Pacific Rim Dry Riesling 11'

Naked Wine Review 127

Wine: Dry Riesling

Producer: Pacific Rim

Vintage: 11'

Region: Washington>Columbia Valley

Price: 10.00

Date tasted: 8/18/13

Place tasted: My friend stole my pig and then asked if I'd help her butcher it and put it in my brothers freezer. I said no; why ya gotta go steal my pig like that? Then I woke up; no more afternoon naps for me. So I took my little bottle of wine and bolted up to lovely Lake Mary Ronan to visit the blessed and beautiful Tuffitland. Here's to the good times, past, present, and future. May all beings everywhere be happy and free. Cin Cin.

Served with: It's just perfect with curried chicken salad. It would be good with any Indian or Thai curries; fried or barbecued chicken or pork; tropical fruit with brie and other soft or subtle cheeses...lots of good options with this one. Experiment and enjoy.

Appearance: Clear, bright and caramelized summer sunshine.

On the snoot: A tropical breeze with high floral notes anchored in a heavy soft fruity syrup. 

Taste: Gentle as a butterfly, not too much edge. A nice plump peach, mango and papaya blend with maybe just a hint of citrus and pear. Finish holds the palate in the long smooth naked embrace of her confidence and comfort; much longer than you'd expect from a white. Very nice.

Balance: Light and lovely in balance with just enough sweet to temper the bright. No bite, no bitter, no drama.  

Comments: Good wine for hot summer day drinking. Take her on a picnic with you. She's a fun and entertaining companion so include her in your picnic plans.  

Rating: 4 solid tipsy's, excellent value.

Shooting Star Blue Franc 10'

Naked Wine Review 126

Wine: Blue Franc, or maybe it's Blaufrankisch, then again it could be Lemberger. 

Producer: Shooting Star>Jed Steele, winemaker/owner

Vintage: 10'

Region: Washington State>Yakima Valley

Bottled by Shooting Star, Kelseyville, Lake County, CA

Price: 13.00

Date tasted: 8/4/13

Place tasted: The soft scent of nag champ smudged my little cabin in the corner of a peaceful forest village. Someone near the center was tuning one of those things…no, not a guitar, the other thing. I quietly sipped my wine and thought about nothing. Through the looking glass, or some would call it 'window', I became one, or two with the presence of a large tree deeply textured with character and in the loving embrace of wildly prolific vines of hops. I sipped my wine; the air was wet and sweet; I thought of nothing. Being is a more productive form of doing. Sometimes I forget that. 

Served with: I enjoyed it with a lettuce wedge salad and Roquefort dressing. Would go well with herby pasta dishes, grilled-red meats; chicken; or salmon, most cheeses, lamb, game, and oh, duck! it would be great with duck….just stay away from cream sauces, white fish, and extremely delicate foods. She needs flavors to match her more acidic than sweet nature, but not so bold as to overwhelm her more subtle characteristics. Treat her like a nice pinot noir but don't tell her I said that.  

Appearance: A rich thick blood red in the garnet spectrum with slight violet crumble edges. Like staring into the gem world of alexandrite. Hypnotic, like that tree I once told you about. Remember that?

On the snoot: A bright and elegant pomegranate mixes with soft floral notes in a strong solid punch to the snoot. A brilliant and enchanting bouquet. I think the snoot is her finest feature.

Taste: Red pie cherry with a juicy quenching quality and just a hint of herb and spice. Finish is full of plush soft tannin, pronounced and deliberite if not a little fast. Still very satisfying.

Balance: She's got legs like Xena that wrap around the inside of your glass and just won't let go! Beautiful, naked strong, and a little scary but we like it. A nice light balance with no residual sugar(we like that too). Comes on a little hot right out of the bottle but mellows nicely after a few deep breaths. 

Comments: TV commercials featuring jingles sung poorly are neither cute nor funny. You should stop that. Stop that right now. Ya I'm talkin' to you, good neighbor. 

Oh the wine! Comments about the wine. Sure. Complex in her simplicity, she's a unique and exotic delight; a rare orchid among wines. Seems to induce wavy dreams of glowing Madrona trees. Open her up and let her breathe for a while before imbibing. 

Cheers & Good Singing to All.

Rating: 3.7 tipsy's