New Zealand and Australia were featured at the July Divas meeting. We started off with Felton Road Chardonnay from New Zealand. Bright, crisp and refreshing, it was not overly oaked like your typical California Chardonnay. Limited use of oak produced a more rich and concentrated wine, with emphasis on minerality and complexity rather than tropical fruit. This beautiful Burgundian-like Chardonnay received a rating of 88 from Wine Spectator and 90 from Wine Enthusiast. A wine with definite cellaring potential, but who'd want to wait? It's delicious now!
Next up was Kangarilla Road Shiraz Viognier from Australia. WOW! What a beauty this was! Big and bold, it was a wine that demanded attention, and received it. Wine Spectator gave this wine 92 points, stating "Kangarilla Road offers very realistic prices for the quality of their wines. Blend of 92% Shiraz & 8% Viognier, this black-colored effort has a rich bouquet of pain grille interwoven with exotic spices, lychee nuts, violets, blackberries & cassis soars from the glass of this fragrant, nearly ostentatious wine. In the mouth, there is dazzling ripeness, superb purity, an opulent, full-bodied mouthfeel & a long, heady finish. This terrific Shiraz gracefully carries its 15% alcohol beneath layers of fruit and glycerin." Clearly this wine was the hit of the evening and rightfully so. I'm very fond of Australian wines, Shiraz in particular. This one could very well be my new favorite :-)
And Dennis, ever the consummate host, donated a bottle of Geografico Chianti Classico to our group to enjoy. Abundant ripe fruit, fine balance, supple tannins and immediate drinkability are the constants in this Chianti Classico. The berry-cherry & spice flavors and citrusy acids fold easily into the silky mouthfeel and the fine tannins extend the smooth finish. It was a delicious red wine that paired well with the appetizers we devoured!
Speaking of Dennis, I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his restaurant Blue Bamboo's one year in business! In this past year, he received a wonderful review from the Florida Times-Union and was the focus of a great article in Water's Edge. I even did a photo essay on him and his restaurant for a website I belong to. Thank you for hosting our previous meetings, Dennis, and we look forward to all the future meetings there :-D
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