Trecini, 2007 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (1/2-bottle)

Tasting Notes
Delicious aromas of honey, apricot and honeysuckle blossoms that follow through on the palate in a beautifully balanced wine that can serve as dessert in itself. Very enjoyable now, but one would be wise to buy some bottles to lay down and forget about until some time around 2015 - you'll call to thank me if you do.

Food Pairings
One of my keys to successful food and wine pairing is to be sure the wine matches or exceeds the sweetness of the food. And there is no better way to make a simple dessert stand out than to serve it with a small glass of this dessert wine. It turns dried apricots, blue cheese and salted nuts into the perfect end to a memorable evening. Seduction in a glass.

If your evening invites a more complex dessert, this wine amplifies the pleasure in a wide range of items, though you can find better pairings for dark chocolate. It works particularly well with fruit desserts - either fresh or baked - apple pie being a favorite pairing of mine. That said, lovers of pecan pie (or my famous steamed persimmon pudding!) will also be very happy campers when you serve a bit of this golden nectar. To get my steamed pudding recipe, complete your order, then click on the link above where it says "Recipes", then use the search function on the key word persimmon.

Wine Making Notes
About 10% of this Sauvignon Blanc harvest was affected by Botrytis Cinera (the beneficial and rare 'Noble Rot', a form of benevolent grape mold made famous in Sauternes such Chateau d'Yquem). The result is a wine full of mouth-watering freshness and a most distinctive characteristic that is immediately appreciated upon first tasting.

2007 was a cool vintage in Russian River Valley, and this allowed the fruit to hang on the vines well into November. For comparison, the grapes used for the dry table wines were harvested one to two months earlier. The grapes were gently pressed to neutral oak barrels where a long and cool fermentation took place over 4 months.

The Stats
- Acidity: pH = 3.2
- Alcohol: 11.5%
- Appellation: Russian River Valley
- Oak: 80% Stainless Steel 20% Neutral Oak
- Brix at Harvest: 33.2

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant