Happy early spring! We’ve enjoyed some new wines this winter and here are a few standouts.
The 2019 J. Christopher Volcanique Pinot Noir is an excellent wine. From the Dundee Hills region in Oregon, the wine is a beautiful balance of raspberry fruit and acidity, light on the palate but with a lot going on. There’s some black tea and minerality on the finish. It’s a wine enjoyable on its own or with food. It’s also a fairly reasonable price point for an Oregon Pinot.
Recently out for dinner we ordered the 2021 Brown Chaos Theory Napa Red. We were in the mood for a New World Bordeaux blend-type wine, which this is with a twist. The blend adds Zinfandel and Petit Sirah to Bordeaux varietals. The wine is 50 percent Merlot, 25 percent Petit Sirah, 15 percent Zinfandel, and 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
There is a lot of dark fruit, but the wine isn’t over-the-top; it’s not too overpowering to enjoy with food. The tannins are soft and we tasted baking spices and dark cherry compote. It’s a quality California blend next time you’re in the mood for one.
Recently a good friend of ours turned 50 and I wanted to gift her a nice wine. Of course, that meant we had to try to bottle first. She likes Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine, so we went with a 2020 Domaine Bois De Boursan. It was a delicious and different Chateauneuf than ones we’ve had previously.
I have to hand it to an online reviewer who said this C-N-P is unexpectedly “light on its feet.” That’s the perfect description, it’s light bodied and floral where some C-N-Ps can be big and peppery. We had violets on the nose, plum and cherry fruit, smooth tannins and some herbs on the finish. Excellent bottle to give someone who thinks they don’t like Old World wine.
This last one is for bubble fans. My wife certainly is one, and she has a new favorite that’s actually local. It’s the Thibaut Janisson Blanc de Blanc, produced in Charlottesville by two French Champagne makers Claude Thibaut and Manuel Janisson. The local store where I often buy this sparkler typically says “the best sparkling wine in Virginia is made by two grouchy Frenchmen.” I’ll have to take his word for it.
Whatever is making them grouchy, the wine is very good. A beautiful golden color in the glass, it has great balance between breadiness and acidity with plenty of bubbles. It’s clean and vibrant with fragrant apple and pear fruit. It also keeps well for the next day if you have a way to reseal the bottle. Side note – Janisson also produces Champagne for Costco’s Kirkland brand, which is surprisingly good for $20.
So there are four potentials for a new wine discovery. Enjoy in good health and see you next time.