Saturday I had a morning church meeting and then had lunch at Hilltop House (Fayetteville, NC) a nearly century-old house built by two brothers of Scottish ancestry. Several of the ground floor rooms are now separate dining venues ranging from a formal dining room to a parlor-like room, a sun room, and a more casual bar and lounge. I ate in the lounge area. With the chicken salad plate (comes with seasonal fruit and a croissant) I had a glass of 2012 ELIZABETH SPENCER ROSE' wine from Pinot Noir grapes (I think it was Pinot grapes but I'm not certain.) Bright orangey-coral color. The wine was chilled to the point that the nose was muted but perhaps had some strawberry notes as well as citrus (the description on the 2013 version mentions nectarine). The flavor was of slightly underripe strawberries and citrus with a good dollop of acidity to make it a refreshing summertime drink. It was a nice dry rose' wine and paired well with the chicken salad and the strawberries and watermelon on the mixed fruit offering.
After lunch I had a pour of the 20-YEAR TAYLOR FLADGATE TAWNY PORTO. This gave off a nutty, caramelly aroma and flavors of caramel, dried apricots, and nuts, with a hint of maple sugar. It tasted more dry than sweet in nature and was a medium-deep amber color. The alcohol is noticeable on the finish but overall it is nicely balanced. Nice!
After lunch I drove to Raleigh for a wine tasting at Westgate Wine Shop. I passed on trying the Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc and the Mer Soleil Chardonnay Reserve and started with a 2010 VERGET POUILLY-FUISSE LA ROCHE. This was a medium-gold color and seemed to be less than subtle on the oak. Rich tasting but I wasn't getting much in the way of stone fruits. I was more pleased with the 2011 LAURENCE FERAUD SELECTION COTES DU RHONE red wine. Labeled 13.5% abv. Light on its feet, not a blockbuster by any means, but for the price, $12.99, a good QPR. This is 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache. Legs on the side of the glass. Deep red color, almost maroon. Fermented in cement tanks, unoaked. I found the flavor of dark berries (Dan Kravitz website mentions black cherry flavors and suggests pairing with grilled meats or vegetables.) I purchased two bottles and may go back for more if it stays in stock this summer. (This is listed as having a "Wine Enthusiast" 91-pt. rating and being an Editor's Choice.) The 2012 CELLAR CAPCANES MAS DONIS BARRICA, MONTSANT, SPAIN was not a style that appealed to me. It was from 85% Grenache grapes and 15% Syrah. Pungent nose. Tasted plummy and maybe overripe IMHO. It was being offered at $16.95, the same price as the next Spanish wine which I preferred over the Mas Donis Barrica. Some at the tasting liked this better than I did. Two ladies, one a restaurant owner, at my table wanted to try some rose' so Chrish brought out the Belle Glos Pinot Noir Rose' (2011 or 2012?) It was pale pinkish-coral with delicate, pleasant flavors but I chose to buy other wines on this day. I think it was about $18 a bottle. The Spanish wine I purchased was the 2012 CASTANO SOLANERA old vines which is an Eric Solomon selection from Yecla, Spain (can't say I know anything about this region.) The grape composition is 70% Monastrell (Mourvedre), 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Garnacha Tintorera. I took home two bottles. It was fruity, smooth, very agreeable and I think would be popular for a crowd. (94 pts. from Wine Advocate) I tried again the 2011 CASARENA CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVA, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA but already have about four bottles at home. I finished with the 2010 LA GIARETTA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO, DOGC, VENETO, ITALY. One man an my table who says he doesn't like Amarone, found this atypical of what he expected and did like it. Chrish pointed out that this is not as heavy or pruny as some Amarone. It was medium-bodied and mild in flavors. I took home one bottle at the sale price of $27.99. It would normally be offered at $45. I was glad I had made the trip to Raleigh even though I am trying to draw down the size of my wine collection, not add to it.