The Good Wine Guru » Albarino

Martin Codax Albarino 2010

George — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:00:51 +0000

Varietal: 100% Albarino
Region: Rias Baixas – Spain
Cost: $15 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: A highly aromatic wine opening with a nose of tropical fruit and apple, along with a subtle herbal nuance. Led by pear and passion fruit notes, this dry, full-bodied wine boasts a fruit-forward profile, finishing with a round mouthfeel. Pairs well with seasonal shellfish and other seafood fare.

My Review: I had received this wine, along with a bottle of Torrontes, as samples for the holiday season, and as the bottle of Torrontes made its way up to Northern Virginia with me to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, I’d been looking for a good opportunity to open this bottle. Finally one presented itself this past weekend.

I should start by saying that I probably picked the wrong food to pair this wine with. That being said, it performed admirably given the handicap I gave it. In the glass the wine was very light, nearly clear really, and on the nose I got light citrus and tropical fruit notes. In the mouth the citrus continued on and while I was expecting a hint of honey or other subtle sweetness at the end it never materialized…and that was ok.

My wife and I paired the wine with a dinner of her deconstructed chicken pot pie, and the nice acid, as compared to the subtle sweetness I was expecting, did a nice job of cutting through the creaminess of the food. Now, to be fair it still wasn’t the best pairing, and I enjoyed the wine more after the food was gone, but in a bad situation it did ok.

As a general rule I’m hit or miss on Albarino, and while I’d hesitate to call this a favorite, I did appreciate that it was something different from what I expected, and that’s often enough to give me a favorable opinion of a wine – doing something unexpected.

If you can’t find the 2010 Martin Codax Albarino in your local store (which shouldn’t be a problem), you can order it online by clicking on this link: http://www.winezap.com/search/searchResults.cfm?r=181364 .

Big House White 2010

George — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:00:42 +0000

Varietal: 22.7% Malvasia Bianca; 15.9% Gruner Veltliner; 15.7% Sauvignon Blanc; 9.2% Gewurztraminer; 7.9% Riesling; 7.3% Chenin Blanc; 6.1% Muscat Canelli; 5.2% Viognier; 4.5% Verdelho; 4.4% Albarino; 1.1% Pinot Gris
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Big House wines are a rebellious mix of non-traditional grape varieties destined to give the imbiber a new experience. To wit this year’s prisoner is a captivating blend of aromatic whites that span the distance of the Alps themselves. With a nose that carries the vibrancy of spring and white flowers and lychee fruit that surround the senses. The palate opens up to tropical fruits, dried apricot, and white peaches. This wine finishes strong with a cleansing citrus zest that lingers. Pairs with fresh fish, Asian cuisine, or even Sunday morning fruit salads.

My Review: I’m a big proponent of tables wines, and I feel as though that’s a niche that Big House wines has embraced and possibly even tried to make their own. Looking at the list of wines that are put into the bottle it’s almost disappointing to not see one labeled “kitchen sink”. There are times when a wine can try and do too much and end up falling flat, and while I’m not going to go so far as to proclaim the 2010 Big House White an amazing wine, for a $10 table wine, you can do a lot worse.

On the nose I didn’t get much, though some of the white flower aroma did come through. In the mouth there were competing flavors of citrus and honeysuckle and dried apricot that gave this just overarching tropical fruit flavor that was light and somewhat refreshing. Paired with a dinner of chicken and cheesy potatoes the wine was a nice counterpoint to the bit of heat that was in the seasoning on the chicken and to the thickness of the potatoes.

I’d be lying if I said this was a life-altering wine, but as $10 white table wines go, it’s average at worst. If you’re looking for a light white wine with tropical notes and a hint of some of the sweeter varietals you’d be remiss to at least not consider the 2010 Big House White.

Taste of Loudoun Dinner

George — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:00:46 +0000

This past Tuesday I was lucky enough to be invited to a dinner here in Richmond at the Bolling Haxall House to show off Loudoun County’s food, wine, and hospitality. For those not familiar with Loudoun County, it’s referred to as DC’s Wine Country, as it’s about 20 minutes west of the District, and currently features 28 different vineyards and wineries, more than any other single county in the state of Virginia.

Before the dinner began, we were treated to hors d’oeuvres and a selection of wine including a Rose’ from Chrysalis Vineyards (which I didn’t sample), the Topiary from Boxwood Estate – a nice dry red, and the Jolie Blonde from Breaux Vineyards – a Seyval Blanc that was light and crisp and perfect for sipping before dinner.

The dinner was from Chef William Walden of the Goodstone Inn & Estate, and I just have to say that he was spectacular. If you were ever considering staying at the Goodstone and eating at his restaurant I feel confident in saying that you will enjoy yourself. Our first course was a Vicchyssoise of braised leak, garden potato, and sherry that was paired with a 2009 Chrysalis Vineyards Viognier. The wine had all the typical tropical and floral notes that I expect from a Virginia Viognier, but it also featured a nice roundness to the finish that I found very enjoyable and helped it from cutting through the richness of the dish too much. As somebody that drinks a lot of Viognier, especially during the summer months, this has quickly jumped onto my list of ones to keep on hand.

Our second course was a winter greens salad of organic lettuce, roasted beets, spiced pecans, champagne vinaigrette, and accoutrements paired with a 2009 Albarino from Chrysalis Vineyards. I’m not much of a salad eater (which my wife will attest to), but other than the beets, which I’ve never had a taste for, it was quite tasty, and the champagne vinaigrette was something I’d never had before and quite enjoyed. The Chrysalis Albarino was nice as well, with just a hint of sweetness that went well with the vinaigrette. I think what impressed me most about the wine was that I was unaware that anybody in Virginia was making an Albarino.

The third course was a palate cleanser of fresh raspberry sorbet. I like raspberry flavors so this was a win.

The fourth and main course was a domestic rack of lamb with a garlic parsley crust, tarragon jus, winter vegetables, and herbes de provence paired with a 2008 Boxwood Winery Topiary. The Topiary is a blend of 64% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and 1% Malbec. It was nice and bold and dry and the perfect compliment to what was, quite possibly, the most perfectly cooked piece of lamb I’ve ever enjoyed. I’ve tried cooking lamb at home and I’ve somewhat given up as I just can’t cook it as well as somebody like Chef Walden.

The final course was a Belgian hot chocolate souffle with hot chocolate sauce to pour over it. To give you an idea of how amazing this was I should state that I am not a chocolate person. I don’t crave chocolate, I don’t buy chocolate, and don’t typically order chocolate deserts. I destroyed this souffle. It was amazing and if somebody like me that isn’t a big chocolate person loved every indulgent and fattening second of this dessert, imagine what somebody that does actually love chocolate would do to it. Probably wouldn’t be allowed in public.

Now, to really drive home what an amazing time I had, it should be noted that the only picture I have from Tuesday night (and I usually take lots of pictures at these events), is this one:

Domestic Rack of Lamb with Garlic Parsley Crust

I want to give a special thanks to Visit Loudoun for putting on this event, it was amazing. To my table guests, including Alan Kinne, the winemaker at Chrysalis, and his wife – thanks for making our table the fun table. To Boxwood, Chrysalis, and Breuax vineyards for supplying wine for the dinner, thank you so much for spoiling us with a great selection of wines. And to the staff at the Bolling Haxall House – thank you for taking such good care of us.

If you’re in Virginia and haven’t been out to Loudoun County to visit their wineries (which I haven’t either, a problem to be fixed sooner rather than later), I highly recommend it as they’re putting out great wines and everybody I met from there was just incredibly friendly and welcoming. If you’re not in Virginia…well you should come here and sample all of our wine regions, including Loudoun.

Spanish Quarter Chardonnay Albarino

George — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:00:32 +0000

The Spanish Quarter Chardonnay/Albarino

Varietal: Chardonnay (60%) / Albarino (40%)

Region: Spain

Cost: $9.99 – $14.99

Floral aromas pair well with the citrus flavors of this Spanish white. Flavors of peach and tropical fruit offer a clean citrus finish with a hint of residual sugar. This wine will pair well with chicken, fish, light appetizers, and spicy foods.

Recommendations: This wine will go great with spicier foods, but you may want to pass on it for use as an everyday white wine.

Root:1 Sauvignon Blanc