Pleasurable summer wines part II

As summer’s end is quickly upon us here are some white wines and Rosés to finish out your summertime enjoyment. These refreshing wines are part two of a series of pleasurable summer wines I discovered over the past several months. With about one month to go before we hit the autumn season these summer wines are worth exploring as your dinner accompaniment.

White Wines:

Recently visiting San Luis Obispo for Roll out the Barrels event I saw the impact that the Seven Sisters, the volcanic peaks that surround the valley, infuse into the wines.   Find three summer wines deserving consideration to complement your dinner with pleasure.

The first is Claibourne and Churchill 2015 Gewurztraminer. This is a dry wine with lots of florals on the nose. It is fresh with flavors of white flower, orange blossom, peach, and citrus, especially Tangelo and orange. There are subtle spices on the finish making this a very light yet drinkable Gewurztraminer. Its subtleties bring forth a very elegant wine for the varietal.

Flying Cloud is the second label of Stephen Ross. It is their more affordable line of wine. Named after a small airport in Minnesota, which is where Stephen Ross grew up, the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc has aromas of grass and peach with flavors of tropical fruit and stone fruit. This is a bright fresh wine that exudes a delicate balance and perfect minerality. There are hints of grass but not overpowering as often found in Sauvignon Blancs. The wine is clean, crisp and very refreshing.

Tangent 2014 Albarino from Paragon Vineyard is sweet yet tangy. There is a nice savory quality to this wine with nice spice on the finish. Fresh fruit aromas give way to crisp flavors of stone fruit. There is a Riesling quality to this Albarino.

From Italy’s Alto Adige DOC Terlano in the commune of Caldaro, located in the northern part of Italy that abuts Liechtenstein comes the Kettmeir 2014 Pinot Bianco. This wine expresses Granny Smith apples both on the nose and in flavor. The wine is savory and dry with a spicy finish.

Rosé Wines:

With Rosé being in fad finding something a little different in a Rosé wine is always fun. Star Lane Vineyards 2015 Rosé of Malbec fits the bill. There are fresh crisp aromas of honey almond, apricot, and citrus. The flavors are citrus, especially lime with apricot and almonds. This is a bright refreshing crisp wine that shows the excellent quality that can be achieved with the Malbec grape in California.

Having just discovered the Rosés of Fattoria Sardi, it was fun to sample a second Rosé from this Tuscan winery. “Le Cicale” Rosé 2015 is a Rosé of primarily Sangiovese blended with a small amount of other Italian white varietals. The wine ages in wood on fine lees for 8 months. The wine with its copper color is complex and has texture. The aromas are those of fresh scents and watermelon. The flavors are watermelon, citrus, and cream soda. The cream soda qualities accentuate the minerality in this wine. This is a very well balanced wine.

Located in the northern part of the Rhone is Ferraton Pére & Fils with their Côtes du Rhône Samorëns Rosé, a blend of mostly Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. I found a balanced bright and crisp Rosé that has aromas of Rose and flavors of red fruit with a hint of spice on the finish. Nice minerality comes forth. The subtleties of this wine may be in part because of the Mistral winds that make the Northern Rhone valley cooler.

Finally, a favorite of last year and is just as appealing this year is the Domaine Paul Mas Côte Mas Sud de France Rosé Aurore 2015. A blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah this wine from the Languedoc region of southern France is perfect to cap off the summer. Enticing with its pale salmon pink color and the bright vibrant label that beckons you with the beauty of the South of France and its Mediterranean influences. A traditional Mediterranean blend, on the nose there are florals especially rose. The wine displays red fruit, peach and is bright, fresh as well as refreshing. This is a very summery wine.

Each of these summer wines has its own distinct flavors and excellently represents the regions they come from.   All eight wines are a perfect choice to end your summer days and begin the onset of fall.