The Laughing Wolf

Saturday Wine Tasting Notes

Saturday’s means a wine tasting at Pauli’s, and a fun time for all. If you have not tried this, you really should. Six wines seems to be the new standard, and these were a mish-mash of things that the staff thought would be of interest.

We started with Chase-Limogere Brut sparkling wine from Madera, California. The nose was agreeably sharp with mineral and fruit, and went to a mouthfeel that was sharp at the start, but almost immediately grew wet and sweet. It had a nice finish with notes of pear and Granny Smith apple. Like many sparkling wines, it was a bit sweet, but not bad for less than $7.00.

Next on the list was Van Ruiten-Taylor Reserve 2001 Lake Country Sauvignon Blanc. A crisp nose of pear and green berries gives way to a medium mouth filled with fruit. Slightly bitter on the finish, but pleasant.

The third wine of the day was Ca’del Solo 2002 California Big House White table wine. This is a blend of about every white in the book, with the result of a nose that is sweet with fruit and hay and a medium mouthfeel of a variety of fruit. Mineral comes in on the finish, along with some slight wood notes.

The final white of the day was a delight, De Wetshof Estate 2001 Chardonnay from South Africa. The nose was crisp and woody, with fruit under. The crisp mouthfeel reveals wood, giving way to fruit on the long stretch. The finish is nice, and even nicer in my opinion is the way the wood does not overpower the fruit and other flavors in the wine. For those looking for a more traditional chardonnay that is much more than oak notes, this is a nice one to try. I'm telling you, keep your eyes on the South African wines...

The first red of the day was Ca’ del Solo Big House Red, again a mixture of about every red under the sun. The mixed nose reveals fruit, chocolate, and leather, and the medium mouth reveals a slightly sweet taste with fruit and leather then coming out. It was not as good on the finish, but was interesting.

The final wine of the day was Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, a most interesting surprise in that it in no way can be considered a textbook pinot. The nose is interesting, dusty leather and berries. The medium mouthfeel brings out berries and leather, with chocolate coming in long into the finish, with the finish itself being slightly sharp. Not at all what one expects from a pinot noir, but an interesting and fun wine to try.

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