As I’ve mentioned before, while I generally prefer Old World style wines, with lower alcohol content, less concentrated fruit, softer tannin, brighter acidity, and more expression of terroir, sometimes I get the crave for bigger, bolder New World wines.
This weekend I had two fantastic examples of California wine - one white and one red.
The 2010 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, made of grapes from both Napa and Somona, is a delicious white perfect for summer months. It’s a pale straw color with characteristics of citrus, particularly mandarin orange, peach, some grass, and mineral, and very clean and lovely with bright acidity and a nice finish. I had never tasted any wine from Spottswoode before and was very impressed.
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| 2010 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc |
The other California wine was the 2006 Napa Petite Sirah from the perennially dependable Stag’s Leap. After several years in the bottle, it’s still quite youthful with its deep purple color and still pinkish rim. It shows characteristics of dark fruit, stewed berry, plum, some wild fruit, purple blossoms, bitter chocolate, smooth spices, oak, and warm earth. It has nice acidity and the tannins are still quite firm and present. The wine is delicious and fortunately it’s so easy to find in shops.
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| 2006 Stag’s Leap Petite Sirah |
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