2023 Jolo Vineyards Golden Hallows' Reserve Vidal Blanc

Golden Hallows', North Carolina (USA)

Retail:  Not available to the public

Thursday Night Wine Up is (an opened bottle given to us) 2023 Jolo Vineyards Golden Hallows Reserve Vidal Blanc from North Carolina.  Our first experience with this varietal.  Delicate nose intensity.

Vidal blanc can be overly fruity with aromas of grapefruit and pineapple. I was thinking Chardonnay by the color and nose but was I wrong. Very refreshing and paired excellent with baked chicken and chicken kabobs.  Wasn't as sweet as Vidal Blanc is. 

Due to its high acidity and sugar potential, it is particularly suited to sweeter, dessert wines due to the the tough outer skin of the grape.  In the right climate Vidal Blanc can be an ice wine.  

No information from the winery or winemaker not available yet for the public.  Expecting the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks given the freshness and crisp palate.  

Retail:  Not for sale yet.  They make Vidal Blanc sparkling and sold out.  I really like to try it!  

This wine was in the San Diego International Wine and Spirits Competition which we heard was an award winner. 

Yes that is my KGB 101.5 mouse pad.  The mouse pad rocks as should the wine.

2021 Eberle Cabernet Sauvignon Eberle Estate Vineyard

Eberle Vineyard, Paso Robles, California (USA)

Winemaker:  Chris Eberle

Retail:  $60

Wednesday Night Wine Up is a 2021 Eberle Cabernet Sauvignon Eberle Estate Vineyard (as opposed to the Select).  We love the dark, deep crimson color. Has a moderate intensity nose with forest floor, black fruit and cedar. The palate yields blackberry jam with some tannin smokiness. Enjoyed the back palate of cracked peppers and pencil shavings.

Fermented in 40% new oak (30% 2nd fill, 30% 3rd fill. 22 months)

Restraunts kill to have this wine on their wine list because it is a crowd pleaser. Won an award at last week's San Diego International Wine and Spirits Competition! We loved hanging out with Gary Eberle and Chris Eberle (no relation) when they trot down to Diego for competitons and San Diego Wine Guild tastings.

Pair with grilled meats, roasted lamb, or aged cheddar cheese and even mushroom risotto. See less

2014 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs

Davies Vineyards, Calistoga, Napa Valley, California (USA)

Retail:  $32 (2023)

Two nights of Champagne (ok Sparkling Brut wine) in a row for ending 2024 and bringing in 2025.  This wonderful California Blanc de Blancs is bright and fresh with aromas of green apple orange zest. It is fruitforward with subtle bouts of honey and lemon.  The bubbles are well-refined and so is the long finish.  

Schramsberg has a long and enduring history dating back to the 19th century when German immigrant Jacob Schram started his winery on Diamond Mountain.  Over one hundred years later Jack and Jamie Davies acquired the winery in 1965.  Schramsberg Sparkling wine was selected by President Nixon for the 1972 “Toast to Peace” with China’s Premier Zhou Enlai. Schramsberg’s sparkling wines have served at official State functions by every U.S. Presidential administration ever since.

Food Pairing:  We love to pair Sparkling wine - Champagne with Lay's Potato Chips!  Fresh oysters and other shellfish, crab cakes, ceviche and grilled sea bass but also excellent with grilled chicken and Thai curries.  You can easily serve it with aged Gouda or other hard cheeses.

2009 Pierre Morlet Brut Champagne 1er Cru Avenay - Val-D’Or  Champagne

Avenay-Val-d'Or, Champagne (France)

Winemaker:  Paulin Morlet

Retail:  $80 (2021)

What a way to end the year then to start with something fantastic! Typically, Champagne is non-vintage except when the growing conditions are exceptional that makes a particular year worthy of bottling by itself.  This is called "Millésime".   2009 was a very good year and we are thrilled to have the experience to try this Champagne.  Morlet bottle aged this wine for 10 years before release. It is believed that this vintage will remain at its peak through 2028.   The Morlets have been cultivating vines in Champagne since the mid-1800s so deep history and vast knowledge of winemaking. 

Aromas sweetness of honey, summer fruit and bready yeast.  Elegant bubbles and acidity that tickles the senses.  The finish is what you expect to be long, lasting and refined of a Champagne of this kind. 

During our research we found the 2009 Pierre Morlet served at three star Michelin restaurant The French Laundry in Napa.   It is on the wine list hovering around $1000 per bottle.   

In the Champagne region the Morlet Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are grown in deep, chalky subsoil and have temperate microclimates of the hillsides. Furthremore, a rarity in Champagne, the tradition of barrel fermenting and aging continues to be honored, adding complexity and uniqueness to the Champagne. 

2017 Peltier Schatz Family Teroldego Estate Reserve

Lodi, California (USA)

Head Winemaker:  Gianni Abate

Retail:  $60 (2024)

As anticipated and expected a glass of Teroldego is a deep crimson color.  Aromas of red berries, dried fruits with floral violets.  The palate was heavy ladened with cherry and plum.  Definitely a full bodied wine!

Teroldego is a grape typically grown in Northern Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige region.  Teroldego is blended by winemakers to add color due to being deep and inky. This wine is a blend of two estate vineyards owned by the Schatz Family. One vineyard is South of the winery that is warmer that helps bring dark berry notes in the wine.  The other estate vineyard is located in the cooler part of Lodi in the Clements Hills sub AVA.  The cooler climate brings more spice and even olive notes.

Alcohol:  14.2%

PH: 3.6

TA:  5.7 g/l

RS:  3.6 g/l