Last Friday we had wine with friends, first time in over a week. Was a treat! The evening opened with smoked salmon and a '22 Muga Rosado, which was everything we all love about that wine, year in and year out.
Dinner was grilled sable fish with rice and cauliflower. A very white plate but I have synaesthesia and not everyone shares my need for color. We opened the two light reds I brought. Our host was born in East Germany but grew up in Vancouver BC, and later did his doctorate at U.C. Berkeley so I brought two wines that spoke to these two phases of his life.
2017 Halleck Pinot Noir Three Sons Cuvée Russian River Valley
This is evolving beautifully. Concentrated fruit, a pleasing sweetness and some loamy notes, all beautifully balanced--California pinot at its finest.
2019 Nichol Vineyard St. Laurent Okanagan Valley
Loved this at the winery a year ago but the fruit and spices that were so enticing then fail me now. It's too acidic--whether the fruit's just gone to sleep or has checked out for good, I don't know, but it was not particularly enjoyable.
So Chuck opened this:
2018 Domaine Lafage Cuvée Centenaire Côtes du Roussillon Grenache Blend, Grenache
I'm a fan of Lafage wines but had never seen/had a white until a friend opened this Centenaire on Friday. WOW. This is Mae West in a bottle: not fat (13% abv) but hefty and sexy at the same time with excellent fruit and concentration. White peach, yellow apple, orange blossom, honey and lemon zest combine on the palate with perfect acidity and a long, purring finish. This girl knows what she's doing! Btw, the grapes on this are: 60% Grenache Blanc, 20% each Grey Grenache and roussanne.
Grey Grenache? New one to me!
