T-Day Throwdown: 3 Dessert Wines Take Bird Down!

Muscat de Minervois made here

Largenex and tBoW lugged enough wines to stuff a bird. The diners drank and munched, took a break, then they dined and munched some more. We ran through a dozen red and white wines the most notable of which are singled out below. However, the dessert wines like the desserts stole the show.

2005 du Gravaillas Douce Providence Languedoc Muscat De St Jean Minervois $16: Golden yellow color. Fortified dessert wine made from Muscat de Minervois. Muscat has been growing in Minerve for 1000 years. This is a difficult wine for tBoW to find. However, when I do Mrs. tBoW is very happy. Honey and clover flavors. Not thick. Alcohol is completely wedded within the wine. Fabulous. 13%

2010 Robert & Bernard Plageoles Le Loin de L’Oeil $19: This is beautiful dessert wine with strong orange and peach flavors. Has been made from an ancient grape grown for centuries in the Occitan region of France. The varietal has been used forever to make sweet wines. I agree 100% with the following review. “It’s an intense, sweet, peachy and citric wine and aromatically lifted in the Sauternes vein…Its yield is decimated by botrytis and surrenders just 25 hl/ha worth of fragrant golden, citrus-scented juice.” Nuff said. 11%

Maya in deep snort

2002 Babcock Vineyards Gewurztraminer Cuvee Sublime

$20: Rusty red color. Smells and tastes like a Sauternes with enough years to turn color. Quite a contrast to the other yellow dessert wines. 12%

All three wines above were spectacular winning praise from snobs and slobs alike.

Of the three wines above the latter can be found around town.

Look for it!

Red and white wines that made the grade on Turkey Day 2012.

1994 Theo Schmitz-Schwaab Riesling Auslese Wehlener Sonnenuhr $xx: From Garagiste. Think of German Rieslings old and young as yoga for wine tasting. A great way to get the palate going. Would have liked a bit more acid. This wine has plenty of life. We will wait another few years to see if the acid emerges. 8%.

2009 Wind Gap Lucques Blanc $20: The sales guy said this is made “In the orange style.” Well the color is a bit orange-ish which comes from the wine staying on the lees – contact with the skins – through fermentation. It’s the flavors that capture interest. Lots of acid. Kind of lean like Sicilian wines often are. Curious. Rhone blend of 60% Viognier, 20% Marsanne (often citric), and 20% Roussanne. We liked it. 13%

Taylor liked the sweeties

2007 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga d’Alba$28: Brick color. Scallions on the nose. Deep dark fruit. Substantial flavors, tannins. Tastes like Nebbiolo. Needs time maybe 45 minutes to open. 45 minutes later we were sprawled on the sofa out of time. Largenex says he picked it up at Costco. Biggest wine of the meal. 14%

2002 Ridge California Zinfandel Late Picked Pagani Ranch $??: Not actually a “field blend” wine although it has the right varietals with 989% Zinfandel, 7% Alicante Bousche and 4% Petite Sirah. Aloe on the nose and in the mouth. So it is somewhat aromatic. Still has ripe zin fruit flavors and some muscularity. The alcohol is not so noticeable which seemed unusual. If this bottle is in your cellar it is time to open it. 15.8%

2010 Cold Heaven Queenscup Pinot Noir $50: Morgan Clendenen makes formidable wines. We are quite fond of her Viognier which we ignored ignorantly for years. Now we are beginning to try her Pinot Noir wines. This premium blend – only the best goes into the Queen’s Cup – is a meaty wine for a Pinot Noir. Nothing femmy here. But is it regal? Dark cherry robe and flavors. Long and sweet lingering finish like a regent should be. This wine gave the turkey some shiatsu like my sister once tried to throw on me. Yow! Bet this wine can go 10 years. 15%

2007 Château Grande Cassagne Costières-De-Nîmes ‘S’ Les Rameaux $10: The producer makes this Syrah and a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. If the blend is as tasty as the Syrah we are ready to pull the cork. This was the perfect bottle in which to drown your bird. Cranberry nose and flavors. The acid is just enough to keep the meal trim and it handles the trimmings too. This is not a $50 wine masquerading as a $15 wine but it is dark, thick and easy to swallow. From the heart of the Languedoc lowlands. U20 deal. Robert Kacher selection which is another plus. Syrah 13.5%

How was your turkey dining experience? What wines did you open and like?

5 Comments

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    Adri says:

    Well, what a sumptuous lineup. I bet a good time was had by all. I am particularly intrigued, as you can no doubt guess, by the Fontatafredda Barolo, it being Italian and all that. I must get a hold of a bottle. Thanks for another fine and informative post.

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      Bacchus says:

      Adri mi dolcetti. The Fontanafredda was OK. I also had a 2003 Paolo Scavino recently that left the same impression. These are labeled Barolo which means they use the fruit not good enough to go into the vineyard designations. It means I am spoiled from having had too many vineyard Baroli to settle for the basic label. Snobby I know. But just the fax ma’am. Hey…my next post includes a recipe just for you (!!) from an evening of wining and dining Italian style this week.

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    Chrisses says:

    You really think the acid will “emerge” after 18 years?

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