The 2006 Naia is a tank-fermented and aged Verdejo.  it is fresh and lively offering loads of honeysuckle, lemon zest, and orange rind characteristics in a crisp, medium-bodied, surprisingly textured yet elegant, fresh style.  It would be a wonderful match with grilled seafood or shellfish.  88 Points - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

 

Torrontes, Argentina's flagship white variety, reaches its zenith in the high Andean valleys of Cafayate.  The vines here struggle with high winds, drought, and the vagaries of weather that come with planting at up to 2000M above sea level.  The region is very limited in its production because water is so scarce, and the Torrontes vines here make some of the most exciting white wine in the world.  The characteristic of Terrontes de Cafayate is its piercing aromatics of pear, apple, exotic floral, and minerality.  The wines tend to be brighter and fresher than their counterparts from lower altitude sites.  Deneza winery of Mendoza sends their winemaker to the North at harvest to produce a mere 600 cases of this delightful and exotic wine.

 

Our April Tasting ran from 6pm- 8pm.  Ryan Collins from Pinnacle Imports presented our selections.

Wine Tasting

 

 

A serious effort, the 2005 Juan Gil is fashioned from 45-year-old Mourvedre vines and is aged for 12 months in American and French oak.  This rich, full-bodied, inky/purple-tinged cuvee exhibits aromas of scorched earth, blueberries, licorice, and pepper, a savory, layered texture, and remarkable opulence for a Mourvedre.  Drink it over the next 3-4 years.  90 Points - Rober Parker, The Wine Advocate.

Torbreck Wood Cutters Shiraz 2006

The 2006 Woodcutter's Shiraz was sourced from six sub-regions of the Barossa.  The wine was aged for 12 months in large, neutral French oak and was bottle unfined and unfiltered.  Purple-colored, it has an attractive array of pepper, spicy blackberry, black cherry, and blueberry muffin aromas.  Full-bodied and opulent on the palate, the wine delivers gobs of meaty, full-flavored blue and black fruits to accompany its forward, easy-going personality.  Drink this incredible value over the next 4-6 years.  92 Points - Rober Parker, The Wine Advocate.

 

The fruit for this intensely flavored Barossa Cabernet is sourced from Elderton's friends vineyards predominantly in the Eden Valley district of the Barossa, hence the name.   This mouth filling Cabernet shows classic characters of black cherries, chocolate and dry spices.  Sixteen Months in French and American puncheons has added to the wines lush character.  Flavors linger on the palate long after the last sip.  It is a great Cabernet at a very reasonable price.

 

Interactive Wine Scoring

 

To make the tasting more interactive we decided to hand out personal score sheets.  All those who filled out the personal scoring sheets were entered into a drawing for a free wine of their choosing. 

 

The above categories were judged on a 1-5 point scale.  Five being the max score per category and 25 being the max score per wine.

 

Our Drawing winner was Mindy Williford.  She selected the Elderton Friend's Cabernet.