2013 Henry of Pelham Family Tree White – Vintages 251116 – $17.95 – ****+ – Simply put, I love this wine. There is a nice acid backbone to this bottle that keeps it food friendly. This is a blend of viognier, gewurztraminer, chardonnay and chardonnay musqué. There should be no surprise that aromas of white flower climb out of the glass and dance lightly with peach, pear, pineapple and pushes up to passion fruit. There is a nice creamy mouthfeel on the mid palate. While this doesn’t sit too heavy on the palate it’s begging to be paired with a rich meal whether it’s creamy pasta or fried chicken. To be honest, this is a wine that I prefer to savor without food.
2012 Redstone Reserve Cabernet Franc – Vintages 381244 – $29.95 – ****+ – When you take your first sip of this glass you can immediately tell that you’re tasting something refined and elegant. The fruit is wild strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and just the subtlest hints of blueberry. The fruit seems endless on the palate. There are hints of a savory note but it’s well integrated and buried until the very ripe red fruit that has gone into this wine. This is very approachable right now if you decide to open without decanting, but there is nice structure to this wine with the tannin and acidity that this should age well over the next decade.
