Sunday, December 26, 2010

Nice Coat

Bud brought over an interesting bottle the other night, the 2002 Turley White Coat (San Luis Obispo County). He said he thought it was overdue for consumption. In fact, it was a deep gold color, a sign that a white is showing its age. This wine is a Rhone varietal, and I thought it was musky and slightly woody -- almost chardonnaylike, but not as in your face. And this wine packs a wallop, at 15 percent alcohol -- more than most reds I drink. It's running about $80 to $100 online.
The White Coat might have been a bit over the hill, but it was a likable bottle (and it's hard to find a white I crave). Not sure I'd ever spend that much on a white, though.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Feeling Fizzy

I was feeling nostalgic a few months back when I bought a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut Champagne (Epernay, France) with a gift certificate from wine.com. This was our wedding Champagne in 2002, and I don't recall having any since then.
We had an occasion to celebrate: My impending return to work after nearly a year off.
So we popped the cork the other night. The Perrier-Jouet ($50) had flavors of lemon and moss, and a tart finish. The color was a delicate, pale straw. This elegant, understated wine was little more than I usually spend on Champagne, but it was delicious to the last bubble.