Wine Tasting - April 4

Name: Veleta Brut Vino Espumoso Rosado

Vintage: NV

Region: Spain

Price: $3.95

Tasting Notes: Rosé salmon with copper reflections. Slow rising fine bubble that forms “lace” and “rosary”. In the nose is complex and elegant with red fruit, citric, exotic, fresh flowers, and notes of dry fruits and dry flowers. Fresh, gentle, and alive. Perfectly integrated “perlage” with serious and subtle flavors of dry fruits, pomegranate and lemonade. Long lasting scent of flowers and herbs.

My Review: This wine smelled very floral and citrusy.  It tasted tart and it nice, light and bubbly.  However, there isn't much else to say about this wine, because there was nothing that really stood out to me – the wine wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't great either.

Name: Veleta Tempranillo Rosado

Vintage: 2010
Region: Granada, Spain

Price: $3.95

Tasting Notes: Fresh in flavor and crisp in texture, this dry rosé offers berry, tart cherry and light herbal flavors, with firm acidity and a clean finish. Focused and juicy.

My Review: The aromas of this one included fruit and berries and I also felt like I could smell the acidity.  The taste was nice and light with some fruit and some herbs, and had a decent finish.  This wasn’t one the best rosé’s I've had.

Name: Cresta Azul

Vintage: NV
Region: Spain

Price: $5.95

Tasting Notes: Moscatel, Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo. Peach, orange cream and vanilla flavors mingle in this softly bubbly white. Off-dry, but with crisp acidity and a clean finish.

My Review: This was my favorite wine of the day – I could definitely smell the orange on the nose.  And the flavors were very fruit forward with lots of peach mixed with some vanilla.  There was just the right amount of sweetness in this wine for me.

Name: Chateau Serres Sainte Lucie Corbieres

Vintage: 2010
Region: Corbieres, France

Price: $4.95

Tasting Notes: Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. Superb dark garnet color with a few reflections of dark orange. Intense nose of ripe fruits, spices, and roasted coffee. The palate is rounded and full, with silky matured tannins and hints of vanilla. This wine is rich and powerful with layers of tannins.

My Review: This wine had the weirdest smell I had ever experienced in a red wine! And unfortunately the taste matched the smell – I couldn't quite pick out the exact taste, but I think it was very close to the taste of soap, and I did not like it.  It also had some spice and vanilla aspects to it.

Name: Ruta 22 Malbec

Vintage: 2011

Region: Patagonia, Argentina

Price: $7.95

Tasting Notes: Stout and dense from the beginning, with blackberry and violet aromas. Despite being a bold and dark Malbec, this is fresh and composed, with sweet blackberry and cassis flavors. Good on the finish, with candied fruit and caramel sweetness.

My Review: The smell of this wine was mainly fruit and berries, but nothing too exciting.  The taste wasn't bad but nothing really jumped out at me, but it definitely had a different taste to it.  

Grape Varietal Report

Grape Variety Report: Semillon

By: Lauren Yokley

            Semillon is a white grape variety that is popular in France, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and California.  Semillon grapes originated in France in the 1800s and they are the majority white variety in Bordeaux, Graves, and Sauternes.  However, Chile has more acreage of Semillon planted than anywhere else in the world, yet it ranks third among their other grapes – just behind Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  During the early viticultural development of Australia, Semillon was the dominant white grape variety.  But it is now overridden by Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  South Africa also has a similar story – it used to be the most abundant white grape (also known as Wyndruif), but today it only accounts for less than 1% of plantings.  In California, total Semillon plantings have fluctuated over the past several decades by thousands of acres.  Today, it is mainly used as a blending wine for Sauvignon Blanc as a dry table wine. 

            In France, Semillon is often used as a blending grape for Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, especially in Bordeaux to make a more complex wine.  It is also the dominant grape variety used in the sweet French Sauterne wines which are very famous worldwide.  Sauternes is the world’s most renowned and longest-living unfortified dessert wine. 

            The Semillon grape can produce these amazing sweet wines because it is so prone to develop Botrytis Cinerea, or more commonly known as “noble rot”.  This disease is actually a blessing to these grapes because it produces very high sugar levels.  When the grapes are attacked by this rot, they shrivel on the vine.  They dry out and lose water, but become extremely concentrated with sugars and creates sweet fruit, roasted nut, and tropical flavors.  The sweet aromas and flavors can also be achieved by leaving the grapes on the vine longer for a late harvest that will allow more sugar build-up and leave some residual sugars after the fermentation process.

            There are about 35,000 hectares of land dedicated to growing the Semillon grape variety.  Semillon grapes have a rich yellow color when mature and with high amounts of sun exposure, they may turn amber-pink.  In warm climates, sunburn and raisining are hazards.  This grape variety typically has large berries, thin skin, and is a pretty vigorous grape that can be grown in many different climates to produce slightly different aromas and flavors depending on soil type, temperature, length of growing season, and amount of rainfall.  

            General flavor descriptors of Semillon wines include: apple, peach, pear, grass, lemon, pineapple, and asparagus.  These grapes have an affinity for oak which accentuates subtleties.  If the wine is aged in oak barrels, the flavor profile will include more vanilla, toast, and oak flavors.  As a young varietal, the Australian version is fuller-bodied and has more fruity flavors (like apricot and mango) than the Bordeaux Semillon.  Wines dominated by Semillon may lack much youthful aroma, but they tend to be full-bodied and low in acidity – they may even be “oily” or “fatty” at times.  

            A varietal Semillon wine pairs best with medium to full-bodied savory dishes like heavier fish, chicken, and pork with buttery and creamy sauces.  Also goes well with pastas that have pesto or cheese sauces.  The late harvest (sweet) wines are dessert wines meant for sweet dishes. 

In conclusion, Semillon grapes were once an incredibly popular white wine varietal but have declined significantly over the past several decades and have become more of a grape used for blending into other white wines.  It can be produced as a dry or sweet style depending on location and type of wine desired.

Sources:

http://www.winetasteathome.com/Varietals/Semillon.html

http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/semillon.htm

http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/wine-educational-questions/grapes-for-wine-making-flavor-characteristics-explained/semillon-wine-grapes-flavor-character-and-history/

http://www.sundaytimeswineclub.co.uk/DWBase/jsp/templates/wineguide/grape-detail.jsp?genericGrapeId=20