2020 Lavender Ridge Vineyard Anniversaire Blanc – A Wonderful White Blend
The Winery
2018 Lavender Ridge Vineyard tasting room is located in the town of Murphys in the lower Sierra Nevada foothills. Lavender Ridge specializes in Rhone varietal wines. They included Cotes du Calaveras Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne, Rolle, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Rose, Grenache, Cotes du Calaveras, Mourvedre, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Vin Doux and Anniversaire Blanc. They also feature an artisan cheese selection that is unique and has something for just about everyone. To read more about Lavender Ridge, see two previous articles:
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This is a unique blend of Viognier (40%), Roussanne (20%), Marsanne (20%) and Grenache Blanc (20%). Their Roussanne is exquisite and with the addition of their other varietals, this turned into a master piece! When you have Viognier as the “base” you get the spiciness, honeydew melon and peach. Add to this the Marsanne with its toasted nut flavors and honey, a beautiful flavor appears on the palate. Now add two more ingredients to the mix: Roussanne with its mouth filling texture with roundness and Grenache Blanc with apricot, all the flavors swirl in the mouth. Preferred this wine much colder than most white wines to get the appreciation of the final blend. As it warms you can decipher the individual components more readily. Priced at $36/bottle and aged in 100% new French oak for about 1 year.
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This evening’s meal was a favorite baked Swiss cheese chicken topped with croutons. Accompanied by a twice backed potato with cheese and garnished with onions. Baked zucchini slices sprinkled with panko along with a fresh garden salad completed the meal. The wine with its mouth filling fullness paired perfectly with the meal. An excellent wine and a great food pairing.
Sláinte,
Michael