Apparently the ME SB is the highest rated American SB.  I received a split bottle as a gift.  Not like any other SB I have had: earthy, rich, a tad truffly with oak and honey.  I did not get any citrus or floral, but apparently they are there.

 

Not if you didn't taste them.

 

Sounds almost like an attempt at a burgundian style sauvignon blanc. Very odd. I did notice that they use a Musqué clone Sauv Blanc. This would explain why you got those truffly/honeyed notes. A musque clone, if you're unfamiliar is a more fragrant mutation of the original grape with tones similar to the muscat grape. In France, there are common musque clones of sauv blanc and chardonnay among more obscure grapes. Gewurtztraminer is the musque clone of the Traminer grape, which, while still cutivated is much less popular than it's mutated cousin, causing the gewurtz clone to now be regarded as it's own grape.

 

I'm not really a wine drinker, so this hurts my head more than philosophy discussions.

Drew: trockenberenausulese

 

Sounds like something my wife would like.

 

I'm not really a wine drinker, so this hurts my head more than philosophy discussions.

 

Plus a shit load.

Betzinger Chardonnay 2007 (Sonoma).  2 glasses, pretty freaking tasty for a white.  Now if I could find this at $6 a bottle I'd be all set.

Spaniel, have you tried a red zin yet?

Spaniel, have you tried a red zin yet?

 

Several.  Including one each in Napa and Sonoma.  Not impressed yet, but I still have an open mind.  I don't think I went anywhere known for their Zin.  

I will probably make a trip to Napa later in the year, this will be on my hit list.

Well, I'm partially with you.  I hold no illusions that I will re-create the great wines.  States in the midwest that grow decent wine all have SOME aspects in common with famous wine regions....take for instance the Leelenau Penninsula in MI, it has a coast and weather moderated by a large body of water...

I will digress to some extent by pointing out that I am not trying to re-create French wines in a regions totally unlike France.  I am growing American varieties suited for the climate and soil in which they are grown.  Perfect?  No.  Famous varieties are famous for a reason.  But IMHO growing a variety suited to the area can result in satisfactory results.

Now, I am sure true wine lovers like yourself that can tell subtle differences probably hate everything in the midwest.  Me, I can't smell squat so I can't differentiate so much.  I like a lot of stuff you probably would turn your nose up at.  For example, due to my lack of land and vines until very recently I was relegated to what I had available to me, which was fruit to make into fruit wine.  Federal law limits a household of 2 or more people to 200 gallons/yr of homemade wine.  For 3 years we ran 180 gallons/yr, and about 120 gal the 4th and 5th years.  We had 1000+ bottles on racks at one point, 90% fruit wine.  We had black raspberry, red raspberry, sweet cherry, sour cherry, apple, pear, currant berry, gooseberry, blueberry, even a damn good champagne made from table grapes.

Many would turn their nose just at the idea.  Me, I'm sipping a 2007 Black Raspberry right now.  Now, the 2006 was better and 2005 was nirvana but the 2007 is totally drinkable.  Because I have been so intimately involved in the process, from the weather and cultivation to the crushing and fermentation, I know each vintage backwards and forwards.  I know what the weather was like each year, and how firm the berries were.  I helped each vintage along until it grew its legs and took its first steps, and know it intimately.  Is this not what wine is about?  Suffering with the fruit, appreciating where it came from and what it becomes?

At one point we had wines from 2002-2007 available.  We did 180gal/yr in 5gal batches so you can do the math on how many batches were represented.  I kid you not, the three of us involved in this, you pour us a glass blindly from any of that 1000+ bottles and we would tell you exactly which batch it came from down to the year.

I hold no illusions that I will recreate a wonderful French/CA wine.  But, over time, I will appreciate the subtle differences in my own vintages and appreciate them for what they are.  I take more pleasure out of the one year of four that I succeed and create a good product, than buying someone else's creation.  To me, that is one of the joys of wine -- the process.

Not unlike running, no?  Hundreds of hours of work, and you appreciate the results of one good race out of ten...learning the subtleties in training that produce varying results....