It’s the middle of summer, and the weather has turned hot. This is the time that a chilled bottle of refreshing white wine is at its best, although we certainly enjoy whites throughout the year. Also certain is that the Rosé craze has expanded the number of people reaching for a chilled glass of wine on a summer afternoon. We like Rosé, and there are many good bottles out there, but it’s still not our first choice, generally, when we reach for a refreshing wine.
There are also many whites which make the summer more enjoyable. Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay are a few that come to mind. So here are three wines to consider, all of which are inexpensive and provide good value. All of them make great summer sippers, but don’t discount them as serious wines as they each have some complexity and unique qualities.
Wine: 2017 Trivento White Orchid
Winery Location: Mendoza, Argentina
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: June 2018
Tasting Notes: This is from vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina. It is 85% Torrontes, an excellent and underappreciated grape in our opinion, as well as 15% Pinot Grigio. The result is a light, pale yellow wine with green tinges that has a big nose of apple, apricot, ripe tropical fruits as well as floral notes. There is good texture on the palate, with nice body and ripe fruit. This really comes across as a more expensive wine.
Price Point – $11
Would We Buy It? – Absolutely, as this is a great wine for the $11 price tag. We’ll put this on our Value List.
Next up, we’ll move west, over the Andes Mountains to Chile:
Wine: 2017 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc
Winery Location: Chile
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: June 2018
Tasting Notes: This has a pretty bold nose of grapefruit, lychee and peach. You get the blackcurrant bud as well, typical of many Sauvignon Blancs. There’s a little resemblance to the New Zealand style here, although I wouldn’t call it grassy. It is vibrant on the palate. After some time in the glass this smoothed out a bit, and I preferred it that way. A good wine all around.
Price Point – $12
Would We Buy It? – Yes. It is a reasonably priced wine with good fruit and a lot of personality.
And finally, for this review, we’ll give in to the Rosé craze:
Wine: 2017 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Rosé
Winery Location: Chile
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: June 2018
Tasting Notes: While we are not totally on the Rosé bandwagon, we are on it for this particular wine. It presents very clean aromas and flavors, with a focused nose and palate featuring red fruits and some herbal/spice notes. The fruit carries the palate and the finish is persistent and clean. This is really a very nice wine, period.
Price Point – $12 and very much worth it. This is a tasty wine that happens to be a Rosé. On the Value List it goes.
Would We Buy It? – Yes – see above!
Three wines, all perfect for summer chillin’, picnics, barbecues or quiet contemplation under the shade in your favorite quiet spot. All of them are good choices.
A votre santé!
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