Master the World: Wine Atlas Collective #2
The second tasting did not go as well as the first
Last week I posted the results of an impromptu wine tasting Helen and I had over dinner, using wines we got through the Master the World’s Wine Atlas Collective program. Although not all of the wines were ones we’d seek out again, at least three were and so it was a success in my book.
This week we tried again. We went back to Koi (or, more precisely, we used Uber Eats to order again from Koi) for a mix of white and red wine friendly items. Sadly, while the food was great (again), the wines this time were more in the “meh” to “ugh” range.
Red Tail Ridge Dry Riesling (Finger Lakes, NY) 2024
Pale yellow. Almost no nose. On the palate, it was light- to medium-bodied. Moderate acidity. Vague suggestions of pear, peach, and herbs on the palate. Although labelled “dry,” I suspect there is a tad of residual sugar in it. There was nothing wrong with it, but it wasn’t a wine I would buy again.
Blenheim Vineyards Painted White (Charlottesville, VA) 2024
A white blend of 47% Chardonnay, 23% Viognier, 21% Roussanne, and 9% Pinot Noir. I really wanted to like this wine. I really did. I lived in Charlottesville for five years when I was in graduate and law school. I loved it. I’ve always wanted to go back. Over the years, I’ve had some very good wines from the Charlottesville area. Sadly, this was not one of them.
Yellow-gold. Very little nose. My first reaction was that it tasted, for lack of a better word, “flabby.” Rather than being vibrant and refreshing, it was dull, flat, and heavy. Unbalanced. Unlike some mixes of these grape, where the different varietals come together to produce synergies, this blend seemed to muddle the various varieties. It was a nondescript, generic, white wine
William Chris Vineyards La Pradera Vineyard Mourvèdre (Texas High Plains) 2024
This was the most interesting and successful wine of the tasting, although that’s not saying all that much. It was okay, which by this point was a welcome change.
Pale rim with a medium red-purple coloration. Acidic and tannic. A little odd, but we tasted dark fruit, smoke, earth, and leather. Some cocoa and pepper on the finish.
Conclusion
Maybe I’m too old to be adventurous and experimental in my wine tasting. But this tasting was yet more evidence that my decision some years ago to pretty much limit my personal wine atlas to California, France, and Italy was correct.