Jul

15

kung-fu-girl-riesling-2006.jpgThis week’s Weekday Wine is yet another winner.  The Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2006 is not dry, but it’s also not a dessert wine.  Picture, instead, a light-to-medium bodied white that’s about medium in sweetness (kind of like lemonade) and super refreshing when chilled (again, kind of like lemonade).

We found scents and flavors of peach and pear with a little bit of lime on the finish.  We bought our bottle on special at $11.95, but frankly, we’d have gladly parted with the normal price of $17 if we had to. 

Considering its price, taste, and the handy screwtop, Kung Fu Girl’s 2006 Riesling is – hands down – our favorite chilled wine thus far this year.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at California Wine Merchant in San Francisco’s Marina District.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or

Feb

28

If you, like us, tend to prefer dry white wines over sweet ones, the Chateau Ste Michelle Dr. Loosen Eroica 2005 may surprise you.  This off-dry, German style Riesling makes a seriously positive impression thanks to its exceptional balance of a touch of sugar, a slightly bigger body than usual for the varietal, and bright, but consistent, acidity throughout.  It was particularly the latter quality of the wine that effectively neutralized any issue we might have had with sweetness.

As for the aromas and flavors, we picked up green apple that was slightly muted by peach, minerals, and a twist of lime.  In fact, English hard cider came to mind. 

Overall, we found this wine to be of a very high quality, a factor that, by itself, made it difficult not to enjoy.  And the best part: you can buy a bottle at Costco, where there were many, many others (albeit, the 2006’s) in stock.    

Jan

17

Usually in the chardonnays of Washington you’ll be tasting more apple, pear and lemon than you would in a California bottling of the same varietal, which tends to taste more of tropical fruits.  The Chateau Ste Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay 2006, however, seems to defy this rule of thumb, which shouldn’t come as a complete surprise given that the grapes were grown in one of the warmer areas of Washington state (the Wahluke Slope of the Columbia Valley). 

 Anyway, pineapple along with a couple of the signature flavors of oak - mainly, vanilla and some butterscotch - are what you should expect.

On the whole, I think this is a smart choice for the oaky chardonnay lovers out there.  It’s nicely balanced and has a smooth finish, but what wins me over is the perky tropical fruit flavor.    

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