Have always loved the name of this small city, sounds unusual eh forumites?
Staying there at Christmas meant I could take some wines and educate my hosts who are not wine drinkers! I will not even mention the poor selection in the wine shops, it really is a beer town with a huge army base nearby to liven things up.
My host opened a `05 Chardonnay Wild Horse Canyon, a west coast appellation. Bottled in BC with juice from Washington, Calif and Okanagan. It really was not too bad and I will brown-bag a bottle to a tasting. The `05 Sauvignon Blanc Amayna from Chile was very good at $22. Medium straw colour, nice nose of spice, gooseberry, very brisk. Good palate, some malo?
Quite harmonious and good length.
The NV Cremant d`Alsace from Lichtle was a sad effort after my praise singing last week! Do not serve too chilled, seemed a better wine when aired but better ones out there. Aftertaste was minerally, citrus and so on, could be hard to find..thankfully. The well-known `05 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinet was my last bottle and great as always for $15 Cdn a while back. Bruce had this too recently, we Canadians know a good wine when we see one!
The next door neighbour is an investor of Burrowing Owl so I was able to taste the `03 Pinot Gris. Bit long in the tooth now, was best a year ago? Crisp, tropical fruits, pear, apple. No real notes, could have opened the Pinot Noir that was around the house but did not ask!
