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By Chuck Hill
CHUCK'S CURRENT PREVIOUSLY ARCHIVED SERIES
Meat Merlot
EARLIER COLUMNS Summer Zinfandels
The Mystery of Viognier
Versatile Pinot Noir
Wines of the Week REVIEWS BY VARIETAL
Chuck's Wine Reviews
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Just Say "RRRR" for Oyster Wines Months with Rs are almost all cold- or cool-weather months and thus are perfect for harvesting oysters from our chilly local waters. Taylor Shellfish Farms (www.taylorshellfish.com) headquartered in south Montinore Estate Some wines from specific vineyard sites show distinctive qualities that pair especially well with oysters. Montinore's Pinot Gris was the favorite in our first tasting, showing ripe pear and apple notes and a spicy mineral quality that really rang the oyster bell. L'Ecole No 41 This blend of Semillon (70%) and Sauvignon Blanc (30%) really hits the spot with half-shell oysters, but it carries enough body to be a tasty accompaniment to steamed mussels, poached salmon and many other dishes. The pedigree of Seven Hills Vineyard offers the promise of good things to come, and this rich and delicious wine delivers.
It is always nice to read a technical sheet on a wine with numbers that confirm a potential for desired food pairing. Oyster wines like acidity and this delectable Sauvignon Blanc shows a low pH of 3.13 and a very tame alcohol content of just 13%. Upon tasting with half-shell oysters, the results are confirmed - aromas of grassy herbs with hints of citrus and floral perfume. The palate offers ripe peach, citrus and light notes of toast and vanilla. Beringer Vineyards Bursting from the glass are the aromas of gooseberries and grassy herbs, mingling with chalky notes and hints of vanilla, lemon and melon. The palate is bright and crisp with citrus flavors and ample body to carry the wine as a sipper without food. But why??? Shuck a few oysters and kick back for a delightful pre-prandial treat! Airfield Estates The vines that provided grapes for this wine were planted in 1996, plenty of time to mature and provide complex fruit of the highest quality. All the descriptors are there for a superb oyster wine: nose of citrus, white peach, melon and herb. The flavors vibrate your palate with tart grapefruit and peach that complement the richness of the oyster and refresh for the next bite. Erath Winery Sometimes when you sniff a wine the olfactory offering brings doubts about oyster-affinity. Erath Pinot Gris from the 2008 vintage gives pause with rich aromas of honey and tropical fruits, but the palate and mouthfeel are blessed with crisp acidity and balance, offering citrus and grassy notes to ensure bivalve bliss. Hogue Cellars
This wine can often be found on sale for much less than the listed retail price here. It is - once again - the best value oyster wine of the season among the selections we have sampled thus far. Bright pear and citrus aromas lead to a medium- to light-bodied palate that tingles with acidity and refreshes with pear and melon flavors. Screw cap finished, you don't even need a corkscrew! Foris All of the grapes for this classic Pinot Gris came from Foris' estate vineyards in the Illinois Valley between Oregon's Coast Range and Siskiyou Mountains. Bright aromas of ripe Bartlett pear mingle with tropical fruits and Asian spices. The palate features crisp acidity with flavors of melon and pear, and notes of baking spice and mineral. The wine was aged sur lie in stainless tanks before blending, which accounts for the distinctive character. Mmmmm. Line 39 Named after the line of latitude that passes through California's Lake County, Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc offers the oyster lover three wishes-come-true: a bright complex nose, clean and citrusy palate, and a bargain price to tempt the wallet. Aromas of grapefruit, grassy herb and lemon invite a taste, revealing lemon, lime and melon flavors.
Ryan Patrick Ryan Patrick Vineyards is located in Quincy, Washington, not far from the Columbia River. The tasting room is in Leavenworth, beckoning to the summer and fall tourists to stop and enjoy a sip. Winemaker Craig Mitrakul crafted his Naked Chardonnay with no oak contact and cool fermentation to preserve the fresh and fruity character of the wine. Spicy pear and citrus aromas lead to an oyster-refreshing palate of light citrus, green apple and herb.
Murphy-Goode Scoring high at our first tasting, this isn't the best half-shell oyster wine, but it is a very seafood-friendly selection that deserves your consideration. A portion of the wine was barrel fermented and lends a spicy and creamy-vanilla complexity to accent the citrus, floral perfume and grassy baseline of both nose and palate. Sautéed mussels and Manila clams were a superb match, though the wine dominated the subtle half-shell kumamotos.
One-year
Archive of previous
Wines of the Week reviews
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Puget Sound provides us tasty Kumamotos for our tastings. These small oysters are easy to shuck and offer a bite-sized slurp, tasting of the sea and oystery goodness. The best wines to accompany these delicious morsels are white, dry, unoaked or lightly oaked, and have flavors of citrus, herbs, gooseberry and mineral. Here are our first selections:
