Undivided Chardonnay (2015) Wine Review

Undivided. Honestly, I swear it was by sheer coincidence that this happened to be my Wine Wednesday feature this week. But as ironic as it may be, I find the name most fitting. Perhaps we can all come together over a lovely glass of wine – the 2015 Undivided Chardonnay.

The label indicates that this is a product of France. It is most common in French wine that the label indicates the appellation (where the grapes were grown). In this case, it does not which leads me to believe that this wine was not bottled at the vineyard but rather at a large facility which may not actually be in the appellation where the grapes were grown, or that it’s a product comprised of the grapes or wines from several producers.

In the glass, it is the color of light golden straw. On the nose, notes of tropical fruit, melon and almond. The mouthfeel is silky and buttery as the wine reveals well-balanced acidity on the finish. On the palate there are subtle woody notes, though not necessarily oak. This wine has spent very little time if any in oak barrels.

We enjoyed this with Salmon with Dill Sauce. Try also with Italian Chicken Veggie Wraps. Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions.

Salmon with Dill Sauce

Italian Chicken Veggie Wraps

Jean Claude Debeaune Macon- Villages Domaine Lenoir 2012 Wine Review

“Anything but Chardonnay!” For the longest time (and I have to admit even today to an extent) this quote speaks to my white wine preferences.  That is unless I am viewing a wine list and can select the Chardonnay.  Most often when I’m in a situation where the wine choices are limited it seems Chardonnay is the white wine option and it typically is a CA Chardonnay which generally are aged in new oak and are too toasted for my taste. However, thankfully, I’ve learned in time to not judge the varietal by the way it is treated.

Today’s Wine Wednesday feature is a White Burgundy, the 2012 Jean Claude Debeaune Macon-Villages Domaine Lenoir. The primary white varietal in the Burgundy region of France is Chardonnay. This particular wine comes from the Maconnais area of Burgundy. The Chardonnay or White Burgundy from this area is typically “unoaked”, so if you shy away from Chardonnay because of oak, you may want to try this wine.

On the nose, pear and tropical fruit. On the palate, a pleasant minerality and crisp clean finish with notes of citrus.

Pair this wine with Chicken and Dumplings or Seafood Penne Alfredo. Click the links below to print or save the recipe paring suggestions.

Chicken and Dumplings

Seafood Penne Alfredo

Remy Pannier Rosé ď Anjou 2014 Wine Review

“The only thing appealing about Rosé is its color”. While at a wine tasting event this past weekend this is what another lady in attendance said when the person conducting the tasting poured a Rosé. It set me back when the person conducting the tasting agreed with her. GASP! How unfair, how untrue! If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’re aware that in the past I too have been judgmental when it comes to Rosé which for the longest time would conjure up memories of my Grandmother’s holiday wine choice of Paul Masson sold in a carafe shaped bottle with a metal lid. I still shudder at the thought.

In recent years I’ve made a point to explore Rosé wines and though the color is quite lovely, I've found it’s not just another pretty face. I’ve realized one shouldn’t paint with so wide a brush. Actually, some of you may have fond memories of Paul Masson.  I’ve learned Rosé wines vary greatly just like red or white and can be comprised of many different varietals other than Zinfandel.

As I stood at the tasting, I was thinking about this week’s Wine Wednesday feature that I had just enjoyed the night before. The 2014 Remy Pannier Rosé ď Anjou is from the Loire Valley of France. The wine takes its name from its location of origin, Anjou the former French county. This wine is a blend of 70% Grolleau, 20% Gamay and 10% Cabernet Franc. Though all are dark skinned grapes the salmon color of this wine is likely achieved by the skin contact method where the juice is exposed to the dark skins for a limited period of time.

This is an off-dry wine with notes of strawberry and citrus blossom and a pronounced minerality. It starts slightly sweet on the tongue and finishes with a lovely crisp acidity. Because of the minerality I think it would make a great pairing with fish or shellfish and because it is off-dry it could be wonderful with spicy dishes.  We enjoyed it with Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia. Try it with Grilled Squid Tacos with Pineapple Slaw and a spicy Thai Remoulade. Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions. 

Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia

Grilled Squid Tacos with Pineapple Slaw and Thai Remoulade

Ropiteau Bourgogne Pinot Noir (2013) Wine Review

ABV (alcohol by volume), this is what caught my eye on the label of this week’s Wine Wednesday feature the 2013 Ropiteau Bourgogne Pinot Noir.

All wine labels display the percentage of alcohol by volume. What does this mean?  If the label says Alcohol by Volume 12%, that means if you were to separate the alcohol from the rest of the liquid in the bottle, 12% of it would be alcohol.  It is a good idea to be mindful of this when you are consuming wine or any other alcoholic beverage for that matter, because it does matter. My point here is not all wine is the same. There is a significant difference between a wine that is 11% ABV vs. one that is 15% ABV. The more experienced you become in tasting wine, you can usually detect those that are higher in alcohol. 

What caught my eye with this label is something that I don’t believe I’ve ever seen before.  They listed a range of ABV, 11% to 14%.  Does it vary from bottle to bottle? Interesting. For what it’s worth, my thoughts in this case or with this bottle anyway is that it was on the lower end of the spectrum.

In many ways this wine drinks to me like a Beaujolais (another region and different varietal) but I found it to be a light bodied red similar in style to a Beaujolais. This wine is fermented in stainless steel than aged in oak for 6 months resulting in light tannins.  On the nose, notes of cassis, blackberry, violet and cedar. 

The beautiful burgundy colored wine (from which the color takes its name) offered flavors of raspberry, blackberry and flint. I found it to be a very well balanced wine though with a shorter finish than I would prefer. We enjoyed this with Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs one night and Italian Street Fair Crepes the next. Try also with quail or other game birds. Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions.

Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs (oven roasting directions included)

Italian Street Fair Crepes

Michel Gassier Viognier (2014) Wine Review

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”. I loved this quote from the company’s website of this week’s Wine Wednesday feature the 2014 Michel Gassier Viognier. Committed to organic farming, they strive to allow the terroir to speak through their wines. The terroir in this case is that of the Languedoc-Roussillon sub region in the southernmost coastal region of mainland France, bordering Spain and the Mediterranean Sea.

On the nose; stone fruit, fresh herbs and vanilla.  On the palate; a slightly rounder mouthfeel than expected - evidence of malolactic fermentation. For this wine the winemaker blends wine that has not undergone malolactic fermentation with wine that has undergone malolactic fermentation to create the desired balance. Each year the blend can vary depending on what the terroir bestows.

I often think of Viognier as a “winter white” since it tends to be a fuller bodied white wine. This is that, but yet it has a citrus note, perhaps due to the blending that makes it great for midsummer pairing.

Enjoy with Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs and Creamy Onion Potato Bake or a 7 Layer Mezze.  To print or save the recipes, click the links below.

Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs

 Creamy Onion Potato Bake

7 Layer Mezze

Domaine de la Fruitière Muscadet Sèvre & Maine sur lie “Gneiss de Bel Abord” - 2014 Wine Review

Sur Lie, French for “on lees” is something I learned more about because of this week’s Wine Wednesday feature the 2014 Domaine de la Fruitière Muscadet Sèvre & Maine sur lie “Gneiss de Bel Abord”. I’ve been exploring Muscadet and it was the mouthfeel of this one that stood out, For a light bodied wine, it had a noticeably round, silky, more viscous mouthfeel than others I’ve had -  giving it more structure and making it quite pleasing. Aging sur lie is quite common with Muscadet, but it was this particular Muscadet that caused me to take notice.

In winemaking, sur lie means that the wine is aged on its lees (grape or yeast). In this case, the lees are yeast particles that settle to the bottom of the vat.  During this process the yeast particles break down releasing sugars and proteins that interact with the wine chemistry. This can enhance the structure as well as the aromas and flavors of the wine. This wine, was aged on the lees or “sur lie” for 5 months.

From the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Appellation (between the Sèvre and Maine rivers) in the Loire Valley of France, the wine is 100% Melon de Bourgogne.  On the nose -  slightly floral (orange blossom)  salinity and minerality.  On the palate, silky giving way to a crisp acidity with a lingering finish. We enjoyed this with Pan Sautéed Halibut seasoned lightly with salt, pepper and paprika over a wild rice medley and a side of grilled asparagus. Enjoy as an aperitif and with a Grilled shrimp cocktail or with Clams alla Puttanesca. To print or save the recipe pairing suggestions, click the links below.

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail

Clams alla Puttanesca

Fragile Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes Rosé - 2014 Wine Review

Fragile? My eye! This week’s Wine Wednesday feature the 2014 Fragile Rosé Vin de Pays (Vin de Pays is a step in the French wine classification above table wine) des Cotes Catalanes (Languedoc-Roussillian region of Southern France) reminds me that looks can be deceiving. Of course, by the name and pretty pink color (the hue that lines a prize sea shell found when combing a secluded beach), I was expecting something light, delicate and refreshing.

First off, it took me a minute to ponder just how to open it.  I loved the fact that I could see the cork and the text on it through the bottle - fun.  At first I thought it may be a zork closure, but that quickly proved incorrect.  So, what else could I do, I started in with the corkscrew through the black plastic cap.  As it went in, the black cracked and fell away from the bottle – perhaps that’s the fragile part in all of this.

I had chilled this blend ( predominantly Grenache with a little Syrah and Carignan) as is preferred with rosè,  and swirled at first with little hint of anything on the nose.  After a little time there was a nice salinity (or was it just me thinking about sea shells) and subtle watermelon as well as strawberry, but the strawberries were how they smell just after picking, where the scent of the soil and the vines are still present. The salinity is likely due to the sea breezes from the Mediterranean coast and not just my imagination.

On the palate, fruit forward and slightly sweet on the tip of the tongue giving way to a crisp acidic and mineral finish. The finish was moderate in length but then I felt that warmth, you know the kind you get from a big red wine, the kind that usually accompanies a wine with high alcohol content. This caused me to check the label. 15.3% alcohol by volume.  Wow, not what I’m used to in  rosé. This one could sneak up on you.  The wine could benefit from decanting and once allowed to open up, as expected, it became more aromatic.

I usually would suggest a rosè as an apéritif or with lighter fare, but the alcohol content here prescribes something a little bolder.  An exception may be Garden Fresh Guacamole. The fatty avocado could be a lovely contrast. Try also with Pan Fried Pork Chops with Chismol or Pimento Cheese Mac ‘n Cheese. To print or save the recipe pairing suggestions, click the links below.

Garden Fresh Guacamole

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Chismol

Pimento Cheese Mac 'n Cheese

2010 Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supérieur

Because I tend to have an affinity for blends, it would only seem natural that my curiosity for wine would ultimately gravitate toward Bordeaux – perhaps it should have started there. So for the second week in a row, I'll share a Bordeaux. Bordeaux wines after all, for the most part, are inherently blends either red or white.  Red Bordeaux are generally either predominantly Merlot or predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon.  Those that are predominantly Merlot are considered “right bank” and those predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon are considered “left bank”. 

The main river in Bordeaux is the Gironde.  Two smaller rivers, the Dordogne and the Garonne, feed into it. Together, the rivers are shaped almost like an upside-down Y. If you're standing in Bordeaux facing west, toward the ocean, the "Left Bank" is south of the Garonne and Gironde rivers, and the "Right Bank" is north of the Dordogne and Gironde Rivers. (The area in between is known as Entre-Deux-Mers.)

The left bank vineyards are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and the right by Merlot. It should be mentioned that other varietals that can be added to red Bordeaux wines in addition to Cabermet Sauvigon and Merlot are Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

This week’s Wine Wednesday feature the 2010 Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supérieur is an example of a red, right bank Bordeaux, predominantly Merlot (70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc). How can you tell by looking at the bottle if it’s right or left bank?  Well, you sort of need to know the region. On the back of the bottle it indicates this wine is from Saint - Émilion an AOC in the Bordeaux region, which is right bank, thus likely this wine is predominantly Merlot.

On the nose - blackberry, violet and a hint of spice. On the palate, raspberry, moderate tannins (right bank are usually less tannic than left bank Bordeaux wines) and a touch of cocoa on the lingering finish.  We enjoyed this with Jambalaya one night and with Grilled Lamb Chops over Wild Mushroom Couscous and sides of Grilled Marinated Portobello and Asparagus the next. 

To print or save the recipe pairing suggestions click the links below.

Jambalaya

Grilled Lamb Chops

2011 Château Haute-La Péreyre

This Wine Wednesday, I chose a Bordeaux. A Bordeaux wine is any wine that is from the Bordeaux region of France which is centered around the city of Bordeaux. A Bordeaux is generally made with a blend of grapes. The red Bordeaux are either predominantly Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2011 Chateau Haut-La Péreyre Bordeaux Superior is a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon; however Bordeaux wines can be a blend of many different varietals.

This one being labeled Bordeaux Superieur simply means that the grapes may be sourced from all over the region and are usually sourced from older, more mature vines.

On the nose, I found this to be highly expressive with notes of dark fruit, violet and subtle hints of forest floor and baking spice. Once the wine was allowed to open up it was very well balanced with moderate tannins and a lingering finish.

We enjoyed this with my Bistro Burgers and I used some in the burgers themselves. It would also be great with a grilled steak - substitute this wine for the burgundy in my Burgundy Mushrooms and serve them along side. To print or save my pairing suggestions, click the links below.

Brittany's Bistro Burger

Grilled New York Strip with Burgundy Mushrooms

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

La Vidaubanaise Vin de Pays Maures Rosé

Did you ever look at a bottle of wine or a wine on a wine list and avoid it because you didn’t know how to pronounce the name? Well, unless you are fluent in French, at least where your wine vocabulary is concerned, this week’s Wine Wednesday feature, the non-vintage La  Vidaubanaise Vin de Pays des Maures Rosé could be one of those.  

So, let’s break it down. La Vidaubanaise (pronounced la Vee doh ban aze) is a wine co-op of independent vineyards that ban together to produce wine – the winemaker. Vin de Pays (pronounced Van duh payee ) translates as "wine of the regions".  Vin de Pays or regional wines are the third rank of French wines. However, that doesn't mean they can't be great wines! Vine de pays Maures (Mohr) - where this wine is from -  is an area outside of the  French AOC approved Provence growing areas, but still inside Provence.

This rosé is a blend of 40% Carignan, 30% Cinsault, 15% Cabernet and 15% Ugni-Blanc. The color,  a beautiful pale pink salmon.  The color is due to the juice having limited contact with the skins of the grapes.

On the nose (do not miss the nose on this one) sweet, very floral (cherry blossom) and strawberry along with subtle minerality.  On the palate, first, pronounced minerality giving way to supple fruit and a dry crisp finish. This is a great summer wine for an outdoor get together with friends. At around $10 a bottle you can invite several friends.

Try with light Mexican fair like Grilled Chicken Tacos or Grilled Squid Tacos with Purple Pineapple Slaw. Add some of my Garden Fresh Guacamole to the mix and you have a real Fiesta!To print or save the recipe pairing suggestions, click the links below:

Grilled Chicken Tacos

Grilled Squid Tacos with Purple Pineapple Slaw

Garden Fresh Guacamole