|
By The Glass Chuck Furuya |
Here are recently released
wines worth seeking outA NUMBER of terrific wines have just been released. Here are some that are well worth seeking out:
2002 Zilliken Riesling "Butterfly" (about $16): Over the years I've been a HUGE fan of Hanno Zilliken's wines. They always have such incredible concentration and complexity, coupled with elegance and intricacy. The year 2002 was another exceptional one for this legendary producer. The wines are amazing. One that would probably come in most handy is the "Butterfly." Done in a medium-dry style, it is the one wine to take to most Asian eateries because of its strong affinity for such foods.
2001 Glen Carlou Chardonnay (about $16): This very elegant, worldly chardonnay from South Africa is full of finesse. Well worth seeking out. In fact, at many a blind tasting, people (including myself) have guessed that this classy, nuanced, high-toned chardonnay was from Burgundy, France. It is that good.
2001 Olivet Lane Pinot Noir (about $21): Here is real pinot, not some syrah wanna-be. There is nothing deep or black in its appearance. Wonderfully perfumed, sleek, feminine, refined, high-toned and resoundingly UN-bitter, UN-alcoholic and UN-oaky in the finish. What a pretty red wine.
2000 Pergolas Tempranillo "Old Vines" (less than $10): Produced from old-vine tempranillo grapes grown in the Spain's Valdepenas region, this wine has a lot of sock for the dollar. Tawny around the edges, the 2000 is a deeply flavored, slightly rustic, wonderfully vinous red wine, done the ol' fashioned way.
2001 Elio Perone Moscato d'Asti (about $15): A real standout, to say the least! This wine is vividly fresh and zippy. Lychee flavor galore with a backdrop of minerality. Fizzy and slightly sweet, in a fresh-fruit kind of way. Like eating fresh lychee sorbet. What a perfect way to end a meal! Bright, completely refreshing and uplifting ... no one does it better.
Chuck Furuya is Hawaii's only master sommelier.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals. Write to features@starbulletin.com
