Posts

Posted on

2015 Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace Brut

Wines from Alsace offer incredible value and finesse. Often overlooked are the sparkling wines from the region that borders Germany in France’s northeast quadrant. 

The 2015 Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace Brut is pure joy any time of day or night. Serve it at brunch with gravlax or any smoked salmon or whitefish. Have it with a creamy French brie over lightly toasted bread or serve it with sushi or oysters, lobster, shrimp and mussels. Or better yet, just drink this zesty, light, toasty bubbly any time day or night. 

A blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois, Riesling and Chardonnay, the light lime and lemon zest flavors are quickly backed up by  green apples and a rich and creamy melon flavor, all with a hint of almond spice. 

That’s why the 2015 Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace Brut is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of the Day!  

Posted on

2016 Comte Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial

The 2016 Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial is one of those wines from Corsica that you just can’t stop going back to.

Priced in the mid thirty dollar range, the Beaujolais weight red is a perfect spring and summer wine. Made from 100 percent Sciaccarellu, this bio-dynamic wine is all berries and cherries and spice. The Corsican wine offers lots of brambly wild cherry flavors, plus light strawberry and red plum notes.

Fans of Pinot Noir and Cote’s du Rhone reds will easily find a way to enjoy this silky and elegant wine, as will those who of course enjoy just about anything from Corsica.

That’s why the 2016 Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day

Posted on

2016 Clos La Coutale Cahors

Cahors used to be the not so secret region that provided Merlot and Malbec to the Bordeaux producers. Then one day some producers started to their own wines.

That’s why the 2016 Clos La Coutale is one of the best value reds on the market today. It’s a juicy wine, where the Merlot’s cherry fruit and the tarry flavors of the Malbec, blend well together. 

The Clos La Coutale is a soft wine, something that the inky dark color hides nicely. Cherries,  black plums and blackberry pie flavors are all there, as is the ripe and rich raspberry appeal .

The Coutale is a wine that you can find in most places for less than $16, and that’s why it’s the WineSiders Wine of the Day.

Posted on

2016 Kaena Hapa Blanc

One of the big wine trends these days with millennials is their love of blends. And, for the most part, their interest in red blends goes more in the direction of Napa Bordeaux style Meritage wines or Sonoma County Zinfandel based field blends often with some Petite Sirah and Carignan in the blend.

Missed though are the white blends, many of which are Rhone white blends that are perfect with the warm weather in spring and summer here across the United States.

The 2016 Kaena Hapa Blanc is one of those mistakenly overlooked white blends that meets that criteria, and while partially Rhone grape varietal based with Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc, the addition of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling gives the wine a bit more complexity and differentiation. 

Rich layers of honeysuckles, banana, ripe honeydew melon and canteloupe, a hit of petrol and some light grassy notes come through. The light cream base, and the bright lemon peel aroma makes this an ideal Sunday brunch charmer that should not be overlooked.

And that’s why the 2016 Kaena Hapa Blanc is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day

Posted on

2018 Kaena Grenache Rose

2018 Kaena Grenache Rose

Mikael Sigouin has done it again. For the  third year in a row he’s produced a dead ringer of a Tavel Rose wine, the 2018 Kaena Grenache Rose.

Made in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley by the region’s King of Grenache, the latest release from the boutique winery shows why Sigouin is such a master of his craft when it comes to getting the most out of the Grenache grape. 

Strawberry and blackberry aromas and flavors are evident from the first whiff and taste, while the cool, crisp and dry structure of the pink wine keeps things in perfect harmony.

That’s why the 2018 Kaena Grenache Rose is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day.’

2018kaenarose