This week we have a red, white and a rosé for the July 4 holiday. Start your cookout with a standout rosé from Virginia, followed by a spicy California chardonnay and a lush red from Washington state.
Longevity Chardonnay 2022
Phil Long has been the president of the Association of African American Vintners since 2020, and has helped raise the profile of minority winemakers over the past four years. His Longevity chardonnay tastes of apples, Asian pears and ginger, with oak influence on a sweet finish. It’s a fine everyday chardonnay. Alcohol by volume: 13.5 percent. Bottle weight: 480 grams (Light).
Distributed locally by RNDC.
Columbia Valley, Wash., $25
Fans of jammy reds will relish this beauty, blended of equal parts syrah and merlot, mostly from the Yakima Valley subregion of Washington’s Columbia Valley. Deep flavors of black cherry, boysenberry and chocolate coat the palate. The texture is lush, the finish slightly hot. Give this a light chill in the door of your fridge and pair it with hearty grilled meats. The bottle is unnecessarily heavy. ABV: 14.8 percent. BW: 690 grams (Heavy).
Distributed locally by Elite Wines.
Stinson Vineyards Rosé of Tannat 2023
Rachel Stinson Vrooman’s Rosé of Tannat is one of my favorite rosés, from anywhere, year after year. Her 2023 may be her best yet: It zings with red berries and wild herbs, carried on the palate as though riding a steady breeze across the Blue Ridge foothills. ABV: 13.5 percent BW: 600 grams (Average).
Distributed locally by Winebow.
Prices are approximate. For availability, check Wine.com, Wine-searcher.com and the websites and social media feeds of the wineries, importers, distributors, and your favorite local wine store. You can also ask your local retailer to order wines from the distributors listed. Bottle weight is included, because this is the single most important contributor to wine’s carbon footprint. Have wine questions for Dave McIntyre? Send them to [email protected].
★ Good: The wine delivers what it promises at a fair price. If it says chardonnay, it tastes like chardonnay.
★★ Excellent: A wine with character and added interest. May elevate your eyebrows at the first sip.
★★★ Extraordinary: An exciting wine that stands out from others in its class. Fist-pumping, table-thumping good.
★★★★ Sublime: Otherworldly. May have you thinking, “So this is what they were talking about.”
Source link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/06/27/california-chardonnay-affordable-15-dollars/