Increasingly, The Dozen is covering wines not just from around the world, but from around the country. Many of these wines are not in general distribution through wine stores, but they are available direct-to-consumer through online shipping – since Covid, an increasing channel of distribution.
Many wineries away from the traditional West Coast states emphasize difference grape varieties than are normally found in Oregon, Washington and California. Partly, this is a matter of what grows best locally, but it also represents what people local to these wineries like to drink, an issue not always recognized.
For example, we have three wines from the venerable Messina Hof winery in Texas that are very fragrant and floral varietals that are also just a tad sweet – presumably what the Texans they sell to particularly like.
In addition to these wines from Texas, we also have a couple of delicious wines from Dr. Konstantin Frank in New York’s Finger Lakes, another venerable winery, one of whose vineyards is in the photo above.
Finally, there is a passel of pink wines.
2023 Dr. Konstatin Frank Finger Lakes Grüner Veltliner ($19). Medium body, fresh yet with good texture and substance – ripe green fruits and some minerality. Very enjoyable.
2023 Messina Hof “Artist Series” Texas High Plains Gewürztraminer ($25). Peppery aromas and spicy flavors, quite fruity and lightly sweet.
2023 Messina Hof “Artist Series” Texas High Plains Muscat Canelli ($25). An off-dry wine with varietal Muscat fragrances and flavors – very floral with some dry herbal notes typical of the variety and with moderate weight and acidity.
2023 Messina Hof “Artist Series” Texas High Plains Riesling ($25). Another off-dry white with Riesling’s fruitiness, medium body but with enough acidity to balance the wine from being too sweet.
2021 Garofoli “Podium” Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore ($30). Very good – quite minerally and as close as Verdicchio can get to classic Chablis structures and flavors.
2020 Dr. Konstatin Frank Finger Lakes Brut ($30). A very enjoyable sparkling wine from traditional Champagne varieties with rich flavors of tart apples and lots of lean minerality.
2022 Marques de Cáceres Rioja Rosé ($13). Rich fruitiness of ripe strawberries and a hint of red cherries with a touch of cream.
2023 Hecht & Bannier Languedoc Syrah-Grenache-Cinsault Rosé ($14). Nice floral aromas and flavors – pink grapefruit with hints of vanilla and white peach – and a medium body.
2022 Famille Perrin “Nature” Côtes du Rhone Rosé ($15). Orange flavored, a little thick in texture and lightly sweet.
2023 Hecht & Bannier Côteaux Aix-en-Provence Rosé ($20). Very enjoyable, quite creamy with rich strawberry flavors and very long on the palate.
2022 Fessina “Erse” Etna Rosé ($26). Very lean, pleasant tart strawberry and citrus flavors with some nice tannins – pleasingly puckery.
2023 Tablas Creek Vineyards “Patelin de Tablas” Paso Robles Rosé ($28). Very fresh and refreshing with tart strawberries, generous structure and a hint of orange in the finish,
Prices listed are generally SRP or from wine-searcher.com. As more wineries are now shipping direct-to-consumer, check the winery website if you can’t find a bottle in your retail store.
0 comments on “All Points”