Touriga Nacional is one of those Portuguese grapes that needs a bit of time. In fact, we're so used to seeing this one in aged port over a still wine that the age often comes naturally.
So when we got lucky enough to find two bottles of UDACA Dao Touriga Nacional 2014 on clearance at a local wine shop, we grabbed both with one to enjoy now and one to age.
This is an important distinction, because at 10 years old this one was only starting to show its potential!
Madeira is one of my favorite fortified wines, and when it comes to a style that goes with just about everything, we almost always reach for a Boal.
This particular bottle from Cossart Gordon was an interesting one because it was perhaps the most aged Boal we've had yet. At 15 years it hit all the right notes of fruit, nuts, and more!
As lovers of all things Syrah, we have to admit that our access to good bottles from Australia often feels limited. So when we had a chance to pick up a bottle of Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz, with grapes sourced from all over the country (with a Barossa Valley dominance), we had to give it a try.
A hot climate Shiraz with characteristic flavors of the region? We're in for that.
Savoie is not a wine region I have been able to study much of, but with its proximity next to the Alps and bordering with Switzerland, my expectation was for crisp, high-acid wines all the same.
Domaine Labbe's Vin de Savoie Abymes highlights the lesser grown Jacquere grape and hits exactly that in this high-acid but flavorful bottle!
For wine fans, you likely are familiar with Sauvignon Blanc- the popular grape grown all over the world known for its high acid and lovely flavors.
But have you tried the rarer Sauvignon Gris- a pink skinned mutation of the popular grape? Truly, these are a bit harder to come by, and we were fortunate enough to find a bottle of Eric Chevalier's Fie Gris from the Loire Valley and what a find this one was!
We honestly would not be upset if more wineries planted this alongside their Sauvignon Blanc holdings!
Italy is one of those countries we go back to again and again in our quest to try new grapes, and the red grape, Susumaniello, from Puglia was high on our list.
Masseria Li Veli's Susumaniello was an interesting and complex red on the aromas that, admittedly, was a bit less complex on the palate than we would prefer. That said, if you are a fan of Cabernet, this one will be right up your alley!
Whenever we have dessert Muscats, they're often quite young, fresh, and vibrant.
Yalumba in Australia makes one that is a bit different as it comes with a great deal of age on it (at least 10 years, per the label). While this bottle itself is non-vintage such that we do not know its exact age, what it does come with is an impressive complexity of flavors that age provides.
Paired with a robust dessert, like miso cheesecake, and we enjoyed the bottle even more.
As our quest here at The Grape Pursuit is to try every grape varietal in the world, whenever we find a bottle with a new-to-us grape, we pick it up immediately.
This was the case of Zorah Voski from Armenia with an equal blend of two new grapes to us- Voskeat and Garandmak.
After opening this bottle, we appreciated just how complex the blend was, with aromas and flavors that reminded us a lot like a Champagne (minus bubbles). This one was a real treat we hope to try again in the future!
During our dry January, we decided to try some non-alcoholic wines to see what they were like.
We quickly realized that sparkling NA wine was among our favorite, as the characteristics of the bubbles and, often, added sugar to offset the lack of alcohol, works nicely for the style. To put it bluntly, sparkling wine is sometimes sweet, so added sugar works.
Noughty makes an interesting sparkling Chardonnay that, while well made, reminded us a bit more like a sparkling cider than it did a sparkling wine.
When we think of producers of high-quality Rieslings, our minds often go to cool climates like the Mosel in Germany or the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York.
But just because some cooler climate regions are famous for their Riesling doesn't mean this grape can't grow in warmer spots. On the contrary, it thrives all over! California-based Arista, known for some stellar Pinot Noir, has one Riesling from the Anderson Valley that we were hesitant about but fell in love with after the first sip.
If you prefer your Riesling ripe and with a robust intensity, this one is for you.
