Right up front we’ll say that at any wine event we’ll taste probably two to three reds for every white we try. It’s just the way we’re wired and it’s the title of the blog, but whites are very much a part of our wine view and actually are growing to be more so as time goes on. This is sort of a turn around, as we went from white to red. We’re not going all the way back, trust me, but we do enjoy white wines and there are many excellent ones to choose from. Here’s a few from the recent Mohegan Sun Winefest we thought were excellent. Again this could be influenced heavily by value, and they are not necessarily the flat out highest quality wines we found. Since we cheated and left in a tie for tenth on the Best Reds list, we’ll be fair and leave in a tie for fifth on this one. To the wines!
1. 2013 St Supery Sauvignon Blanc – this was very surprising and very good. There’s a pretty intense nose of pear, melon and tropical fruits. The palate is more restrained than you expect after that deluge of aromas, but that’s good as it would be too much otherwise. There are more delicate citrus and melon flavors that lead into a long and satisfying finish. Really quite nice and inexpensive at about $14.
2. 2012 Casey Flat Ranch Estate Sauvignon Blanc – this one is more elegant, structured and refined than the St Supery. The melon and pear and peach aromas and flavors kind of glide harmoniously through the experience, and it leaves you wanting to take another sip. This is a very nice bottle of wine. $23
3. 2010 Signorello Hope’s Valley Chardonnay – this is the most pricy wine on this list and it is the highest quality.
Signorello 2010 Hope’s Cuvee Chardonnay – very Burgundian
Aged 24 months in French oak this wine is smooth and very complex. Medium+ bodied it carries itself elegantly. The oak is not over the top at all, it reminded me of white Burgundy, and I had actually tasted one earlier that day which triggered the comparison. I mentioned this to the rep from Signorello and he said they modeled the wine after a Meursault. Turns out I had tasted a 2011 Louis Jadot Meursault earlier that day, and if I had thrown that out there I would really have sounded like I knew what I was talking about. Opportunity lost. This is serious wine and extremely good. $65
4. 2011 Frei Brothers Chardonnay – yet another surprise. When I asked the person pouring about the style he talked about big and buttery flavors. He also had not even tasted this. It was not a big buttery Chard at all. The oak was nice, and it allowed some beautiful clean fruit to come shining through. Very nice length here as well. I summed it up by writing “this is really good”. It is and about $15.
A beautiful Chenin Blanc / Viognier from Pine Ridge
5. 2013 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc / Viognier – beautiful nose of citrus and melon. At first sip you think sweet, but it’s more off dry and the sweetness is a feint as the acid comes into the palate and takes over, but not in an extreme way. That finish of acid leaves you wanting another sip. We got pineapple as well out of this. Crisp finish. It would pair well with just about any seafood. Very yummy stuff. We’re talking about $12 here which is very reasonable.
5B. 2012 St Supery Moscato – talking about yummy, here it is. While some people make dry Moscatos you generally expect some sweetness, and this has some. It’s not cloying though, or too much. It’s actual very delicious, with a full mouthfeel. The color is a beautiful golden yellow. It finished long but clean. This would make a great after dinner wine or just something to sip. About $20.
So there’s a few things to think about, and most are very affordable. We’re really gaining a lot more appreciation for Sauvignon Blanc.
If you can afford it the Signorello Chardonnay is classy. It’s also more expensive than the Louis Jadot Meursault, but I actually do think it was better.
A votre sante!
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