For Wine Blogging Wednesday this month, our hosts Erin and Michelle from Grape Juice have presented us with a theme inspired by television series Sesame Street: Today’s Wine Brought To You By The Letter “S”. For those not familiar with the show, Sesame Street presented the alphabet to pre-school children one letter at a time with the help of Muppet characters. Erin and Michelle have asked wine bloggers to pick a wine with a connection with the letter “S” and post our notes. 
The first wine to come to mind was made by Steve Matthiasson (the first “S”) from Sauvignon Blanc, Ribolla Gialla and Semillon (two more “S” connections) grown in Napa Valley. I have long thought the most complex wines are made from a blend of varieties and was intrigued to taste such a blend when the winery send me samples (one more “S”) earlier this year.
Steve’s day job is as a vineyard consultant so he tends his own vines in his spare time on Sunday’s (another “S”). Matthiasson works with clients using both organic and biodynamic methods so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Rudolf Steiner (yet another “S”), the father of biodynamic farming. Matthiasson’s total production is only a few hundred cases and his entire family is involved in the operation. This hands-on, natural approach and attention to detail really shows in the glass with this stunning white blend (my last “S”).
Tasting Notes:
Matthiasson, White Wine, Napa Valley 2006 ($35/sample) – Straw in color with very aromatic pineapple, lychee, fig, almond and spice on the nose. Fresh green apple, citrus and mineral flavors finishing quite long with bracing acidity. A delicious and unique wine that pairs well with food but makes a statement on it’s own.
13.6% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 92
[rating:4/5]
So I have seven “S” connections in this post and will now send a shout-out to Erin and Michelle for their great theme. Stay tuned for more Wine Blogging Wednesday news and links to the round-up when it’s posted.
Photo by the Corkdork
A blend of 40% Ribolla Gialla, 25% Pinot Grigio, 22% Tocai Friulano, 10% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Chardonnay grown in Napa Valley, Vare Bianco Riserva 2005 is unique in several ways. First, this is the only winery with plantings of Ribolla Gialla in the US, a variety from Italy’s Friuli Venezia Giulia region where it’s blended with Tocai Friulano. The wine spends an extra few months in once used French Oak barrels than it’s sibling Bianco which produces a more complex wine both aromatically and in it’s flavor profile. An finally, this is one of the few wines packaged in 500 ml bottles as requested by Thomas Keller’s French Laundry restaurant. This results in one of the best Cal-Ital white blends I’ve tasted to date.