July 8th Wine Tasting Report

Every once in a while things turn out right. Last friday we tasted six wines with Robyn Swerdlin of Prime Wine & Spirits and enjoyed parity in quality and sales amongst the entries. 3 Brooms Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was also tasted here this weekend but not in the friday night event. It will be reviewed here also.

1. Terra Verus Prosecco was a high quality, light/dry prosecco that advertises its "estate" fruit on the back label. At $15.99/btl it seemed to be a good buy. We tasted it alone and in a Bellini cocktail.

2. Demarie Langhe Italian Arneis 2010 was a light and dry, low acid summer sipper. It was an easy drinking apertif/seafood wine that seemed decent at $14.99.

3. Le Lapin Central Coast California Chardonnay is a second label from Rabbit Ridge, a good Sonoma producer. Le Lapin is "rabbit" in french. The wine was a good standard for the type at $9.99.

4. Le Lapin Paso Robles California Multiplicity was a solid Rhone style red blend from Rabbit Ridge at a bargain $9.99 price. It was medium bodied with moderate acidity and would pair well with red meat on the grill.

5. Anciano Gran Reserva Valdepenas Spanish Tempranillo boasts two years in oak and ten years of aging overall. It also wins the best packaging award with its classy gold accents over black background with gold wire wrapping. The wine was surprisingly light but well made and ready to drink at $12.99.

6. Eberle Paso Robles California Muscat Canelli 2008 is a sweet medium bodied white that has always been a standout from a company known for its reds. Not only did we taste the wine but Robyn had us taste fresh strawberries soaked in Muscat. That was real-l-ly good! Eberle retails for $16.99.

7. 3 Brooms is a 2008 industry closeout at $9.99/btl. The wine is a superior sauvignon blanc by type and about average quality for New Zealand. The citrus overload typical for New Zealand has been tamed with age here.

The Le Lapin wines and Anciano were the best of show friday night, especially considering the prices! Like I said above, there were no disappointments in this lineup.

Update: Monday morning these wines continue to show fine with the Arneis now tasting better than it did over the weekend. Taste them here now and purchase them this week with a 10% discount.