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A list
of wines recommended by group members.
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Robert Mondavi Private
Selection 2006 Meritage
It is a blend of 72% Cab, 10% Merlot, 10%
Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc.
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Sangiovese 2004 Luna
Vineyard Napa Valley
Fruity, very dark color.
Full flavor.
-
Leapfrögmilch
$14 Leap Frog Vineyard --
Napa Valley
Sweet almond and floral aromas,
with hints of spicy apple and creamy apricot. Flavors are
lively and balance crisp acidity with succulent fruit.
60-year old Riesling vines and Chardonnay. [Link]
-
Gnarly
-- Red Zinfandel (eighty year old
vines)
HyVee- Fremont $12.
recommended
by BNS
The older Zin vineyards in California
were planted before the use of modern trellising techniques
and were "head pruned", meaning the shoots that eventually
produce the grapes grow directly out of the head of the
trunk. The resulting vines look more like a bush than the
normally well-manicured rows of neatly trained along posts
and wires – and they do have "Gnarly Heads".
-
Ca' del solo -- Malvasia Bianca
[label]
Round and silky with a
heavenly bouquet of sweet key lime and jasmine.
Recommended by Amy.
Had this with Scallops Sorrentina (Seared sea
scallops, prosciutto and onion in light white wine - orange
cream sauce) at Biaggis
in Omaha.
-
Castle Rock
- 2002 Napa Valley Merlot
Rich and velvety with
flavors of blackberry, cocoa and spice.
Recommended by
Nathan. Had this with Salsiccia Pizza (Italian
sausage, tomato sauce, caramelized onion, and our blend of
four cheeses) at
Biaggis in Omaha.
-
Cabernet Sauvignon -
2002 Silver Ridge Vineyards Napa CA
suggested by TRM from trip to Chicago.
"The wine had substantial legs, an intoxicating light
summer floral aroma and was medium-bodied. It was as smooth
as the brulee that finished the meal off!"
Restaurant: Catch35
"We can’t rave loudly enough about the entire dining
experience – a MUST from now on for us when visiting
Chicago!"
Menu:
Baked Oysters w/Spinach, Pancetta & Asiago cheese.
Followed by, Organic Baby Lettuce w/Maytag Bleu Cheese
--- Sauteed
Alaska Halibut w/crabmeat with Portabella Mushrooms & Meuniere Sauce
--- Maine Lobster w/Wild Mushroom Ravioli, with Spinach & Mushrooms in a Light Cream Sauce.
Dessert consisted of an exquisite Crème Brulee Blanca; A
rich custard w/white chocolate, encrusted with a VERY thin
gold brown sugar and their signature Key Lime Pie
-
St. Croix -- Whiskey Run
Creek Vineyard & Winery
Bill suggested trying the 2003 St.Croix from Whiskey Run
Creek with Stilton. "It has some of the same sweetness as
a port wine."
-
Vouvray
tranquille sec tendre (Still soft dry Vouvray)
To attain good balance, a
Vouvray still wine needs to conserve a small amount of
residual sugar. That is what gives it roundness, fruitiness
in harmony with its slight acidity. Depending on the year,
it will be more or less round and soft, but it will always
be an expression of the Chenin.
Dishes they go well with:
fish, grilled or in a sauce, cold meats and salad starters.
www.cp-vouvray.com/indexus.htm
-
Alice White 2004
Lexia South Eastern
Australia
recommended
by TRM [ label
] www.alicewhite.com
The Alice
White Lexia was served with shrimp alfredo. We have also
enjoyed it with pork fillets prepared on the grill, lightly
seasoned. We found it to be a very light, smooth, and easy
to drink wine with hints of sweetness. Definitely not a dry
white, not a true dessert wine. Nothing like any other
white that I’ve tasted. It also is delightful with
dairy-based desserts such as cheesecake. It was served
lightly chilled but is actually more enjoyable at room
temperature. This discovery was made at No Frills in Blair
for $7.99 when I was looking for a light white to serve to
folks who aren’t particularly fond of wine of any type.
-
Hermanos Lurton 1997
Tempranillo Criznza Spain
recommended
by TRM [ label
]
I can't rave enough
about the Tempranillo…AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! This was outstanding.
The aromatic bouquet could be conjured up for another
“noseful” by gently swirling the glass to oxygenate the
contents. It was served with beef filet mignon prepared on
the grill, a hearty spinach salad and crusty baguette. It is
a dry-full bodied red and “fills” your entire mouth with
excitement. I discovered this at Spirit World at a wine
tasting that complimented a very creamy Havarti cheese and
some red grapes. It’s selling price was $7.99/bottle. WOW –
you won’t be disappointed in this if you love big, bold,
reds.
-
Conundrum Reserve
2003 California
Blended White Wine
recommended
by NKAB Suggested retail price
$24
We had this
wine at a great little restaurant downtown Little Rock,
Arkansas with fish and seafood pasta. It's a semi dry wine
with very fresh and fruity characteristics with many levels
of of delightful tastes.
As many as sixty distinctive lots of Chardonnay, Sauvignon
Blanc, Sémillon, Viognier and Muscat are blend to make this
wine.
- Lava
Cap Syrah 2000 Reserve
El Dorado California
Spirit World
$20
Lava Cap
winery and vineyards are located in El Dorado County, high
in the foothills of the magnificent Sierra Nevada.
- Kunde
Estate Winery Sonoma
Valley California
[label]
2000
Merlot recommended
by TRM Spirit World $18
We served this with an Italian meal
of spaghetti and meatballs, a hearty sourdough garlic
bread and a spinach salad. It complemented the tomato base
of the sauce well. It was substantial to the meal but
paired with it nicely.
Striking a wonderful
balance between fruit and oak, our 2000 Merlot is a
complex and concentrated wine with a supple core of ripe
cherry and plum fruit that is accented by toasty oak,
vanilla and butterscotch. Its silky texture is highlighted
on its lengthy, focused finish. 78% Merlot,
20% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Rosemount
Estate
Hill
of Gold
[label]
Shiraz 2002 Mudgee region of Australia
recommended by TRM
We enjoyed the Rosemount Estate
Mudgee Hill of Gold Shiraz with grilled tenderloin of
deer. It complimented the food wonderfully. It was deep,
tasting somewhat “thick” yet wonderfully smooth and
left a great finish. It was served room temperature.
This Shiraz has a deep,
rich colour immediately indicating an impressive
concentration of flavours. On the nose there are lifted
perfume and spice aromas with a deep core of plummy,
peppery fruit. The palate reveals velvety, ripe
fine-grained tannins, harmonising well with the oak and
seductively spicy fruit. The finish is rich and long, with
cinnamon, cloves and brambly wild fruit notes promising
much for an extended bottle maturation.
- Ironstone
Vineyards [label]
2000 Obsession
Symphony recommended by NKAB
We like it
with seafood. Last time we served Obsession with a
warm seafood mouse (scallops, trout, & fresh salmon)
peas & pearl onions and hollandaise sauce.
Made from Murphys and
Lodi vineyard Symphony grapes, is a white wine cultivar
developed in 1948 by Dr. Olmo (University of California,
Davis). It’s been the most thoroughly tested of all new
cultivars. Of plebeian ancestry, Muscat of Alexandria was
crossed with Grenache Gris. The result is a wine with
delicate Muscat flavor and aroma. Symphony shows an
unusual resistance to oxidation. At cellar temperature,
Obsession maintains its light color, flavor, and bouquet
for 10 or more years in the bottle.
- Lamarette Merlot
[label]
A Red French Table
Wine recommended by
NKAB
About $6.50 - $7.00 a bottle. purchase
We served
these with herb encrusted rack of lamb. A good
match.
This
classic Merlot offers a superb experience for all your
senses. The intense deep brick color suggests a bouquet of
plum, blackberry and currant with notes of earth and
spice. You'll immediately detect superior winemaking from
the smooth supple caress of silky tannins on the palate.
The flavor is juicy -- luscious berry fruit with hints of
pepper and smoke.
- Beringer
Chenin Blanc
[label]
California
recommended by NKAB
Generally about $5 a bottle
We often
serve this with our Leek
& Brie Appetizer Pizza made with leeks, brie
cheese, walnuts, lime and green pepper corns. (Some
times we drink Gins & Tonics with Brie Pizza too.)
Aromas and flavors of
ripe apricot, peaches and melon balanced by crisper notes
of citrus from grapes grown in California's prime grape
growing areas.
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