Sauternes

Sauternes is an intensely sweet, white dessert wine from the Graves region of Bordeaux, France. The primary grapes are semillon, sauvignon blanc & muscadelle. Thanks to a fungus called botrytis cinera, which removes the moisture and leaves a shriveled raisin-like fruit, the sugars are concentrated and sweetness approaches dessert wine levels. Because there is less juice to start with, more grapes must be used. This and several other factors (hand picked bunches, fermentation in smaller oak barrels) increase the cost of this unique wine.

Chateau Y'Quem is the pinnacle of Sauternes. I consider myself fortunate have enjoyed this prohibitively expensive wine... However, it was decidedly not an ideal introduction to Sauternes. I've set the bar too high.

Chateau Belingard Sauternes
France - $11
Amazing flavor and richness for price point. Pineapple flavors and aromas. The little wine that could. Good value dessert wine. Obscure enough for most people not to bother with detecting the nuances between a $11 and $40 bottle. Most are just happy to have something deliciously different. 3.5/5


Chateau Guiraud Sauternes 2006
France - $30
Aromas of honey and tropical fruit, most notably pineapple. Honey, walnut and pineapple flavors emerge under a silky smooth and clean body with extended finish. First-cru Sauternes. Cleaner, purer, and more complex than the less expensive Chateau Belingard - no surprise. Not sure if it's worth the additional money, especially if consumed after a long night of wine drinking. A raft-up wine from 2008. Previous vintages have received a 92 rating from WS. 4/5

Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes 2004
France - $40
Another first-cru Sauternes. A raft-up wine from a mystery year, but we loved it. Rated 88 points in WS, 95 by WE. 4/5

Bella

Bella is a little winery tucked into the hills of Dry Creek Valley. It is a winding car ride through the dusty back roads of the valley. The defining feature of Bella is their wine cave and tasting room.



Bella Hillside Cuvee 2005
Sonoma County, California - $28
Love. Not as sweet as it could be because of it is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Smooth, could cellar. Graceful wine with lots of ripe fruit and soft tannins. From the winemaker: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Syrah and 10% Petite Verdot blend from Alexander Valley old vines. Ripe & juicy with excellent structure and finish. Opened bottle in July 2009 and it was just as juicy as I remembered.



Bella Estate Late Harvest Zinfandel 2006
Sonoma County, California - $24
Smooooth. Dessert wine. Higher alcohol content. Great nose, citrus peel, inky black color. Sweet, but not cloyingly obnoxious nor port-like. From the winemaker: 94% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Syrah. Left on the vine two weeks longer than their regular bottling. Only 250 cases produced.



More at Bella Winery.com

Twin Brook Winery

Another winery we toured back in September 2008 as part of the Brandywine Valley Wine Tour. This one was a hike. Considerably farther out than any other winery on the tour. I'd never been through Gap, PA. Now I have... Lots of sweet wines at this winery; seems to be their style. Okay by me, but not my preference. During the tasting, I kept thinking of my parents, who prefer sweet white and blush wines.

One of the best parts of this stop was the cellar tour. Hosted by an assistant winemaker, we sampled grape juice at various stages of fermentation. A good learning experience and you can tell the folks at Twin Brook really enjoy what they're doing.

I took home a bottle of Octarara Red & Vignoles. Below are the wines that I think stood out at the tasting.

The Whites
Twin Brook Vignoles
Pennsylvania - $13
White wine with good balance, fruit and floral nose. Good tropical fruit. 4/5 pts. Good balance w/fruit & floral nose. Liked it. Tropical fruit. From the winemaker: "Sweet but crisp medium body." Paired it with an apple pie a month later. Was not sweet enough against sugary filling but that wasn't the wine's fault. 4/5

The Reds
Twin Brook Octarara Red
Pennsylvania - $12
One of the better red wines at this winery. Vanilla nose, slight hint of tannins. From the winemaker: "Sweeter, full bodied well balanced Burgundy style w/hints of cherry."

Twin Brook Strasburger Red
Pennsylvania - $12
Again, one of their stronger wines. Just hard to find the right application or pairing. Smooth, sweet. Ended up having it with an apple pie a few months later. From the winemaker: "Light fruity w/strawberry & apple aromas."

Twin Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Pennsylvania - $18
Favorite of "dry wines" on list. Green pepper nose, more powerful on tongue. Thinner, lighter body than what you'd expect. From the winemaker: "Slightly tannic, peppery, medium body."

More information at Twin Brook Winery