Some interesting wines for a Saturday night- Flag Day: (Red, White and Blue?)
Muga Rosado 2007 (Rioja, Spain) - beautiful orange color, hint of strawberry and spice on the nose, crisp, clean, bright and lively on the palate. Good balance nice acidity, pleasant aftertaste. (13.5 group avg 14.1). $12.99
Grange des Rouquette Marsanne-Viognier 2006 (Vin de Pays d’Oc, Costieres de Nimes, France) - clear and brilliant yellowish straw-color. Hint of peach and citric, lemon on the nose. On the palate this white has nice body (almost Full-bodied), structure, and texture. White with some grip! Pleasant and lingering aftertaste. (15 group avg 14.9). $12.99
Michel Lelu Vin de Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2006 (Burgundy, France) - light but clear a brilliant ruby red color. The nose I found slightly muted, not much happening. On the palate I found some fruit, gamey and meaty components, maybe a little Brett action. Pleasant aftertaste. (13 group avg 13.9). $14.99
Altos De La Hoya Finca Hoya De Santa Ana Monastrell 2006 (Jumilla, Spain) - clear and brilliant in color, nice black fruit on the nose, just a slight hint of hotness and bitter tannins but not out of balance, good acidity. Pleasant aftertaste maybe slightly bitter and hot in the back (14 group avg 14.4). $11.99
ST-Francis 2005 Sonoma County Old Vine Zinfandel (California) - clear and brilliant in appearance. Black and red ripe fruit on the nose, with a hint of raspberry and cherry some vanilla with black pepper and spice. Good balance, structure and texture, nice acidity. Pleasant and lingering aftertaste (16 group avg 16.5) $19.99
Oreana Winery 2005 ? Red Table Wine (Central Coast, Santa Barbara, California) - interesting “history” behind this wine it was basically a mistake. Two batches of wine where “mistakenly” blended together. Clear and brilliant in appearance, nose was slightly muted, not much really happening. Well made wine with good structure, acidity and texture. Pleasant aftertaste. (14 group avg 14.1) $13.99
Ray’s Station Vineyard Merlot 2003 Sonoma County (Alexander Valley, California) – clear and brilliant in appearance. A “serious” Merlot (with a dash of Cab Sauvignon and Cab Franc). Black plum and cherry with a hint of spice and vanilla on the nose and palate. Well made wine with good structure and texture, good acidity, well balanced tannin, alcohol, and intensity of fruit. Pleasant and lingering aftertaste (16.5 group avg 14.1) $14.99
Here’s where the Blue comes in (well almost anyway).
Long Island Meadery Blueberry Mead (Long Island, NY) – Clear and brilliant lite-honey color (some of my fellow tasters did claim that the “hue” of the mead had a touch of “blue” to it, but I didn’t see it- 84% honey 16% blueberry). BLUEberry, on the nose and palate with a pleasant and nice streak of honey coming in right behind it. Well made mead with good structure and balance (alcohol 11%, RS 7%) (13.5 group avg 14.5) $13.99
Salute