The Cellar: Spring Sipping Wines

The Cellar: Spring Sipping Wines

Spring is in the air, my friends, and as the weather gets warmer it is absolutely crucial for your ‘wine health’ that you have one of the following wines handy as you await the opportunity to sit outside and take in the sun, because nothing beats sipping a delicious, lightly chilled wine on a warm day. This week’s wines represent three styles of wines that are great sippers for warm days; a crisp Sauvignon Blanc from the San Francisco area, a refreshing Cru Beaujolais from an iconic producer and finally, a crowd-pleasing sparkling Cava…..all of these wines should be available locally and under $15.

Anna de Codorniu Brut Cava

Spain’s sparkling wine Cava is traditionally made from the three native grapes - Xarello, Macabeo and Perallada. In recent years, however, Spanish winemakers have begun experimenting with the long-standing recipe

by adding Chardonnay to the mix, as has been done for years in France and other parts of the world. ‘Cava’ literally means ‘cellar’ in Spanish and hints of the ‘traditional method’ of bottle fermentation and subsequent aging used in the making of most Cava.

This 70% Chardonnay and 30% Perallada Anna de Codorniu Brut is a 2010 Brussels International Wine Competition Gold Medal Winner. It is a light, sparkling wine with noticeable and persistent bubbles. It is everything a refreshing sparkling wine should be; crisp and dry with delicious green fruit and citrus notes, but also delightfully richly textured, as this wine has gained some complexity through its more than 9 months of aging in the bottle prior to being released. (B)

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2009 Wente Louis Mel Sauvignon Blanc, Livermore Valley

The Sauvignon Blanc grape is grown all over California and while the most well-known and highly respected examples are from Napa Valley, the fact is that a large number of less-known California wine regions have

been growing the popular grape for years. Among them, the people behind what is now Wente Vineyards, who have been growing Sauvignon Blanc grapes in the gravel and loam soils of San Francisco Bay’s Livermore Valley since the 1870’s.

The Wente Sauvignon Blanc is named after the vineyard's founding father, Louis Mel, who originally acquired the vines at Marquis de Lur-Saluces, owner of the famed Chateau Y’quem. Their 2009 vintage is very aromatic, displaying gorgeous green fruit notes with hints of tropical fruit. On the palate the wine is less exciting; it finishing a little awkwardly, but does showcase consistent tropical fruits flavors. (B-) 


2006 Georges Duboeuf Julienas, Beaujolais

While most red wines can be hard to drink in the heat, especially the heavier ones, there are plenty of red wines that perform well as springtime sippers, including a whole category of 'Beaujolais,' whose Gamay-based wines are known for their easy drinking and flavorful red fruit juiciness, and are often enjoyed lightly chilled. But not all Beaujolais are the same. In fact, Beaujolais are made in various styles and qualities, ranging from

the very simple and straight forward, ‘drink-now’ Beaujolais Nouveau to the more complex and flavorful wines sourced from the ten best zones in Beaujolais known as ‘Cru Beaujolais’.

These top wines are labeled after the villages from which their grapes are sourced, in this case from the approximately 1,500-acre schist, clay and granite soiled village of Julienas, originally named after Julius Caesar. The king of Beaujolais is undoubtedly the near-80-year-old Georges Duboeuf, whose many labels represent almost 33% of the entire Beaujolais market. His 2006 Julienas is, despite its considerable age for Beaujolais, still very fresh, but with dark dried fruit aromas instead of its usual red fruit aromas. There is also an undeniable element of greenness that I like quite a bit. On the palate the wine almost comes across like a good cup of cooled-off tea; dry, light and flowery but with significant herbaceous flavors as well. (B)

Enjoy!!

If you have any wine-related questions, comments or concerns feel free to contact The Cellar by emailing [email protected]. And as always, don’t forget to follow GoLocalProv’s Wine Cellar on Facebook.