2021 Feu Follet Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rose

Happy Sunday!  It's been a somewhat relaxing day as my cooking was largely completed this morning - more on that in a minute.  And now, for the second time in as many weeks, I've reached back to the wines of summer for an appropriate wine pairing for this evening.  The 2021 Feu Follet Coteaux d'Aix en Provence rose is a blend of Grenache Noir (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Carignan (20%) and Syrah (10%), and yes, I know that adds up to 110%, but it's what the label said so I don't have the information to correct the percentages, so we'll go with it (incidentally, this is the first time I've ever encountered a percentage blend that did not add up correctly!).  I bought this wine from Wines Till Sold Out last summer, meaning to enjoy it on the patio, but alas better late than never, so let's see how it's tasting in the winter.

The wine is a lovely peach color in the glass, which seemed to be the trend for 2021 roses.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of citrus and strawberry, with undertones of lemon and hints of apple over the top.  Take a sip and flavors of melon, apple and peach dance on your tongue before easing into some modest mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is at first crisp, but then it smooths out to a lingering dryness.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it continues to evolve as you sip, and makes me sad that I didn't enjoy this wine while the patio furniture was still out.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer fare, from burgers and barbecue, to summer salads and seafood.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some split pea soup that's been simmering in the crock pot all day, made from the ham bone left over from the Christmas party, the richness of the soup is a perfect foil for this wine.  Cheers!

2020 DaMa Wines Chardonnay

Happy Sunday!  It's fall, so that means every weekend that it doesn't rain I'm spending at least one afternoon gathering leaves and putting them out in the street for pickup, and so that's how I spent my afternoon today.  But at least the weather was gorgeous, with lots of sun and highs in the upper 70s, I got one last chance to work in the yard in shorts.  And now that I'm done, I'm ready to sit down for Sunday dinner, which has been roasting as I was working.  And to go with it, I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2020 Chardonnay, which is sourced from the Conner Lee Vineyard in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this unusual white wine for me to review is tasting!

The wine is a pale gold color in the glass, and a gentle swirl reveals aromas of faint lemon citrus, hints of pear and pineapple, suggesting a much more fruit forward Chardonnay than the classic butter bombs.  Take a sip and it's like you've washed ashore on a tropical island, with a rush of pineapple, mango and hibiscus that capture your imagination as you follow the flavor adventure to some vanilla cream notes on the finish, which is crisp and dry.

I am not a but white wine fan, and many Chardonnays I find very one dimensional, but this one is really a pleasant drinking wine that's sure to please a wide crowd of wine drinkers.  For that, I would happily rate this wine a solid 9, perhaps the highest rating I've ever given a white wine.  This wine would pair well with a wide range of dishes, from halibut to classic fish tacos, moules frites or Thai curry, but tonight I am enjoying this with a classic Sunday dinner of roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy, along with some asparagus with Hollandaise.  Cheers!

2021 Belles d'Eguilles Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé

Happy Sunday!  I haven't posted in a bit since between fighting a cold and an incredibly busy time at work, I just haven't had the opportunity.  But tonight that changes as I've opened a bottle from a rosé four-pack that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out, what better way to enjoy some nice summer wines from Provence?  The 2021 Belles d'Eguilles Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan from Provence in the south of France.  So, let's see what the Mediterranean rosé has to offer!

The wine is a very pale peach color in the glass, as has been the trend with recent rosé vintages.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, honeydew, tart grapefruit and a bit of lemon zest.  Take a sip and out comes the sun (despite the cool, rainy weather here today) with bright citrus, strawberry and hints of melon, intermingled with some mineral notes that characterize the region.  The finish is somewhat crisp, but very dry, making this wine ideal for outdoor summer dining.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a solid rosé at a good value, but it's not as impressive as others I've enjoyed this summer.  This wine would pair well with summer salads, barbecue, burgers and brats as well as hearty fish dishes.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some crispy skin salmon done mid-rare, some wild rice and haricots verts almondine.  Cheers!

2021 Bledsoe Family Winery Healy Rosé

Happy Monday!  It's been a while since I've done a Monday post, but I'm having a special dinner tonight, which calls for a special wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from the Bledsoe Family Winery, the 2021 Healy Rosé which is made from 100% Syrah from the Kenny Hill, Flying B and Los Oidos Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  Now I'll admit we aren't even close to rosé season given that's it's barely broken the 50s hear lately, but why not be optimistic and start early?  At any rate, let's see what this wine has to offer for the summer!

The wine is a lovely peach color in the glass, with just a hint of honey color.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, honeydew and a bit of citrus zest that would be ideal for a warm evening on the patio.  Take a sip and you're greeted by a rush of pear, strawberry and a hint of lemon that ease into some mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is dry and crisp, with lingering citrus notes, making this a wonderful summer favorite.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, though I may be biased given this is my first rosé of the year.  This wine would be great with summer salads, burgers and brats or even Thai lettuce wraps.  Tonight however, I am enjoying this wine with a crispy skin Scottish black pearl salmon filet with some wild rice and oven roasted carrots and asparagus.  Cheers!

2015 Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc

Happy Sunday!  It's been a somewhat more relaxing weekend, with the normal errand running and chores with a bit of work tossed in, but now it's time for a nice relaxing Sunday dinner.  Tonight I am doing something a little unusual, in that I've opened a bottle of white wine!  Tonight it's a bottle of 2015 Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough New Zealand.  To be fair, this is a bottle of wine that's been in my fridge since my Christmas party, and since no one ever drank it, I thought it would go very well with my dinner tonight.  So here goes nothing!

The wine is rather light in color, with a nose full of  tropical fruit, mango, Meyer lemon, and a bit of pineapple over some hints of green grass.  The taste is rather nice, with a good bit of fruit up front, but with a nice tart acidity throughout, leaving you quite refreshed by the time you enjoy the crisp, dry finish.

Overall, as a dry red wine lover, this wine is actually pretty nice, so I'd rate it a solid 7.5,  I'm sure I didn't pay anywhere near $10 for this wine, so it was also a good value.  The main reason I opened this bottle was to go with my dinner tonight, which is a classic Midwestern Sunday dinner of oven roasted chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and some steamed asparagus.  The tart acidity in this wine is perfect to cut through the richness of my chicken dinner, cheers!