Summer means warmweather whites to savor — our tasting panel has some recommendations.
PICK OF THE WEEK
2016 Chappellet Chardonnay
Overall score: 18.5 (9 for quality, 9.5 for value)
Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with five scores of at least 9. “Layers of flavor. Good acidity and balance.” My score: 9. “Round and buttery. Complex but delicious.”
Varietal/blend: 100 percent chardonnay. Alcohol: 14.1 percent.
Winery/vineyards/winemaking: Donn and Molly Chappellet founded their winery on Pritchard Hill in 1967. Winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus sourced most of his fruit from a coolclimate Napa Valley-designated vineyard that overlooks San Pablo Bay. For added complexity, this vintage also included grapes from a vineyard in Oak Knoll and from an older, dryfarmed block of Wente clone grapes grown at an elevation of 2,000 feet. The wine spent eight months on the lees in French oak barrels, one-third new. Much of it underwent malolactic fermentation, to add, Corallo-Titus says, “texture and viscosity.”
Winemaker notes: “Begins with an enticing nose displaying layers of pineapple, nectarine, citrus blossom and apricot as well as delicate oak-inspired notes of vanilla custard, clove and nutmeg. On the palate, it strikes a lovely balance between bright acidity and creamy richness, with vibrant layers of tropical fruit, lychee and orange zest supported by hints of melted butter and crème fraîche.”
Critical acclaim: Wine Spectator awarded a score of 90.
Pairings: Grilled lobster with a garlic butter sauce. Maple teriyaki-glazed salmon. Champagne and scallops bisque with crème fraîche. Price: $30.39 at Spec’s
ALSO RECOMMENDED
2015 Seven Deadly Zins Old Vine Zinfandel
Overall score: 18.9 (8.9 for quality, 10 for value)
Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9.4. “Lovely flavors of spices and cloves. Vanilla on the finish. Ripe and delicious.” My score: 8.8. “Black fruit, silkysmooth tannins.” The grapes are from the zinfandel-friendly Lodi area, where six generations of Michael and David Phillips’ family have been farmers. The wine spent 11 months in American oak. Alcohol: 15 percent.
Price: $10.97 at Spec’s
2017 Nice Winery Ariana
Overall score: 17.9 (8.9 for quality, 9 for value)
Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with three scores of at least 9. “Round and juicy. Stone fruit and plummy flavors.” My score: 8.9. “Enticing peach and citrus notes.” The grenache blanc and viognier grapes (61 percent of the former and 39 percent of the latter make up the blend) are sourced from Washington’s Yakima Valley. A Nice “charity wine,” it’s named for the daughter of a friend of Houston-based winery partners Ryan Levy and Ian Estveld who had to have surgery for a congenital heart defect when she was only 6 weeks old. Sales proceeds benefit OpHeart, founded by Ariana’s mother. Alcohol: 12.8 percent.
Price: $24 at nicewines.com 2017 Layer Cake Rosé
Overall score: 18.9 (8.9 for quality, 10 for value)
Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with two scores of at least 9. “Simple, fresh wine. Super summer sipper.” My score: 9.1 “Bright and lively with excellent minerality and acidity.” It’s a blend of pinot noir (68 percent) and syrah grapes harvested at a high acidity level — to maximize the wine’s crispness — from Layer Cake’s vineyards adjacent to the Santa Lucia Highlands and another vineyard in a deep canyon near Santa Barbara that’s open to the Pacific Ocean. Alcohol: 13.2 percent.
Winemaker notes: “On the palate, tropical flavors of guava and crushed loquat harmonize with field-ripened strawberries. The vibrant acidity is layered with pink grapefruit zest, rhubarb and pineapple that culminates in a bone-dry, refreshing finish.”
Price: $10.39 at Spec's
DOUBLE GOLD
Nearly 140 wines in this year’s Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competition earned double-gold status, signifying that every judge on the tasting panel deemed them worthy of a gold medal. Many also earned Class Championships. We’ll be featuring one bi-weekly for the rest of the year.
2016 Benziger Family Sauvignon Blanc
Class Champion (Sauvignon blanc aged all or in part in barrels, $14-$20)
Winery/vineyards/winemaker: The Sonoma Mountain winery dates from 1980, and eight family members still oversee all aspects of the operation. The certified sustainably farmed grapes are harvested from a variety of excellent North Coast sites, and the wine is left on its lees to develop complexity and mouthfeel.
Winemaker notes: “Beautiful citrus and apple flavors introduce the wine, followed closely by its delicious minerality. The acid is both balanced and integrated, giving it a textured mid-palate and an elegant softness.”
Critical acclaim: Wine Enthusiast awarded a score of 90.
Price: $13.69 at Spec’s