Vera Garancha 2010
- Montinore Borealis Blend 2011
- Comoloco Monastrell 2011
- Ooh La La Chardonnay 2011
- Ooh La La Pinot Grigio 2011
- Ooh La La Rosé 2011
- Las Rocas Garnacha 2009
- Ghost Pines Red 2009
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Here are the detailed wine notes:
Argiolas Costamolino A Vermentino di Sardegna 2011
Costamolino is lemon-green in color with intense yet delicate aromas of citrus, pineapple, tropical fruits and honey. On the palate, the wine shows a delightfully zesty acidity, which makes it the wine of choice for many dishes, from fish antipasti and pastas to vegetables terrine, salads, white meat casseroles and risotto. Also delicious with Asian food and sushi.
From: Sardinia, Italy
Winery: Argiolas
Cost: $16.99
Year: 2011
Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet 2011
An excellent vintage which demonstrates the typicity of Picpoul. A beautiful and brilliant yellow robe with green tints.The aromas are fine and fruity ( citrus type eg mango , lemon). The wine is lively with a kind of acidity which is a mark of Picpoul de Pinet.
The round and rich aspect , supplied by the alcohol and glycerol in association with the nervousness of this wine gives a well balanced end product. There is a long and persistent aroma at the end of tasting. It is fresh and fine.–From their Website
From: Languedoc, France
Winery: Hugues Beaulieu
Cost: $10.99
Year: 2011
Goes with: Oysters from Bouzigues , sea food , fish and certain cheese
Honoro Vera Garancha 2010
Ripe cherry with garnet edge. Intense nose dominated by ripe fruits (raspberry, blackcurrant), balsamic sensations and a global fund with mineral aromas and spicy. A fruity wine, floral, fresh and easy drinking, tasty, producing the pleasant sensation of a sweet taste of fruit on the palate.
From: Calatayud, Spain
Winery: Bodegas Ateca
Cost: $8.99
Year: 2010
Goes with: Ideal with stews and casseroles, vegetables, rice, mushrooms, sausage, snouts and trotters, grilled mixed, short and medium cheeses healing, white meat and red sauce, broiled or grilled.
Montinore Borealis Blend 2011
Every time we worked with this wine the winery filled with the most beautiful aroma of fresh flowers and tropical fruit. Now that it’s in the bottle that theme has held true. The aroma practically covers the full fruit spectrum with notes of peach, yellow apple, pineapple and with bright citrus popping out,accented with whiffs of cut hay and fresh flowers. On the palate it starts with a soft, slightly sweet expression of ripe fruit of peach and pear with a crisp acid balance and citrus zing, which evolves to a delicious long, crisp finish of grapefruit and lime. –From their Website
From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
: Montinore Estate
Cost: $15.99
Year: 2011
Grapes: 38% Riesling, 24% Müller-Thurgau,23% Pinot Gris, 15% Gewürztraminer.
Comoloco Monastrell 2011
A young red wine. 100% Monastrell. The taste is ripe cherry. the nose stands out with a marvelous combination of floral aromas with remembrances of ripe fruit over a mineral finish. In the mouth it is fresh with sweet and ripe tannins and very balanced. It has a pleasant sour finish with notable persistence. –From their Website
From: Jumilla, Spain
Winery: Gil Family Estates
Cost: $9.99
Year: 2011
Ooh La La Chardonnay 2011
These wines were fermented clean and cold to ensure a slow fermentation, which preserves all of the fresh fruit characters. They were not aged in oak in order to maintain pristine flavors. Ooh La La Chardonnay is lush and juicy, with flavors of apple, tropical fruit, and vanilla.–From their Website
From: California
Winery: Ooh La La Wines
Cost: $9.99
Year: 2011
Ooh La La Pinot Grigio 2011
These wines were fermented clean and cold to ensure a slow fermentation, which preserves all of the fresh fruit characters. They were not aged in oak in order to maintain pristine flavors.. Ooh La La Pinot Grigio is crisp and fruity, with flavors of citrus, green apple, and melon. –From their Website
From: California
Winery: Ooh La La Wines
Cost: $9.99
Year: 2011
Ooh La La Rosé 2011
These wines were fermented clean and cold to ensure a slow fermentation, which preserves all of the fresh fruit characters. They were not aged in oak in order to maintain pristine flavors. Ooh La La Rosé is fresh and bright, with flavors of watermelon and strawberries.
From: California
Winery: Ooh La La Wines
Cost: $9.99
Year: 2011
Las Rocas Garnacha 2009
The vibrant red color of our 2009 Garnacha hints at its rich dark cherry and blackberry aromas and flavors. This well-structured wine integrates nuances of oak with round tannins to deliver a rich palate of decadent fruit flavors. By cold-soaking the grapes prior to fermentation, we extracted the full range of color and flavors for which Garnacha is widely renowned. We fermented the grapes for 15 days at temperatures between 75°F and 82°F. Malolactic fermentation softened the mouthfeel and added depth and nuance to the Garnacha. A portion of the wine was aged in French and American oak barrels for nearly one year. –From their Website
From: Calatayud, Spain
Winery: Las Rocas
Cost: $13.99
Year: 2009
Ghost Pines Red 2009
The inaugural vintage of our Ghost Pines Red Blend is a dark wine with rich aromas and flavors of blackberry and pepper, framed by hints of toast and leather on the nose. Flavors of dark berry, licorice and brown spice meld with notes of cedar and dried herb on the palate. Soft, round tannins give way to a long, lingering finish.–From their Website
From: Napa/Sonoma, California
Winery: Ghost Pines
Cost: $19.99
Year: 2009
Grapes: 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Petite Sirah, 22% Zinfandel, 10% Merlot, 6% Syrah.
