2017 DaMa Chardonnay

Happy Friday!  It was an eventful day of wine deliveries for me today as both the UPS and FedEx guys stopped by to deliver wines, so I had plenty of choices to open tonight.  I decided to open the 2017 DaMa Columbia Valley Chardonnay, simply because I'm not really a fan of white wines, but fortunately I was making something for dinner that I thought we definitely benefit from pairing with a Chardonnay, more on that later.  I will also admit that I'm a big fan of the artwork that DaMa incorporates on their labels, but this Chardonnay label has be scratching my head, as I'm not sure if it's the bride of Frankenstein or Marie Antoinette...though either would be appropriate "in times like these"!  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a crisp golden color in the glass, reminiscent of a field of buttercups.  The nose presents aromas of pear, pineapple and citrus (I'll admit when I first opened and poured a glass there was a strong alcohol aroma, but that dissipated after it opened up a bit in the glass).  The taste is a basket of summer fruit, with honeydew, kiwi and strawberry intermingled with white grapefruit that transitions to some dusty mineral notes midpalate.  The acidity is somewhat subdued, though the taste of this wine is nowhere close to the classic buttery Chardonnay, as it seems to be plowing it's own ground.  The finish is crisp but dry, with a lingering reprise of minerality.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, just because I am not really a fan of white wines, but I'm sure futures guests will enjoy my remaining bottles!  As for pairing, this would go well with summer salads, fresh fruit or a light pasta.  Tonight I am pairing this with some homemade ham and bean soup that's been simmering in the crock pot all day, along with some fresh cornbread (I really wish I had this yesterday as it was raining with a high of 43 and I just could not get warm yesterday no matter how hard I tried!)
.  The crispness and mineral notes offer a nice balance to the richness of the soup.  Cheers!

2011 Rose des Karantes

I have been a big fan of this producer since I met the winemaker at a tasting event in Grand Rapids in 2008, and at that time I bought a half case of the 2005 Diamant des Karantes, which to this day is one of the best examples of the Languedoc wine, aged for 18 months in new French oak and vinified in the tradition of La Clape, what a wonderful wine that truly brings out the terroir of the south of France.

Well, tonight we have a bottle of the 2011 Rose des Karantes, a wonderful blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, of my!  Well for those of you familiar, the GSM blend is foundation for many of the most wines from the south of France, including the wonderful Châteauneuf-du-Pape!  Well needless to say, wince I love the traditional red GSM blends, why wouldn't I like a rose?  After all, when it's 100 degrees outside, I could use a nice chilled wine with my meal!


The wine itself has a wonderful nose of fresh strawberry, green apple and melon.  The taste is clean and refreshing, with citrus tones and ripe summer fruit, particularly notes of strawberry and some kiwi, but it is not sweet!  Oh no!  This wine is very dry and crisp, the perfect accompaniment to any hot summer evening, like the one I'm enduring, I mean enjoying tonight!  For this wine, I easily rate it an 8, it is by far my favorite rose of the few I've tasted, and for a sale price of $9 how can you go wrong?


Speaking of accompaniments, tonight I am enjoying this wine with a meal inspired by my friends from Schuler Farms, who were at G.B. Russo's today where I bought this wine.  I love the folks at Schuler Farms as they always have the most wonderful produce that inspires the best in my cooking.  Thanks to them, I got some fresh dill today, and that inspired me to make some lemon dill cream sauce, but what could I put that on?  How about some alder planked salmon?  And maybe add some Klondike fingerling potatoes and some steamed purple asparagus and there you have it, the perfect meal to accompany this wonderful rose!