Thanksgiving Round-Up

N.V. Mumm Napa Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs

Type- Rosé - Sparkling
Producer- Mumm Napa
Variety- Pinot Noir
Designation- Blanc de Noirs
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Napa Valley
Appellation- Napa Valley
Price- $15.99



My family has one of the best Thanksgiving traditions ever. Mimosa! I needed something bubbly to add to the OJ, and this was the cheapest bottle in the cellar. It was actually too good for mimosa, but you've got to do what you've got to do.

The color was a pale salmon pink, tinting slightly toward orange. It had a steady stream of small bubbles. There was a lot of fruit on the nose, strawberry, banana, and a hint, a tiny hint, of lemon zest. Minerality, not fruit, drove the attack, plus a little bit of lime. Some banana and white grapefruit appeared on the mid-palate, with mineral and lemon juice on the finish. It was tart, bright, acidic and clean.

2005 Redline Pinot Noir Cedar Lane Vineyard

Type- Red
Producer- Redline
Variety- Pinot Noir
Vineyard- Cedar Lane Vineyard
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Central Coast
Appellation- Arroyo Seco
From- WineQ
Price- $19.99




This wine went pretty quickly and I did not get much in the way of notes. It went well with the meal. in general, it was pretty good. it had a bit of earth and some depth, something I look for to distinguish a drinkable under-$30 pinot from its more common cherry-cola-and-black-tea brethren. I will definitely revisit this, so stay tuned.

2006 Georges Dubœuf Pouilly-Fuissé

Type- White
Producer- Georges Dubœuf
Variety- Chardonnay
Country- France
Region- Burgundy
SubRegion- Mâconnais
Appellation- Pouilly-Fuissé



Night One
Soft tropical fruit led the nose of this wine, banana, pineapple, along with a bit of light toast. On the palate it was thick and oily, tasting of banana, pineapple, and green apple. White pepper appeared on the mid-palate. It had a long, slightly dusty finish.

Night Two

The nose the next day was softer and a little spicier, more like banana bread than bananas, plus pineapple and a bit of nutmeg. The palate was much more citrusy than the nose, with spice and acidity. Lemon, lime, and gingersnaps, softened on the mid-palate to expose underlying pineapple. The finish was short, dropping suddenly.

2005 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc Clifford Bay Reserve

Type- White
Producer- Villa Maria
Variety- Sauvignon Blanc
Designation- Clifford Bay Reserve
Country- New Zealand
Region- South Island
SubRegion- Marlborough
Appellation- Marlborough



Night One

What the heck is that smell? This one got passed around the table and everybody said the same thing, "wait a minute, I know it, ...wait a minute, ... no, I can't place it." Then I broke out the good glass and it was obvious. Asparagus. There was also some ginger snap and vanilla custard. There were also ginger snaps and vanilla custard on the palate, moving to lemon meringue on the mid-palate. Underlying all of it was the green taste of asparagus. It was also surprisingly fat for a Sauv. Blanc, particularly from New Zealand.

Night Two

The asparagus smell was much stronger, overpowering any fruit. It smelled like asparagus and slightly rancid butter. On the palate, well, it was just a disaster. Imagine, if you must, boiling asparagus in pineapple juice until it all dissolves. Strain it and drink it. Or don't. I'm sure not drinking any more of this crap.

2001 Dow Porto Late Bottled Vintage

Type- Red - Fortified
Producer- Dow
Variety- Port Blend
Designation- Late Bottled Vintage
Country- Portugal
Region- Douro
Appellation Porto



The nose wasn't giving up a lot, but if you worked at it you could get some licorice. The palate was just loaded with raisins and prunes, plus a bit of blueberry syrup. The finish simply collapsed.

Chocolate Stout and Raspberry Lambic Float



You will never want a root beer float again. Float some vanilla ice cream in 2 parts chocolate stout to 1 part raspberry lambic. Once a little of the ice cream melts, taking away a bit of the beer bite and adding creaminess, well, it is a grown-up ice cream float. Everybody who tries it is always stunned. I would not hesitate to serve this as a fun finish to an upscale barbecue on a hot summer's day.

Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Casablanca Valley, Chile
13% alcohol

My kids' Webkins got jealous of all the attention to the Wooden Guys. They did not get to drink the wine. They are too young. The Little Wooden Guy, on the other hand, liked this tropical/citrus summery white.

From the bottlenotes:

Los Vascos, one of Chile's oldest wine estates, is controlled by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), who began a comprehensive modernization and investment program in 1988. the 500-hectare vineyard is located in the Colchagua province which offers a healthy microclimate for its ungrafted pre-phylloxera Bordeaux rootstock. Under the direct technical supervision of the Domaines, Los Vascos is committed to producing the finest consistent and balanced wines whose elegance and harmony are to be shared with discriminating connaiseurs around the world.

Night One

Color is a very light pale straw, clear and bright.

The nose is very citrusy, mostly lime, and a little white grapefruit grapefruit, plus just enough of a tiny hint of "gooseberry" (better known to most as "litterbox") to say clearly it is Sauvignon Blanc. After a few seconds a softer tropical smell also comes through, reminiscent of lychee.

On the palate, just at irst, for perhaps half a second, banana is the primary flavor. That transitions almost instantly to citrus, then softens and sweetens on the midpalate, finishing with the taste of pears.

Second Night

The nose on the second night was softer, more tropical, opening with pineapple, key lime and lemons, along with the ubiquitous hint of cat.

The palate, too, is softer and more tropical. Pineapple, banana and lemon open before it turns into pure citrus, lemon and white grapefruit. The finish adds just the smallest flavour of pecans to the pears from the first night.

If you like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, if you think litter box is the apex of this varietal, this is not the wine for you. But if you like clean citrus and soft fruit this is a nice bottle of wine at a good price.