Springtime White Wines

You can tell it’s spring by the weather, the bright clothing , the smoking barbecues and the appearance of the new wines of this vintage season. We recently came across several little known but very worthy wines and felt it was our duty to bring them to your attention; so here we go.

Luna 2010 Pinot Grigio ($12.99). Give a wine made from an Italian grape an Italian name and it’s sure to be a hit. In our experience, we have found that not usuallythe case,with this winehowever, it works and works beautifully. The Luna 2010 Pinot Grigio is a blend of 92% pinot grigio and 8% of an up and coming Spanish variety, albarino, which adds extra levels of liveliness to this wine. This offering is dry, crisp, and pleasant displaying the flavor and aroma of summer fruits, most specifically apricots, citrus and honeysuckle. There is also an understated raisin-like element coupled with the acid bite of limes and a hint of white peach, the gift of the albarino. While this wine can accompany anything that calls for a dry white wine, it should be considered as pastas best friend. One taste of this wine and you will know why pinot grigio is becoming the most popular white wines in this country.

Garnet 2010Monterey County Pinot Noir ($14.99).We have said it over and over again, presenting us with a pinot noir is not a very good move because of all the wines we sample, we are most critical of the pinot noir. We have tasted so many miserable examples of the variety that we face each new one presented to us for sampling as one would face a registered letter from the IRS; it could be good, but chances are it isn’t. With that said, we turn to the Garnet 2010 Monterey County Pinot Noir. We tell you right now it is not good; it borders on the great and that for only $14.99. This wine is reminiscent of the great French pinot noirs of days gone by. We will not get into the flavor and aroma but rather let you discover them for yourself. But hurry, rush, do not delay because there were only 6000 cases of this wine made and we will assure you once the wine crowd discovers this wine it will be gone fast.

Layer Cake 2009 Virgin Chardonnay ($12.99). Before the deviants and degenerates get hold of this name, the virgin part refers to the fact that this wine was made without the use of oak fermentation or aging which is common to most chardonnay’s. The oak is a carryover from the French style of making the wine and oak has become part and parcel of almost every chardonnay. With the Layer Cake 2009 Virgin Chardonnay, the natural flavors and aromas of the chardonnay grapes is all that there is. Can an unoaked chardonnay stand on its own; you betchya. The traditional Chardonnay aromas of pineapple, apple and citrus carry over to the flavor and merge into a collage of tropical fruits. There is also that elusive creamy mouth feel often found in the more expensive chardonnays expanding the seductive nature of the finish. This is a chard not to be missed even if it is just to try a pure, unoaked chardonnay.

Layer Cake 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ($15.99). We have always said that we are looking for a $5 Cab that tastes like a $50 cab. While it may not cost five bucks, the Layer Cake 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon comes as close to our goal as we have yet to see. The nose is rich with the aroma of black cherries, blackberries and plums which carry over to the flavor where they mingle with dark berries, chocolate and coffee. It is a wine with plenty of what one looks for in a decent cab but unfortunately rarely finds for under $30 For lovers of aristocratic cabernet sauvignon, this wine is a wine for you