Ugni Blanc

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  November 2009

  Citra Trebbiano 2005

  Snoothrank: Starting at $6^.99

  pale yellow color. citrus, apricot scent. light and lemony flavor.

  Wine review by MsKeesh

  
  

• October 2009

  I've found myself recently heading for much more acidic reds -- mainly Italian. Probably to do with the fact that my Significant Other has been demanding I make gnocchi about twice a week. There's got to be a bite with that much starch. With whites I've loved Rhône-style things for... Read moreI've found myself recently heading for much more acidic reds -- mainly Italian. Probably to do with the fact that my Significant Other has been demanding I make gnocchi about twice a week. There's got to be a bite with that much starch. With whites I've loved Rhône-style things for years, and southern French wines -- Marsanne/Roussane-based things -- but recently it's been much more Alsace-style (a lot of Pinot Blancs, preferably with a bit of age, and Gewurtzträminers) -- and good white Burgundies (Adelaide Hills chardonnays in a pinch). I'd be interested to hear how your taste has changed, and why you think it has.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Changes in taste: what's... by Robert Johnston

  
  
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  September 2009

  Ugni Blanc Colombard "Pigmentum" Cahors Georges Vigouroux Weisswein Trocken Frankreich 2007

  Snoothrank:

  Enjoyed the 2008 tonight...tingly taste, delicious bouquet...love the grapefruit notes...would definitely buy again. A great wine!

  Wine review by winefan21

  
  

• September 2009

  I was asked by a fellow snoother to write a bit about Norton wines after I had ... Blanc (a French hybrid of Ugni Blanc and Seibel) did do well and produced some excellent wines. But, the one that really surprised me was a wine I didn't know called Norton (sometimes also called... Read moreI was asked by a fellow snoother to write a bit about Norton wines after I had ... Blanc (a French hybrid of Ugni Blanc and Seibel) did do well and produced some excellent wines. But, the one that really surprised me was a wine I didn't know called Norton (sometimes also called Cynthiana). First, I should begin by stating that Norton is a grape that is uniquely American in origin which is principally used to produce a dry red wine. It was discovered and introduced to the world by Dr. Daniel Norton (1794-1842) of Virginia. It was first mentioned in William Prince's book "A Treatise on the Vine", published in 1830. It is presumed to be a hybrid of the Bland grape (a now extinct Vitis aestivalis hybrid of uncertain origin) and Miller's Burgundy (Pinot Meunier, a Vitis vinifera). Whatever it is, it happened by chance, and it was a lucky break for future American vintners. A few years after Norton's discovery, a group of German immigrants founded a town along the Missouri River called Hermann, Missouri. There they planted a considerable amount of Norton grapes which were used to produce some very fine wines. At the 1873 Vienna World Exposition a Norton wine from Hermann, MO won a gold medal and was pronounced one of the finest wines in the world. But, a few decades later came Prohibition and, for a while, the world forgot about Norton, Missouri and a great American wine. Sometime in the mid 1960's, a few adventurous people purchased, and began the long process of rebuilding some of the fine old wineries of Missouri and once again producing that almost forgotten wine, Norton. A decade later a second wave of adventurers began opening new wineries in the region. On June 20, 1980 the first federally approved AVA (American Viticultural Area) was given to Augusta, MO. That was eight months before Napa Valley, CA received it's AVA. The wine industry in Missouri had officially returned. Enough with the history lessons, so how does it taste? OK, now it's opinion time. I find Norton to be a lot like Pinot Noir. Not in taste, but in the fact that it's hard to find a really good one cheap. Norton can have a bit of that foxy taste that you usually associate with Vitis labrusca wines. It is a hybrid of a Vitis aestivalis (a native wild grape) after all. What I've found is that the vintners who put in the extra effort to take these grapes to the highest level they can, produce some truly wonderful Norton wines. But, they do charge extra. You can expect to pay $20-50.00 for a good bottle of Norton. This may not sound like much compared with a great Cabernet Sauv. or Pinot Noir, but if you consider the spectacular Zinfandel and Shiraz(Syrah) wines available for under $20.00...well... Let's take barrels for instance. In California today they primarily use French oak barrels for their better wines, and American oak for only part of the process. In Missouri, most of the wineries use only American oak to age their Norton. I feel this makes the wine too oakey and so tannic, that you really can't drink it in less than ten years. It also doesn't help to disguise the foxy nose of the wine the way that a good French oak barrel could. A handful of Missouri wineries, like Stone Hill, have experimented with French as well as Hungarian oak barrels for Norton wine in recent years and have produced some amazingly good and complex wines. As I write this, I am drinking a 1997 Cynthiana (Norton) wine from Heinrichshaus Vineyards. He used primarily Hungarian and older American oak barrels to make this wine. It is still vibrant and has not yet peaked, but the Norton taste is not dominated by the foxiness of the grape, nor the harsh tannins of new American oak. Here's a short list of wineries whose Norton wines I would highly recommend: Stone Hill Winery http://www.stonehillwinery.com/ St.James Winery http://www.stjameswinery.com/ Heinrichshaus http://www.heinrichshaus.com/ Adam Puchta http://www.adampuchtawine.com/ Crown Valley http://www.crownvalleywinery.com/ Sugar Creek http://www.sugarcreekwines.com/ Blumenhof Winery http://www.blumenhof.com/ There are a lot of other wineries I could list, but all of the ones I have named produce consistently good Norton wines as well as other varietals. This should be enough information to get you off to a good start. Cheers!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Norton - a brief history of... by D9sus4

  
  
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  August 2009

  Ugni Blanc Colombard "Pigmentum" Cahors Georges Vigouroux Weisswein Trocken Frankreich 2007

  Snoothrank:

  Had the 2008 actually - but great flavor - chilled with scallops & summer veggies. Distinct sweet grapefruit taste - just tart enough.

  Wine review by extrapulp

  
  
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  August 2009

  Umbria Bianco Arboreus Paolo Bea 2004

  Snoothrank:

  VA on the nose is joined by pine, anise seed, roast pork, hoisin, even a touch of lychee. Very aromatic but that hairpray volatility can be off-putting to some. Nice balanced palate with a rich, seductive feel and a nice, perfumy inner mouth presence that gets drawn out on the long... Read moreVA on the nose is joined by pine, anise seed, roast pork, hoisin, even a touch of lychee. Very aromatic but that hairpray volatility can be off-putting to some. Nice balanced palate with a rich, seductive feel and a nice, perfumy inner mouth presence that gets drawn out on the long finish. This is delicious. 93pts    (hide)

  Wine review by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  
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  August 2009

  Citra Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2006

  Snoothrank:

  color-pale yellow nose- mineral, stone fruit, herbs mouth-green tea, apricots, citrus finish - medium buy it drink it

  Wine review by blog4wine

  
  

• July 2009

  Was wondering where you were off to, but it looks like a plumber's holiday on your way to Sonoma. ;-) Good call on the Sierra Foothills, and nice coverage of recent offerings. Though I won't be holding my breath over here in Tokyo, I'll still be keeping a lookout for the Amador... Read moreWas wondering where you were off to, but it looks like a plumber's holiday on your way to Sonoma. ;-) Good call on the Sierra Foothills, and nice coverage of recent offerings. Though I won't be holding my breath over here in Tokyo, I'll still be keeping a lookout for the Amador Rosato di Sangiovese and the Sobon Roussane and Rose. Keep those reports coming, but also enjoy your trip!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Strike it rich in the Sierra... by dmcker

  
  
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  July 2009

  Fattoria Viticcio Dolce Arianna Vin Santo 2000

  Snoothrank:

  I think the glass I had was a 1998 - but hard to tell, because this was the end of a very satisfying meal with loads of prosecco!

  Wine review by Mella

  
  
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  July 2009

  Cadence Coda Columbia Valley 2002

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by tylermi

  
  

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