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Wine Recommendation
Estancia
2006 Pinot Grigio(California)
Constellation Brand’s Estancia has always produced luxury wines at budget prices from its Monterey location. Its 2006 Pinot Grigio comes from grapes hand-selected from a variety of California vineyards. The clusters were gently pressed in traditional basket presses, a labor-intensive process that belies the $15 price tag. On the nose are aromas of pear and melon and a distinct lemony citrus. The pear continues among the first flavors along with Granny Smith apple and peach.
No, this is not an Odwalla fruit shake. That does have the pepper and mineral backbone that balances the fruit flavor. At a refreshingly (and seemingly rare) 12 percent alcohol, this is a dry wine that still imparts a comfortable sweetness in the mid-palate. Its four months in French oak gives it that touch of complexity we usually don’t see in a low-priced wine, let alone a Pinot Grigio.
A great wine with chicken and fish dishes, it is particularly suited to crab and lobster.
Reviewed February 5, 2008 by Michael Lasky.
Other reviewed wines from Estancia
The Wine
Winery: Estancia |
The Reviewer
Michael Lasky
APPELLATION AMERICA’s Managing Editor, Michael Lasky, has been writing about food and wine for over 20 years. His work has appeared in national magazines such as Playboy, Esquire, GQ, and Parade, and newspapers such as The New York Times, USA Today, Newsday, and the San Francisco Chronicle. His wine reviews focus on the aroma, taste, and visual appeal of what’s in the glass. He is decidedly not a wine snob and prefers to describe its virtues in conversational prose that speaks to everyone from wine neophytes to veteran connoisseurs. He only reviews delicious wines. |