BRING IT ON!! Memorial Day Mash #2
As they say in the blippin teen franchise Bring It On movies…it’s already been brung…al fresco dinner party hosted by Dr. and Mrs. Dotor√©. Four couples with open minds and palates giving the tBoW team a clear shot at tasting wines we like to drink OR anything we care to pull from the cellar. The guests are in training and bring what they can find in a decent wine shop that might keep up in the wineocracy.
2006 Mas Amiel Le Plaisir Rosé $15: NBW selection, sweet, lipstick and strawberries. Grenache Noir, Carignane and Syrah. 13%
2006 Tablas Creek Bergeron $20: Screw top, 100% Rousanne, not too ripe, melons, smoke, flinty, even Dotor√© gives an excellent Paso wine its due. Here are notes from the Tablas Creek blog that describes why this version [ed. 250 cs only available to wine club members] is differs from the Estate Rousanne. “Each year, we make a little early-picked, cool-microclimate Roussanne in the style in which it’s made in the Savoie region in France (where the Roussanne grape is known as “Bergeron”). This citrusy, higher-acid version of Roussanne is great with fresh seafood, oysters on the half-shell, and fresh cheeses”. 13.5%
2004 Don Luis Cetto Viognier $15: Big hit with Guadalupe Valley wine fans, sauvignon blanc-like in its absence of ripe fruit. In fact, not a lot of fruit at all. Feline. Riesling-like petroleum nose. Delicious, palate-filling, hint of citrus, opens up in 20 minutes, lime comes through. A bit earthy and dusty to me. A large house Guadalupe wine with a fine rep. When you are there get the olive oil. 14%
2006 Barraud M√¢con-Chaintr√© “Les Pierres Polies” $20: NBW again. Tastes like chardonnay without the tropical fruit or banana notes. Middle weight. Oak, rich. Fruit for a young Burg. Re-buy. 13.5%
2006 ZD California Chardonnay $25: Mainstream Napa chardonnay. Much of Napa chardonnay is being pulled up. This is rich wine in light oak. Ripe fruit, restrained. No tropical fruit flavors. Too restrained. They left out the excitement here. 13.5%
2003 Drew Julia’s Vineyard $: NOT Santa Rita Hills pinot noir. Santa Maria Valley PN. Powerful spices in the nose. Thyme, sage. Spicy flavors too. Dotor√© says Drew wines are often idiosyncratic. Try it with turkey chili. Would be great with Thanksgiving dinner! Could handle the cranberry. [ed. found the Gatekeepers label which is also very nice and more widely available wine] 80 cases. 14.5%
2006 Ca’ D’Gal Lunine Moscato d’Asti $18: Think of these wines like the Bring It On movies. Summer fun. Lightweight. Zingy and refreshing [ed. that crosses the line]. A little fizz and some difference in the fruit profile. I am linking to the NBW site where they say nice smart things about this wine. I feel like a total cheer slut. Arguably one could match the wines to the cheer-characters. This one tastes like apples and has a good acid zing. The Morandini still stands at the top and Bartenura at the lower end of the scale. However, like the movie kids say in IM-ese…BIO! 5%
Back to the cheer-ocracy…[ed. you do mean the Wine Spectator? IMO nyuk nyuk]