August Wine Review: A Focus on Napa, Sonoma and Bordeaux Wines
Time for another wine round up focused on wines primarily from California and a few from France – all that were absolutely delicious – and several that were new to me and now on my “go forth and seek out” list.
Whites:
- 2013 Murphy Goode “The Fume” – I had the chance to try the 2012 last year when Winemaker David Ready Junior came through Dallas. It remains a great sauvignon blanc with tropical fruits, orange blossom and melon notes. And I love his Grateful Dead sojourn story followed by the summons from his dad that got him back into the business.
- 2013 Galerie Naissance (Napa Valley) – this was full of tropical fruits, floral notes and a very bright acidity. This was delicious.
- 2013 Galerie Equitem Sauvignon Blanc (Knights Valley) – this was more mineral in nature, the fruit was more subtle and the layers of flavor and finesse really showed well. What an elegant and beautiful Sauvignon Blanc.
Both Galerie wines came with a collection of family recipes from Winemaker Laura Diaz Munoz that showcases her family’s passion for wine and food.
Reds:
- 2010 Chateau Jean Faux Bordeaux Superieur – full of black cherry, spice, earthiness, raspberry, anise and licorice. A great value Bordeaux from a great vintage.
- 2011 Murphy’s Goode Liar’s Dice Zinfandel – during my time with David, we tried the 2010 vintage. The 2011 was just as good with big berry and spice.
- 2011 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon – Asian spice, red cherry, spice, currant and cedar notes filled out this elegant and well-rounded wine. I love finding second label wines that are just as good as the first label and Faust is a strong sibling to Quintessa.
August Wine Review
- 2012 Plumpjack Merlot – big fruit, blueberry pie, black cherry, chocolate and smoke make this a nuanced and well balanced wine. The wine was intense and had lots of layers.
- 2010 Animo Cabernet Sauvignon – this high-end Michael Mondavi family wine which was named after the Italian word for “spirit or soul” was full of cassis, black cherry, terrior and lots of fruit. It was well-balanced and while delicious today, would be awe inspiring with some cellar time.
And based on yesterday’s 6.0 earthquake that happened in Napa, I strongly urge you to buy some Napa wine, plan a wine country trip or do something to support the region.
