Friday Walk Around Tasting at Sams Fine Wine & Spirits, Lexington, SC 9/19/2014

Sams Fine Wines & Spirits, Lexington, SC
Tasted Friday, September 19, 2014 by Mike Kopanski with 317 views

Introduction

I'm becoming a regular at this very friendly Friday tasting. This week Lizabeth from Advintage was our hostess. She chose some easy on the palate mostly medium bodied wines, two from Italy, one each from France and California. I always enjoy tasting a Frascati. The Cote du Roussillon with it's base in the blend being Carignane was full of red fruit, and was followed by the even fruitier Verso Rosso with Primitivo style finish that lasted all the way home.

Flight 1 (4 Notes)

  • 2012 The Other Guys Hey Mambo Swanky White 85 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    There is no doubt about the contribution of the Viognier on the nose, even a foot away. There is also ripe pear, honeysuckle, and trilliums. The Chardonnay brings some character and backbone that nicely compliments the exuberance of the Viognier. The Columbard brings a peachy, almost oily character. It would be hard to pair this with food, but slightly chilled drinks just fine on it's own, and even is fairly unique. The whole package seems very ripe, and not necessarily acidic.

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  • 2012 Collegiata Frascati 87 Points

    Italy, Latium, Frascati

    A delightfully tasty, refreshingly soft and delicate little white wine. Comes in at 12.5% alcohol. Barely medium bodied. In the background of the pineapple, apricot, pear, and green apple fruit is a welcome, typical Italian wet stone minerality. A white wine that does not hit you in the face with overpowering acidity. This bottle is almost 2 years off the vine, and was designed to drink young and early, but I think the bottle age has really helped this wine integrate and harmonize.

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  • 2011 Altitudes Côtes du Roussillon Rouge 87 Points

    France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon

    When I first tasted this interesting Southern French red wine, I thought it was Grenache. Turns out the lead grape is Carrignane. The flavor profile is very much red fruit, with a fairly unique cranberry flavor enhancing the red raspberry and strawberry fruit. Nice combination of "New World" upfront fruitiness, and "Old World" rustic minerality. There is plenty of structure and character which will allow this wine to age, but also gets more interesting with each swirl and swallow. Not big, or particularly tannic. Some tea, wet earth and leather on the finish.

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  • 2012 Casa Contini Verso Rosso Salento IGT 87 Points

    Italy, Puglia, Salento IGT

    This is real crowd pleaser. Designed to be soft, early drinking and easy on the palate, this is just fun to drink. Don't think this is a food wine, drink it by itself. It could probably handle being slightly chilled. Althoug mostly fruit driven, there are some secondary flavors like nutmeg and vanilla that nicely keep it from being one dimensional. Lots of ripe cherry and strawberry. Surprising acidity. Probably slightly sweet. About a minute through the finish, my mouth tasted like cotton candy. Nice change of pace.

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