Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.
This past week included a couple of wines from a newer producer in Santa Barbara County named Slouch Hat Wines. Matt Fowler fell in love with wine exploring Virgina’s wine country while working in Quantico as an analyst for the Marine Corps. A couple of entrepreneurial evolutions later, Fowler started a small wine label to pursue his passion. He sent through his Sauvignon Blanc and a GSM blend that are both worth checking out, though I thought the GSM was the most successful.
Flora Springs is one of the few names in Napa that might be as well known for their white wine as their red. Their Soliloquy white, primarily Sauvignon Blanc, with some Malvasia and Chardonnay blended isn’t exactly an imitation of a Graves-style white, but it tastes as if it were made in that vein. If you don’t mind a bit of oak, you’ll enjoy it.
I’ve also got a couple more wines from the little Marin-based producer Brooks Note this week, both of which I really liked a lot. The Monroe Vineyard Chardonnay is positively bursting with acidity and lean citrus notes while the Pinot from the famous Weir Vineyard in Mendocino’s Yorkville Highlands has an equally electric brightness expressed in red berries.
Russian River producer Merriam Vineyards sent through their rosé of Pinot Noir this week, which seems like it’s just about what you’d want as pool weather sets in, crisp, bright, and refreshingly pink.
Vino Vasai is the tiny wine label of Bill and Sandy Sanchez, who purchased a vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains of Oregon and now make small quantities of wine from their property they call Potter’s Vineyard. Their estate reserve Pinot was a nice expression of red fruits.
Lastly, I’m pleased to recommend the wines of one of the Douro region’s most iconic properties, Quinta do Vesuvio. Owned by the Symington family, Vesuvio is a historic property that, in addition to Port, makes three excellent dry red wines from the region. I tasted all three this week and can recommend them all highly, though the Pombal may offer the biggest bang for the buck, given that it can sometimes be found for less than $30. All three are wonderful expressions of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and other local varieties. If you’re interested in wines like this, stay tuned for a big report on my recent trip to the Douro that I hope to publish in the coming weeks.
Notes on all these below.
Tasting Notes
2023 Slouch Hat “As You Were” Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon pith and lemon blossom. In the mouth, bright flavors of lemon pith, ripe apple, and a hint of grapefruit have a nice crispness thanks to decent acidity. There’s a faint chalky sensation that lingers in the finish. 13.3% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $28.
2023 Flora Springs “Soliloquy” White Blend, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Pale greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of green apple, white flowers, and the vanilla of oak. In the mouth, green apple and green melon flavors mix with pink grapefruit and notes of toasted oak. Very good acidity and brightness, but for me, there’s too much wood influence here, which leaves a light bitterness in the finish that is both woody and citrusy. A blend of mostly Sauvignon Blanc with a bit of Malvasia and Chardonnay. 14.2% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $65. click to buy.
2021 Brooks Note “Monroe Vineyard” Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California
Pale yellow-gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon curd and grapefruit pith. In the mouth, wonderfully bright flavors of lemon curd, lemon zest, and pink grapefruit have a brisk salinity to them and an electricity thanks…
Source : https://www.vinography.com/2024/06/vinography-unboxed-week-of-6-23-24
