Joseph Bembry  
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9423
 | | 05-08-2003 01:59 PM |
| I had this wine last night with Shrimp wrapped with Proscuitto in an Orange Marmalade sauce and Edamame and Pea Salad with Aged Goat Cheese, Sweet Onions and Bacon. Wine was tasted from Riedel Vinum Chablis stems.
Wine is a pale to moderate lemon color. Nose is of moderate intensity showing smoke and apricot notes. Light to medium in body with some honeysuckle and apricot. Balanced acidity. Good finish. jb Rating 82.
This is their first effort in Viognier. I would expect things to improve as the vines gain some age. Not a terrible first try. QPR C. $20, IIRC.
jb | | |
|
|
calcabs
Grape Fermenter
Posts: 453
| | 05-08-2003 03:36 PM |
| | jb - You make a lot of great sounding food. Did you make up the shrimp dish or was it a recipe? Would you mind sharing the recipe? It sounds like a dish my wife would like. | | | |
|
Blair Ridley
Wine Labeler
Posts: 3980
| | 05-08-2003 03:37 PM |
| | Bleh. 82 points is very disappointing. I was honestly expecting an 85-87ish score in this wine. | | | |
|
calcabs
Grape Fermenter
Posts: 453
| | 05-08-2003 03:39 PM |
| Short- Congrats on your 1000th post  | |
| |
|
Joseph Bembry
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9423
| | 05-08-2003 03:58 PM |
| This recipe came straight from the May issue of Food and Wine. Love that mag. Very easy to make. Hardest part was shelling the Edamame as I forgot to defrost them long enough. Short actually gave me the idea of shrimp with this wine.
I was mildly disappointed in this wine, but I knew that these vines were pretty young from talking to Chad Melville. I really think this one will fair better in a few years. Still a good sturdy wine, just not overly complex and a little lighter than I like my Viognier. Went well with the food though and got better when it warmed and when eating the shrimp. My first inclination was 80, but I feel it was better than that. BTW, drink up by the end of the summer. It will not improve.
jb | | | |
|
calcabs
Grape Fermenter
Posts: 453
| | 05-08-2003 04:45 PM |
| | jb - thanks I think I May was actually my last month for Food & Wine so I probably have the recipe at home. | | | |
|
love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts: 12580
| | 05-08-2003 08:42 PM |
| | Thanks, glad I skipped... | | | |
|
Blair Ridley
Wine Labeler
Posts: 3980
| | 05-08-2003 11:59 PM |
| I wish I had skipped this wine.
Curiosity got the better of me tonight as we had Ranch Chicken and I felt obligated to crack a white.
This wine has a 96-100 point nose - tropical fruits, flowers and white grape juice.
Once the wine hits your palate, it's a totally different story. Not sure if it's elevated acidity or the fact that it can't hide the heat (16% alcohol....in a Viognier???), but the wine is way out of balance IMO. Good fruit though.
I've got one more bottle and will see if it's the same. If so, it's more like an 80 pointerat best. | | | |
|
Joseph Bembry
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9423
| | 05-09-2003 11:46 AM |
| Funny, I didn't sense the heat that you did. I never checked the bottle to see what the alc. level was. I agree that 16% in a Viognier is a bit shocking.
jb | | | |
|
David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts: 15756
| | 05-09-2003 05:00 PM |
| | Going to winery tomorrow. Will report back Tuesday. | | | |
|
Blair Ridley
Wine Labeler
Posts: 3980
| | 05-09-2003 07:38 PM |
| | Don't forget your Pepcid AC. | | | |
|
ojeffso
warren, new jersey
Wine Lover
Posts: 4877
| | 05-10-2003 01:26 PM |
| i have 3 bottles. maybe i can sell them before any of the publications come out with their ratings. i guess no one who reads vinocellar will be bidding on these.
i also have 3 bottles of the high density syrah that were not too good. getting rid of them too! | | | |
|
Joseph Bembry
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9423
| | 05-10-2003 01:31 PM |
| I actually liked the HD Syrah. Don't know what you will get for the Viognier, though. If I wasn't on complete (and I do mean complete and it's all your fault, ojeffso ) wine lockdown, I'd take the HD's off you.
jb | | | |
|
David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts: 15756
| | 05-13-2003 02:21 AM |
| So on Friday about 15 of us gathered around Ron Melville outside his beautiful, new Tuscan Tasting Room and Winery (Thanks to HighDessertWine). Two hours later we had learned the intricacies of Melville from founding to present including discussion about the '02 Viognier and the Carrie's two different bottlings. Ron was very upfront and a super guy.
Now whether it was a great wine of I was under the influence of standing in the ferm-room with the proprieter I don't know... but I and several others tasted the Viognier and loved it. Peaches and apricots. One big problem... all of you who aren't going to buy it... don't worry. It is sold out! Probably the biggest disapointment of the day.
I bought a couple of bottle of the Carrie's so that I can taste it alongside of the "Wine Cellar" bottling that I have. Maybe next week.
| | | |
|
Eric Mottram
Grape Sorter
Posts: 261
| | 05-13-2003 02:14 PM |
| davidn:
Maybe there is huge bottle variation or these are suffering from travel or bottle shock. I think they were bottled only a couple of weeks before shipment. That being said, I opened one of my Viogniers with a few other winos and we enjoyed it very much for a $16 bottle($20 with 20% discount for buying before a certain date). I would rate it at 86-87 points | | | |
|
JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 05-13-2003 02:29 PM |
| | More and more I believe that Melville wines suffer from serious bottle variation. Best to always have two on hand for comparison purposes. | | | |
|
JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 05-13-2003 02:35 PM |
| | STW, If the nose is worth 50% of your score then a wine with a 96-100 point nose would need to score a 60 on the palate to get an 80 overall rating. | | | |
|
Blair Ridley
Wine Labeler
Posts: 3980
| | 05-13-2003 03:58 PM |
| | The nose does not count for 50% of a wine's score in my tastings. | | | |
|
JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 05-13-2003 04:03 PM |
| | What percentage is it? Even at 25%, the other 75% of your rating would have to average 73 points and change to get the final score down to 80. | | | |
|
Blair Ridley
Wine Labeler
Posts: 3980
| | 05-14-2003 03:31 PM |
| I would say that at best, a wine's nose would count for 10% of a wine's score (presuming we start at 50 and count up, that would mean a total of 5 points).
This is just a ballpark and certainly not an exact science. | | | |
|