Sippin' Around the World
Sip ‘n Spin
So, it was Tuesday, and in New Orleans, that means I drag Jason to the $10 per person tasting of six wines with some music and a DJ at Sip, the aforementioned favorite wine shop of mine. Mind you, as I write this I’m sitting in the Rue de la Course coffee shop right next door hoping that I could just sit outside with a bottle of wine. But it’s trash day and is a little stinky outside, plus, I don’t know if they’d like it if just little me would down a bottle of rosé alone. Anyway, last night it was a flight around the world accompanied by world music. Get ready for takeoff!
Blanck Pinot Blanc d’Alsace 2004
• Alsace, France
• 100% Pinot Blanc—You’ve loved pinot grigio/gris, then you saw Sideways and tried pinot noir, now you’ve come to the rogue sister of the two, she’s short, pointed, and has a nice sass.
• In the aroma I got a clean brightness, a piercing sharp slate sort of aroma, nice, not unpleasant at all.
• I loved this wine, it was crisp, light (but not too light) a little minerally, and had a quick, short, and dry finish. I’d be great with oysters or a nice broiled piece of white fish and some broccoli or asparagus.
• $16.99
• 12.5% alcohol/volume
Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2004
• Margaret River, Australia
• 49 % Sauvignon Blanc & 49% Semillon (the classic Bordeaux white blend), and 2% Chardonnay
• 13.7% Alcohol/volume
• Nice deep straw yellow
• A little but of a smokey aroma with nice bright tart apple-y edges.
• Like apple smoked bacon—nice but I couldn’t only handle a couple of pieces. And I totally disagree with the website’s tasting notes. I’d pass—too much new oak, I’d say.
• $12.99
Ercavio White Blend 2004
• Spain
• Xarel-lo, Macabeo (the locals), and Sauvignon Blanc (the trendy foreigner)
• Interesting aroma, bright, almost minty citrus qualities to it, with a bit of toasty qualities.
• Wow—the winemaker really let those malolactic bacteria loose on this sucker. Super-creamy! A little of that light citrus/tart apple quality, and the lady pouring said a hint of mint, which I could agree with. Jason loved the creaminess, and I liked it, but want a little more pleasant acidity in my whites for summer. I call it limpid and a tad flabby. But my second favorite white of the night.
• $12.50
Tango Malbec 2003
• Argentina
• Malbec (As you can tell, I can’t find too much information on this wine.)
• This wine had a little fruitiness in the shnoz, and a tad of tannic spiciness, but was a little closed.
• The taste was very cheap light to medium bodied American café wine, although the biting tannins were sort of nice, it was too thin and simple, and we got sick of it in the glass. I thought I was going to feel this way about all the reds of the night, but, as you’ll see, did not. A little too much new oak for my taste, too. Pity, the last Malbec I had at a Sip tasting was phenomenal.
• $9.99
Maculan Brentino 2003
• Italy
• 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
• A super-Tuscan! The nose was very lusciously fruity, lots of blueberry, currant, cherry goodness.
• The taste, mmm. It was nice, full, balanced, complex, with amazing yet not atomic fruit, a nice long finish and a little spice, which I needed. Medium-long finish. Would be great with any rich tomatoey Italian sauce. Good to glug into a pan of some Newman’s Own Sockarooni sauce.
• I don’t know the exact alcohol content, but it wasn’t evidently too hot.
• $18.50
Pedroncelli Cabernet 2002
• Sonoma County, California
• 76 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Sangiovese, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot
• Aroma of nice fruit, black cherry, currant qualities, and a little sort of nutty tobacco on the nose, too.
• In the mouth it was much more expensive than ten bucks. A definite bargain for the balance of fruit and spice, and not to heavy-handed on the new oak. Great for parties or with chocolate or any sort of yummy hearty winter-y food.
• 13.7% Alcohol/volume
• $9.99
So, it was Tuesday, and in New Orleans, that means I drag Jason to the $10 per person tasting of six wines with some music and a DJ at Sip, the aforementioned favorite wine shop of mine. Mind you, as I write this I’m sitting in the Rue de la Course coffee shop right next door hoping that I could just sit outside with a bottle of wine. But it’s trash day and is a little stinky outside, plus, I don’t know if they’d like it if just little me would down a bottle of rosé alone. Anyway, last night it was a flight around the world accompanied by world music. Get ready for takeoff!
Blanck Pinot Blanc d’Alsace 2004• Alsace, France
• 100% Pinot Blanc—You’ve loved pinot grigio/gris, then you saw Sideways and tried pinot noir, now you’ve come to the rogue sister of the two, she’s short, pointed, and has a nice sass.
• In the aroma I got a clean brightness, a piercing sharp slate sort of aroma, nice, not unpleasant at all.
• I loved this wine, it was crisp, light (but not too light) a little minerally, and had a quick, short, and dry finish. I’d be great with oysters or a nice broiled piece of white fish and some broccoli or asparagus.
• $16.99
• 12.5% alcohol/volume
Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2004
• Margaret River, Australia
• 49 % Sauvignon Blanc & 49% Semillon (the classic Bordeaux white blend), and 2% Chardonnay
• 13.7% Alcohol/volume
• Nice deep straw yellow
• A little but of a smokey aroma with nice bright tart apple-y edges.
• Like apple smoked bacon—nice but I couldn’t only handle a couple of pieces. And I totally disagree with the website’s tasting notes. I’d pass—too much new oak, I’d say.
• $12.99
Ercavio White Blend 2004
• Spain
• Xarel-lo, Macabeo (the locals), and Sauvignon Blanc (the trendy foreigner)
• Interesting aroma, bright, almost minty citrus qualities to it, with a bit of toasty qualities.
• Wow—the winemaker really let those malolactic bacteria loose on this sucker. Super-creamy! A little of that light citrus/tart apple quality, and the lady pouring said a hint of mint, which I could agree with. Jason loved the creaminess, and I liked it, but want a little more pleasant acidity in my whites for summer. I call it limpid and a tad flabby. But my second favorite white of the night.
• $12.50
Tango Malbec 2003
• Argentina
• Malbec (As you can tell, I can’t find too much information on this wine.)
• This wine had a little fruitiness in the shnoz, and a tad of tannic spiciness, but was a little closed.
• The taste was very cheap light to medium bodied American café wine, although the biting tannins were sort of nice, it was too thin and simple, and we got sick of it in the glass. I thought I was going to feel this way about all the reds of the night, but, as you’ll see, did not. A little too much new oak for my taste, too. Pity, the last Malbec I had at a Sip tasting was phenomenal.
• $9.99
Maculan Brentino 2003• Italy
• 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
• A super-Tuscan! The nose was very lusciously fruity, lots of blueberry, currant, cherry goodness.
• The taste, mmm. It was nice, full, balanced, complex, with amazing yet not atomic fruit, a nice long finish and a little spice, which I needed. Medium-long finish. Would be great with any rich tomatoey Italian sauce. Good to glug into a pan of some Newman’s Own Sockarooni sauce.
• I don’t know the exact alcohol content, but it wasn’t evidently too hot.
• $18.50
Pedroncelli Cabernet 2002
• Sonoma County, California
• 76 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Sangiovese, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot
• Aroma of nice fruit, black cherry, currant qualities, and a little sort of nutty tobacco on the nose, too.
• In the mouth it was much more expensive than ten bucks. A definite bargain for the balance of fruit and spice, and not to heavy-handed on the new oak. Great for parties or with chocolate or any sort of yummy hearty winter-y food.
• 13.7% Alcohol/volume
• $9.99
posted by Marty at 1:30 PM
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