Tasting ~ Carousel Classique, Blanc des Blancs

Carousel Classique, Blanc des Blancs
Champagne - Chardonnay
Champagne, France
9.78
My review: A dry champagne, with strong aromas and flavors of apple or pear and an easy, clean finish.

Wine Dinner 1 ~ Thanksgiving!

On Thanksgiving, I provided my own wine selections for my family! This included my parents, four siblings, grandma, and great grandparents! I chose the following pairings.

Cotes Des Roses

Rose - Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah

AOP Languedoc, Southern France

2018

$14.99

$From Cote des Roses:The bouquet releases aromas of summer fruits, cassis and redcurrant. Floral notes of rose along with hints of grapefruit complete the picture The finish is fresh, offering notes of candy. On the palate the impression is fresh and full, with great aromatic persistence and balance

My Review: A light, refreshing wine. Notes of grapefruit, semi dry, bright acidity.  Finishes super cleanly.

I chose this rose to go with hors deurves which mainly included cheesy, savory selections, as well as some fresh veggies.  I chose it because I thought the lightness and acidity wouldn't disturb the palate before dinner and would perhaps even cleanse it.  This thinking was correct.  It paired nicely with the selection of snacks; neither the food nor wine overpowered each other, though nothing stood out in the pairing.

Delaney Vineyards - Cynthiana

Cynthiana

Grapevine, Texas

$29.99

From Delaney Vineyards: our Cynthiana wine is a deep cherry color with a superb smoothness that produces plum and dried raspberry aromas.

My Review: Notes of dark fruits, plum, dark cherry, perhaps blackberry.  Easy, light tannic qualities and body.  Long, smooth finish.

I was hoping this wine would go well with turkey, being slightly heavier and bolder than a typical white wine, but not as powerful as a big red wine.  Unfortunately, it was still too bold and overpowered the turkey.  Some of the side dishes went well with the wine such as the yams, squash, and stuffing.  I think the more flavorful foods held their own against it.  Sweeter dishes brought out bigger tannic flavors and spiced dishes exaggerated the fruit components.

Chateau Ste Michelle - Harvest Select Sweet Riesling

Riesling

Columbia Valley

$9.99

From Chateau Ste Michelle:rich flavors of ripe peaches balanced with crisp Washington Riesling acidity.

My Review:  Notes of apples and peaches, bright acidity, very sweet and quick, smooth finish.

I picked this Riesling to go with pumpkin pie because it has the sweetness to compete with the dessert, while also balancing all the sugar with its acidity.  It turned out to be a beautiful pairing and perhaps will become an annual favorite with my family!

Winery Visit - Delaney Vineyards

During the long weekend of Columbus Day, I had the wonderful opportunity to drive down to Grapevine, Texas and visit a vineyard with my mother! We went to Delaney Vineyards together, where enjoyed tasting several wines, and an informative tour of the facilities.

Pictured above is my mom and I posing with a retired barrel and to the left is an original barrel from when Delaney Vineyards was first started in the 1980s in Lamesa, Tx.  On the tour we learned about Jerry Delaney who grew up in a family of cotton farmers and later uprooted the cotton farm to plant grape vines and thus began Delaney Vineyards.

 Pictured here is a Cynthiana vine. These vines are grown by the vineyards exclusively in Grapevine.  It is unique in its ability to grow in the clay soil and local climate.  Due to the extreme Texas climate Delaney Vineyards harvests in August, much earlier than in more temperate areas. The berries are also especially small at the size of blueberries.

 Here are the barrels and equipment used at the Grapevine location of Delaney Vineyards.  The guide explained that they get new barrels every four years and use American oak.

During the tasting we had these wines:

Sauvignon Blanc: A bright wine with notes of tropical fruit, citrus, and slight minerality.

Chardonnay: Creamy, lightly buttery, vanilla and citrus.  I enjoyed the wine so much I brought a bottle back to share with my friends!

Muscat Canelli: This wine is super sweet! The sugars diluted any other flavor and made an almost syrupy wine.

Pinot Noir: Light and bright wine with notes of strawberry, or cherry on both the nose and palate.

Texas Claret: This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Its plummy and had notes of dark berries and very strong tannins.

Tasting - Gruet, Blanc de Blancs

Gruet, Blanc de Blancs
Chardonnay, sparkling
New Mexico, USA
$18.99
2018

From gruetwinery.com: Medium lemon in color, our Non Vintage Blanc de Blancs presents aromas of brioche and green apples that follow through on the palate. Flavors of lemon zest, honeysuckle, and tropical fruit lead to a crisp, fresh finish.

Tasting Notes: Strong notes of apple on the nose and palate, semi sweet, bright acidity, slight tannic components, very light body with long finish and a honey aftertaste.