USA White Wines

Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.
Tasted Tuesday, September 11, 2012 by isaacjamesbaker with 732 views

Flight 1 - Three Blind Whites (3 Notes)

  • 2011 Chateau O'Brien Petit Manseng 87 Points

    USA, Virginia, Northern Virginia, Fauquier County

    I tasted this blind. It smells like grass, grapefruit and white peach. The palate shows tangy acid, a burst of tangerine and lime fruit. For a while, I was convinced this was a California interpretation of muscadet, with its lime and salt and sea flavors. A burst of tangerine on the finish. My guess: a California muscadet. I was excited to see it was a Virginia petite manseng, which I think has a future in the state. Solid stuff, and it would be great with oysters or shrimp.

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  • 2009 Salinia Chardonnay In the Box 86 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    I tasted this blind and guessed it as a Virginia viognier, although I wasn't convinced. Gold color with thick legs. The nose is rich, showing nuts, tangerine and hints of sherry. This wine is oily on the palate, but the acid is almost searing, which I like. Flavors of honeycomb, wax, apricot and lemon. A big and bold wine, but that acid keeps it fresh. Not the most balanced of chardonnays, but good nonetheless. This wine was aged on the skins, which gives it that richness and pungency of flavor.

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  • 2005 Salinia Chardonnay Heintz Ranch 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Third blind tasted wine of the flight, and I guessed it as a Sonoma chardonnay with five years of age on it. Clear gold color. The first aroma I notice is one of fresh scallops, no kidding. Like a mixture of that sweet richness of scallops and a hint of sea brine. Strange, but beautiful. This wine also has aromas of pineapple and peanut shell. The palate is really nutty and creamy. Lots of toasted nuts and marshmallow, but those flavors show subtlety, which made me think this wine had some age on it. Silky finish. Quite a nice wine. This tasting was the first time I've tried Salinia, and thery're definitely innovative winemakers.

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Flight 2 - Sauvignon Blancs (4 Notes)

  • 2011 Glen Manor Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 71 Points

    USA, Virginia, Shenandoah Valley

    This is one heck of an extreme sauvignon blanc. Aromas of lemon, sage, grass and grapefruit. The wine is so pungent it almost smells like arugula. Val said it smells like "a cat peeing on grass," while J described it as smelling like "bleu cheese under a Frenchman's arpit in August." The palate is too sweet for my taste, bursting with lime and sweet tarts. The grass and onion flavors are too pungent and powerful. This just ain't my cup of sauvignon blanc.

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  • 2011 Linden Sauvignon Blanc Avenius 87 Points

    USA, Virginia, Northern Virginia

    Linden is one of the few Virginia wineries that almost always puts out solid and interesting wines. This sauvignon blanc beat the hell out of the 2011 Glen Manor. The nose has a seltzer-like sense of freshness, with lime, orange, honeysuckle and sage. The palate is light and tangy, with a burst of gooseberry, melon and lime. Minerals and hints of green onion accent the fruit flavors. Very balanced and clearly well-made. Maybe sauvignon blanc has potential in Virginia?

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  • 2010 Cowan Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Isa 89 Points

    USA, California, North Coast, Lake County

    This wine shows a pretty apricot color. The aromas are really fun and wild: apricot, pineapple, white flowers and an aroma that reminds me of a good bourbon. The palate is dense and creamy, but the acid keeps it fresh and lip-smacking. Flavors of quince, honey, wax and peanut shell. This wine reminds me of some wines from the Jura region of France, with its high acid, nutty and slightly oxidized aspect. Fun stuff. It gets serious points for creativity.

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  • 2010 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc 93 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    My girlfriend and I fell in love with this wine at the winery in March. Heavenly aromas of grass, jalapeno, white peach and green apple. The aromas opened up with time and air, showing all sorts of nuance. Most of the tasters were a bit skeptical of this wine, thinking it would be too oaked or bold, but the acid in this wine is so attractive that it won a lot of fans. The melon and lime fruit is pure and plush, laced with herbs and cut chives. The finish is long and seamless. Again, one of my favorite sauvignon blancs, period.

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Flight 3 - White Blends from Compagni Portis (2 Notes)

  • 2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Compagni Portis 92 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

    Light yellow color in the glass. Aromatic intensity is this wine’s game: tons of flowers, peach blossoms, perfume, and a gewürztraminer-like combination of fresh citrus and nuttiness. The palate shows chunky melon and pineapple fruit, white flowers, honey and lychee nut flavors. There’s a lot of tangy acid and solid balance throughout. This is a really unique white wine, unlike anything I’ve tasted. It gets serious credit for being so damn unique. The closest comparison I can come up with is a traditional proprietary white blend from Alsace, one of those tangy-rich wines with five or ten white grapes mixed it. The combination of flavors and elements is like jazz, there’s a bit of everything in here. It’s chaotic, but it works. Lovely. On day 2, even more complexity and nuance.

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  • 2010 Arnot-Roberts Old Vine White Compagni-Portis Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

    Most tasters like this wine more than the 2010 Bedrock Compagni Portis. I was in the minority, but this wine still seriously rocks. On the nose: white flowers, honeysuckle, rose petals, pears and tons of perfume. Truly a beautiful wine to sniff. The palate is fresh and tangy, with green apple, wax, tart lemon and perfume flavors. The acid sings but there's a waxiness to the wine that gives it great mouthfeel and depth. Lovely stuff.

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Flight 4 - Random Whites (8 Notes)

  • 2008 Lioco Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    I was really excited about tasting this wine, but it was a total letdown. It was really spritzy out of the bottle, which was strange. The sulfur on the nose overwhelmed the orange rind and nutty aromas. The palate is really flat, with flavors of white grapes and sour apples. Again, lots of sulfur. No balance, no finish. Something's wrong with this wine so I didn't score it.

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  • 2005 Newton Chardonnay Unfiltered 85 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    This chardonnay is in an interesting spot right now. Still rich, but gaining some quirky aged characteristics. Aromas of green apple, toasted nuts and a hint of seaweed. The seaweed note isn't off-putting at all, kind of fun actually. Rich and nutty on the palate, with flavors of olive oil and lamp oil. Rich melon fruit, along with nuts and some dusty flavors as well. Needs cheese.

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  • 2010 Fausse Piste Viognier Ma Conviction 91 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

    Now we're talking. I am stoked about this viognier. Light yellow color in the glass. The aromas are so damn bright! Lime, mixed flowers, nuts and giner aromas abound. The palate is full and round with tropical fruit, but the acid is high and keeps it in check. Flavors of sweet tarts, tangy limes, honeysuckle and even a dash of minerality. This wine is almost reminiscent of a Northern Rhone viognier, although it shows a bit more ripeness. This wine really evolved over the course of two hours and I definitely think it will improve in complexity over the next five years. Why don't I have Fausse Piste in my cellar? Every wine they make wows me. 91+

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  • 2011 Matello Pinot Gris 86 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Aromas of bright white flowers, orange blossom and sweet perfume. It's quite a tart wine, with flavors of sweet tart candy, orange rind and green apple. Floral and soapy flavors are mixed in as well. Overall, a decent wine with more briskness than a lot of pinot gris wines.

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  • 2011 Dirty and Rowdy Sémillon 88 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville

    What a funky white wine. Fermented on the skins, this wine shows a cloudy yellow color in the glass. This wine demonstrates its aromatic style without shame: grapefruit, smoked nuts, bitter lemon, chives and a hint of funk. On the palate, pear fruit leads the way to salted nuts, white pepper and incense. There's an herbal kick that transitions to the finish. Zesty acid keeps this balanced and easy to sip. I doubt I would've guessed California if I tasted this totally blind. Really bizarre and thought-provoking, and that gets serious points in my book.

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  • 2006 Gundlach Bundschu Gewürztraminer Rhinefarm Vineyard 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

    There's no way this wine is past its prime. It's six years old and still going strong. The aromatics are so European and so gewurz... with lychee, honey, lavender, soap and a whole lot of perfume. Incredible aromas. The palate shows medium+ acid, along with a plethora of nutty and fruity flavors… honeydew melon, honey, oil, lychee, peanut shell and Asian spices. This wine was fermented in stainless steel to near dryness, with only 0.14% residual sugar, keeping it fresh and lively. One of the better domestic gewürztraminers I’ve had in a very long time.

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  • 2011 Sheldrake Point Gewürztraminer 85 Points

    USA, New York, Finger Lakes

    Gotta love the early 90s label. Aromas of sweet apricot, lavendar and a lot of flowers. The palate shows pineapple, honey and incense flavors. There's some sage and other spices underneath, adding complexity. A hint of musk on the finish.

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  • 2011 Conundrum Wines White 84 Points

    USA, California

    I really enjoyed previous vintages of this wine, and it was a bottle of the 2005 I had upon release that got me excited about exploring California whites. It smells like soap, flowers, white peach and white grapes. Actually it smells a little fake, like a cheap perfume intended to cover up bad body odor. On the palate there’s not nearly enough acid. It’s way too sweet, with lychee, honey, white flowers. This wine is intense, and I can see why people like it… but to be honest, it’s a little bit beyond my palate. It’s fun, a good party wine, but not exactly my thing anymore.

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Flight 5 - Dessert Wines from Virginia (2 Notes)

  • 2008 Linden Petit Manseng Late Harvest 90 Points

    USA, Virginia, Northern Virginia

    To end the evening, we enjoyed two dessert wines from Virginia. The Linden Petit Manseng blew away the 2010 Glen Manor. It has to be one of the best Virginia wines I've tasted. Golden color with creamy legs. Gorgeous aromas of apricot liqueur, marmalade, dried flowers and salted nuts. The palate is an explosion of honey and orange marmalade. Notes of chammomile and persimmon add complexity. Clover honey and caramel linger on the finish. Very balanced, with serious aging potential. My interest in Virginia petit manseng is growing.

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  • 2010 Glen Manor Vineyards Petit Manseng Raepheus 80 Points

    USA, Virginia, Shenandoah Valley

    This dessert wine, like most everything I've tried from Glen Manor, is peculiar. It smells of smoke, apple zinger and a whiff of pepper. The palate is oily, but balanced with tangy acid, which I like. This has a lot of spicy flavors going on, not all of which are the most pleasant. Fun wine, and a good conversation starter, but I wouldn't necessarily seek it out.

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