Wines of the Friday Tasting Event

Every Friday night, the wine shop where I work hosts a wine-tasting. It is a really popular event because we usually offer several whites, several reds, and a bubbly or dessert wine. It gives people the opportunity to try wines that they have never heard of or that they might not be wiling to purchase blind, and thus discover new bottles to add to their collections. This Friday we had a combination of French, Australian, and Californian for our reds, and New Zealand, France, and Spanish for our whites.

The two whites that I liked the best from this tasting was the Spanish white table wine: Vina Somoza Louro Do Bolo Godello (2005) and the New Zealand grown and produced Southern Eclipse Sauvignon Blanc (2006). Jay Miller of the Wine Advocate gave the Louro 89 points. He says, "2005 is the first vintage of Louro do Bolo, a wine produced from 40- to 50-year-old Godello vines by winemaker Rafael Palacios, brother of the renowned Alvaro Palacios. This light gold-colored tank fermented and aged wine offers notes of mineral, melon, and citrus in its attractive aromatics. This is followed by a smoothly textured wine with excellent depth, intensity, and balance leading to a long, pure finish. Drink this excellent value over the next 12-18 months." I quite agree with Mr. Miller; this wine was velvety smooth, hints of honeydew on the nose and palate, and finished with a slight mineral tang that melted into a long and lovely citrus flavour. I primarily drink red wines, but this little Spanish table wine was delicious and a perfect choice for summer food pairings.

Southern Eclipse Sauvignon Blanc is produced in stainless steel by Michelle Richardson. This sauvignon blanc is one of the most complex and lingering sauvignon blancs I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. It has a lovely nose of mingling white fruits and mineral soil. The flavors are a complex combination of green apples, passion fruit and very ripe grapefruit. It finishes long and crisp, but without any acid bite. If you can find Southern Eclipse in a store near you or online, I highly recommend the purchase. (Ms. Richardson's Southern Eclipse Pinot Noir is out of this world as well!)

My two favorite reds from the evening were both from France. The first was a light and spicy number from Luberon, Domaine de Guillaume Gros, Pourquois Pas (2005). This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache Noir, 40% Carignan, and 10% Syrah. It is aged in oak and bottled unfiltered. The nose is predominately red berry fruits like strawberry, raspberry, and red currant, and these aromas are mirrored in the wine's flavor. The fruit is on the front and it ends dry with a spicy and slightly tannic finish.

The other red that I was most taken with was Mas Carlot, Vin de Pays d'Oc Cabernet-Syrah. This wine is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Syrah, and from the Languedoc region. It is highly complex, delivering great depth and longevity on the nose and palate. It is a very dark, inky, rich wine with jammy black fruit flavours (black plums and blackberries) on the front and ends with cassis, terroir, and charcoal. This wine's tannins are strong but silky smooth, and it is a full-bodied wine that will pair well with grilled meats and smoked cheeses. The Wine Advocate awarded it 89 points.

I encourage you to go out and try these wines. They are generally priced very affordably, and will be a welcome addition to any oenophile's cellar.