You can thank some God-forsaken summer bug for the delay in posts the past week or so. I was too busy hacking my lungs out and not keeping meals down to write any new gems of wine wisdom here at the old WW. But now I’m back and ready to dig into some bottles.

I should warn you though, the posts may come fast and furious at first. Eight days without wine for a guy who really LOVES wine is painful. Not heroin-withdrawal painful, but I still ended up yelling at everyone who offered me water or juice. Anyway, you don’t want to hear about my EPIC BATTLE AGAINST THE COMMON COLD so I’ll just move onto some wine:

P.S. The reviews are going to be pretty condensed since I want to plow through a lot in the next week or so. Don’t like it? Send me an email so I can curse at you directly.

Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio 2008

Good sweating wine. Put this on ice, wait until you’re blazing hot after floating in the pool for too long, then pour yourself a glass of this instead of a margarita. The flavors are concentrated and well-wrought. Nothing goes by unnoticed in this Pinot Grigio.  Lime cream with good acid and some caramel. It’s still good even if it warms up a bit once you pass out on your raft.

$5.99 at MadWine.com!

Query Riesling 2009

White fruits, including some honeydew, with an explosive flavor. Solid sweetness that can push it a bit, but still very very good. Apple acidity and some great sort of almond aftertaste. I can’t wait to get sunburned pounding a bottle of this juice.

$14.99 for 2 at the BevMo 5 Cent Wine Sale!

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Every few weeks I start to get bored with the wines I’m tasting. It seems I keep coming back to the same descriptions of scents and tastes, finding nothing new to say and not much to proffer. This makes the wine reviews stagnant and lifeless. I don’t like that. Whether it is the fault of the wines (Under-$20 can be a tough category to find mind-blowing vino) or my own lack of creativity, tedium occasionally sets in. There is only so much you can say at times without trying to reinvent the wheel.

But every now and then, in the midst of all the “blackberry flavors,” “good finishes,” “firm tannins,” “acids to balance the fruit” and everything else used to describe wines, comes a bottle that really just blows you away. Last week I almost had one with the Peachy Canyon Petite Sirah, but it fell short in that it tasted like most Petite Sirahs, only bigger. This week it finally happened. I tasted a wine that pretty much awakened whatever buzz-induced drag of familiarity I was in, while simultaneously blowing my face off.

COLOR: Chardonnay. Deep, rich golden yellow. Apple juice amber that is very unlike Riesling colors.

NOSE: Here’s where it gets very interesting. Huge wad of butter and apple served on a moldy tree trunk with honeysuckle blossoms in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland (hopefully most of you can identify that smell; if not, the closest thing I can think of is a toolshed after rain).

TASTE: Heavily-spiced apple pie with cheddar cheese, huge fruit cocktail of pears, grapes and nectarines topped with metal shavings and a caramel syrup. That makes no sense, but go with it. Add in those blossoms again at the end. The acidity is there with the metallic and mineral flavors, leading to a long, warm finish. When you take a small sip, it feels like you’ve shoved that entire slice of pie into your mouth and are now attempting to chew.

WITH FOOD: Dessert for one, though I’d stick with white fruit desserts rather than anything like chocolate, but this thing could probably make the floor of a public bus taste good.

SCORE: 10/10

WHERE TO BUY:$18.00 at CentralCoastWines.com!

or

$14.40 when you join the Wolff Vineyards Wineclub (which I highly recommend).

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Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling

You’ve all seen it, you’ve all tasted it, so here’s what you probably already know: It’s not pricey and it’s not bad.

So here we go: quick and easy.

Color

Pale, silver hay, not much injected in there. Looks refreshing.

Nose

Floral, citrus, peaches, blossoms, cold water, light sour manure stink.

Taste

Pleasing and full. Dances on the tongue with good acid. Fruit is forward enough, and no heat whatsoever. The peaches and citrus fade away to bring on some canteloupe, honeydew and a small hit of grass. Long, lip-smacking finish. Bit too sweet.

With Food

Does anyone drink this with food anymore? I mean, Chateau Ste Michelle is a fantastic producer, but this stuff is practically left on the doorsteps of people moving into new suburban homes. Anything that isn’t red or stinky would work, but let’s face it, you’re going to drink it no matter what.

$7.49 at BoozeBros.com

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More great deals from the BevMo 5¢ Wine Sale! This is the Fess Parker White Riesling, from Santa Barbara County. Fess Parker is renowned, at least in the United States, for created top-notch varietals, both white and red. Would you expect any less than Davy Crockett?

Good News: Focused. This wine does not mess around and puts a laser beam on the classic flavors of the Riesling grape. Apples, steel and floral scents on the nose with a nice minerality (more often found in the great German Rieslings, not so much in California) and great acid. Most American Rieslings provide too much sweetness, particularly in the finish and aftertaste, but the Fess Parker maintains its focus. The finish fades nicely and leaves you with a full, stinky-cheese type of quality on the back of your tongue.

With Food: The Fess Parker White Riesling will go well with any spicy or Asian foods, as well as a wide variety of cheeses and dried fruits. Enjoy at the end of the meal if you are not eating spicy foods but having a dessert. Rieslings are known for being able to stand up to even the spiciest of foods, but a lot of American Rieslings are generally too sweet and lack the acid, making them back down from a spicy curry or Kung Pao Chicken. This is where the Fess Parker differs, as it can handle the toughest. Just think of it as a German Riesling, something like Dr. Loosen Rieslings.

$13.04 for 2 bottles at the BevMo 5¢ Wine Sale!

$11.95 at WebWine.com once the sale is over.

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Bad News First: Well, a German Riesling should really have that nice basement smell to it with a touch of steel and sweetness, especially if it is dry (trocken). The Dr. Loosen Riesling overdoes it a bit on the sugar, but an $8 bottle from one of Germany’s top producers should be bought no matter what.

Now the Good: Everything is where it should be. Yellow-green color is wonderful to look at. Honeysuckle perfectly describes the smell. In fact, stand in the middle of a big shrub of honeysuckle, with plenty of green leaves, and you have this wine. Cut grass salad with lemon and honey. Gross to eat, wonderful to smell. Long, fantastic finish with a slightly bitter twist at the end. Absolutely perfect. Eat something with it or enjoy it alone.

With Food: As rieslings go, they are pretty much the only wine that can handle spicy foods, but like I said above, this could be enjoyed alone.

Note: Don’t chill the wine too much. It should be cool, but not enough to cause a ton of condensation on the glass, otherwise you won’t taste what this great grape has to offer.

$7.99 at WineLibrary.com

Visit the Dr. Loosen website here.

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