WTN: 2007 Peter Michael l'Apres Midi Sauvignon Blanc

Not the best QPR by a longshot, but I usually love this wine. This version was a bit flabby and oaky compared to most versions, but I learned to like it after a glass or two while watching the waves crash the shore at the beach. Actually went pretty well with steamed crabs...

• 2007 Peter Michael Sauvignon Blanc l'Apres-Midi - USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley (9/14/2009)
  Pale yellow/gold color. Rich nose with flowers, citrus, but pretty heavy on the oak. Good fruit concentration, medium body, a bit flabby/oaky - does better at cooler temps to make up for some lack of acidity, but if you can get past that and the amount of oak for a sauv blanc, the fruit is there. Very good-excellent.

Another beach wine:

• 2007 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Drachenstein Riesling Dragonstone - Germany, Rheingau (9/19/2009)
  Pale color, much more citrus on the nose and palate with this bottle, less of the apple notes, a little spritz that blew off with time, and some residual sweetness. Perhaps because this was drunk at the beach, I felt like I was drinking a really refreshing margarita.

I have no experience with Peter Michael's wines beyond a bottle of 98 Belle Cote Chard that was a stunning wine, certainly haven't made any effort to try his SB given both my lack of interest in that grape and the pricing, so no comment on that. But on the Leitz - that is a really lovely value for money wine, and one of those that delivers quality in spades pretty much every year. The 07s were very tasty, but I'm really excited about the 08 lineup - I had the 08 Dragonstone and Klosterlay Kabinett this summer and both (particularly the Kabinett) were gorgeous. Can't wait to see those hitting the shelves here.

Thanks, Salil. The '07 Dragonstone was my first experience with Leitz. Tried a bottle and immediately went back for another 6. Will look for the '08.

enjoyed the Leitz Dragonstone 08 a few weeks ago, very nice wine..It has become my cousin's hosue wine this year and he served to us during a recent visit