In the summer we want fun casual wine to pair with our lighter fare but we still want to sip greatness and be tantalized by wines that speak with purity, grace, and mystery. The weather is hot and most people are likely serving lighter foods, cold dishes, and salads. In a wine I am looking for refreshment, crispness, and juiciness. Because more things that I eat will tend to be dressed with vinaigrette rather than a heavy sauce, I am looking for white wines with fairly high to high acid.

Grilling is also big during the summer. Pairing wine with grilled foods is a forgiving task as most grilled dishes are relatively simple. There is a main ingredient (usually a protein of some kind), plus the possibility of various seasonings in the form of marinades, rubs, and sauces. To choose a wine to pair with something off the grill, consider two things: First, how hearty is the food, and second, what’s the dominant flavor? For lighter foods - white-fleshed fish, vegetables, chicken breasts - pick a lighter wine. For heartier foods - sausages, pork, or salmon, choose a more robust wine. Whites can be light, medium, or full-bodied. Let the dominant flavor be the key when selecting a wine.

Whether you can identify with Neil Diamond or the Reno Car Show, Hot August Whites are great on Hot August Nights! The following are some of my favorite summer sippers. We will also be featuring these wines at our Hot August Whites Pour and BBQ Bash at the Swim Center on Friday, July 31. Sign up for the pour and the BBQ for a great evening with great summer whites.

The Wines

2013 Robert Sinskey Abraxis, Scintilla Sonoma Vineyard, Los Carneros

Abraxas is a reaction against homogeneity and a salute to distinctiveness. Born of the idea that three of the four noble grapes of Alsace (Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer) with a bit of classic Pinot Blanc, planted in RSV’s organic Scintilla Sonoma Vineyard, would respond distinctly to the unique weather patterns of each year. The four varieties could then be blended in ratios determined by each variety’s individual response to the vintage, making the wine whole while avoiding the manipulations often found in a more industrialized cellar. Abraxas does not aspire to be anything but true to vintage.

Pop the glass top (or the cork on the magnums) to be greeted with fresh pippin and pear with subtle almond and lychee aromas. The structure, texture and style is reminiscent of the Old World with a bright, tight-knit mineral quality. The wine has nice weight in the mid-palate with flavors that mimic the aroma with the addition of crisp peach, lime, and a hint of melon rind. The flavors and textures magically come together for a satisfyingly long finish. Delicious!

2013 Skipstone Ranch Viognier, Alexander Valley

The Viognier consists of five rows that ribbon the top of the north ridge of their exquisite amphitheater shaped vineyard. Situated on steep mountain terraces, the thin rocky soils make the vines struggle a bit but bring out intensity and complexity in the fruit. This portion of the vineyard receives nice steady sun exposure during the day and then is graced with afternoon shade, thereby allowing them to achieve both ripeness and long hangtime to develop complexity in the fruit.

Winemaker Philippe Melka remarks that the 2013 vintage may be their best bottling of Viognier to date. This wine has an alluring, captivating aroma of intense tropical fruit with the signature jasmine and spring floral undertone. On the palate, juicy notes of pineapple and mango along with fresh citrus create a mouthwatering sensation. The wine is balanced with the richness in aroma and palate fruit and is balanced by its crisp natural acidity and wet river stone minerality. The refreshing, lingering finish is supported with a well-structured acidity and just a hint of elegant and well integrated oak influence.

2013 Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

True to the style of Sauvignon Blanc they’ve honed over the past 40 years, the 2014 rendition boasts beautifully fresh, fragrant aromas of honeydew melon, grapefruit and guava, with a slight floral note. Full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with a silky texture, its vibrant melon, citrus and gooseberry flavors are perfectly balanced, leading to a long, succulent finish boasting bright citrus and mineral tones. Enjoy this classic Sauvignon Blanc over the next 3-5 years with your favorite salad, seafood, poultry and vegetarian dishes.

The  2013 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Semillon and 4% Sauvignon Musqué (an especially aromatic clone of Sauvignon Blanc), all from top vineyards throughout Napa Valley, including the estate ranches in Carneros, southeastern Napa, Rutherford, and Calistoga. The superb fruit from these sites enables them to produce a rich, full-bodied and complex Sauvignon Blanc that is simultaneously fresh, crisp, and zesty.

2012 Grieve Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Lovell Valley

Grieve harvested the sun-kissed clusters from the southern end of the vineyard on the morning of September 17th. The acidity was amazingly high for the ripe flavors of honeydew and apricot we tasted in the fruit. The pressed juice was fermented in stainless steel tank and part in Orion French oak barrels, both new and once used. They then aged some of the wine in new and once used barrels.

The northern portion of the vineyard was allowed to further ripen for an additional 12 days giving the second pick a bit more peach and mango flavors along with their persistent clone 3 lemongrass. The lot was fermented partially in new French oak, in once used French oak and a small portion was aged in concrete egg, their first use of this great tool.

The nose jumps out of the glass with aromas of apricot, nectarine, peach, lemongrass, grapefruit, honeydew melon, toasted pine nuts, and hyacinth. The mouth-feel of the wine is explosive yet quite crisp, featuring the amazing mouthwatering cornucopia of fruit in the wine. That crispness drives flavors of spring flowers, hyacinth, grapefruit, kaffir lime and cardamom. The beauty of this wine is the amazing aromatics, power of fruit mixed with exotic flavors, bright acidity and a truly astonishingly long finish that lingers and lingers!

2013 Lynmar Estate Quail Hill Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

Lynmar Estate celebrates the distinctive terroir of the exceptional Russian River Valley vineyards they farm. The winemaking team strives to capture these dynamic, cool-climate sites, creating wines that are elegant, complex, balanced, and age worthy.

Originally planted in 1971, Quail Hill Vineyard has some of the oldest Chardonnay vines planted in the Russian River Valley. Retaining select heritage blocks for their highly valued balance and fruit quality, they began a phased replanting of Quail Hill Vineyard in 1996. This replanting introduced greater diversity of Chardonnay clones to better match appropriate rootstocks to the soils and slopes of Quail Hill Vineyard. Working tirelessly to define, refine and analyze decades of experience and information about the ranch, the vineyard and winemaking team replanted 71% of the vineyard by 2005.

This estate vineyard Chardonnay presents a pale gold color in the glass. Notes of white flowers, stone fruits, and Asian pear lead into a lithe and elegant mid-palate, highlighted by accents of orange peel, sweet spice, and white peach. Focused and bright acidity elongate the luscious finish of crème brulee, lemon zest, and lychee.

2013 Freestone Vineyard by Joseph Phelps, Freestone, Sonoma Coast

The 2013 Sonoma Coast growing season proved to be another excellent year. The season began with a dry, mild winter followed by light spring rains and warm weather giving way to early bud break and veraison. Minimal morning coastal fog led to sunshine filled afternoons throughout the summer ripening months setting the stage for an early harvest. Grapes received ample time for even, full maturity with harmonious sugar and acid levels. The wines produced from the 2013 vintage are balanced and concentrated with classic fruit structure. 

Bursting with aromatic floral and citrus notes, the 2013 Chardonnay envelopes the senses with honeysuckle, ripe pear, lemon zest, and sweet honey. This wine shows beautifully balanced acidity with mouthwatering green apple and tangy Meyer lemon throughout the richly layered palate to the sumptuously viscous finish. 

The Offer

Create your own offer.  10% discount on a 12 bottle case.

2013 Robert Sinskey Abraxis, Scintilla Sonoma Vineyard, Los Carneros $40
2013 Skipstone Ranch Viognier, Alexander Valley $40
2013 Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley $25
2012 Grieve Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Lovell Valley $32
2013 Lynmar Estate Quail Hill Chardonnay, Russian River Valley $47
2013 Freestone Vineyard by Joseph Phelps, Freestone, Sonoma Coast $36

Ordering

For all questions and orders, contact Assistant Wine Director, Mike Gargus. Let us know if you would like your wine shipped or placed in your wine locker. Sales tax and appropriate shipping will be added to all orders. Allow 2-3 weeks for account processing and shipping. During extreme weather, wine orders may be held until it is safe to ship.

Jeff McCarthy, Wine Director 
[email protected]
707.569.2906