Saturday, November 15, 2008

Something Different


We were lucky enough to score some Novy Family Winery Blanc de Noir 2007 Willamette Valley $26.99. It may sound like it but it is NOT a sparkling wine. I know, I know wines designated a Blanc de Noir are typically sparkling but this (as my post title states) is something.....different. 2007 wasn't necessarily the best vintage for Oregon. Therefore, Siduri/Novy wanted to make the proverbial lemonade from lemons. Winemaker Ryan Zepaltas crushed their pinot noir grapes & immediately ran them off their skins so as not to pick up any color. Hence the Blanc (white) de Noir (from black grapes). The wine does have a slight flesh tone to its hue, but this beauty is all about the aroma & texture. The nose gives off aromas of star fruit, passion fruit, clove, white raspberry & a hint of soil. On the palate is a ripe viscous texture that is not overwhelmingly heavy (think of a balanced viognier or grenache blanc something Northern Rhone) or weighted. Its balanced with a bright acidity & a somewhat lanolin-esque finish. My immediate thoughts when tasting this was that it would be perfect paired with all the upcoming holiday dishes. Turkey, dressing, ham, even lamb!
Find this at Joe's, I'm not sure if anyone else got any. Yours truly had them send a sample bottle in since this market wasn't slated to receive any of this wine.

2 comments:

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

ever had two vines columbia crest 2005? i am sampling that now.

a

Michael Hughes said...

What varietal? Merlot? Cabernet sauvignon? Columbia Crest does a great job at producing wine at value prices.