Champagne Wishes Panel of Whom You Know Recommends Snoqualmie 2008, Naked Merlot from Washington State!!!
At Snoqualmie, they have geared up for the start of harvest, and are celebrating the new releases from the Naked line of organically produced wines. Peachy Deegan and the Champagne Wishes panel just had to try them! These wines are made from certified organically grown grapes and produced in their certified organic winery in Prosser, WA. The Champagne Wishes Panel was so excited to try the Naked Merlot next.
The beginning of harvest in Washington state always means a flurry of activity as grapes are harvested in the vineyard and brought to the winery for the initial winemaking steps - sorting, crushing, primary fermentation – that lead to finished wines. At Snoqualmie, they take some extra steps during harvest to ensure the quality of the sustainably farmed and organically produced wines. These steps include differential harvesting (the selection and hand picking of specific areas within our organic vineyard blocks), organic cleaning of all harvest and receiving equipment prior to each use, and ensuring that the fruit from our organic vineyard blocks is delivered to the cellar within a few hours of picking for maximum freshness.
In addition, winemaker Joy Andersen picks the fruit for Naked wines at a slightly higher acidity level than standard to aid in naturally preserving the flavors and fruit characteristics of the resulting wines. Picking at these levels also means the brix, or sugar levels, in the grapes are lower, leading to lower alcohol content in the finished wines.
These additional efforts at harvest ensure that the fruit for Naked wines is of consistent high quality, allowing Andersen to create wines that capture the natural essence of each varietal with minimal intervention during the winemaking process. This winemaking philosophy results in bright, fruit-forward, food-friendly wines that are also great for drinking on their own or as an aperitif.
Whom You Know's Champagne Wishes Panel continued with the 2008 Naked Merlot, and our panelists state:
The Snoqualmie 2008 Naked Merlot I recently tried was splendid. The rich aromas bursted through as soon as I uncorked the wine. I allowed it to breath for a few minutes before I made my first pour. Scrumptous! That was my initial reaction as soon as the Merlot reached my palate. Change is in the air. With the seasons changing so does our drinking habits. Cooler weather is now in the air equaling the return of deeply flavored foods to the table. This Merlot was very soft and velvety. This particlar wine was very light in body, however strong the department of tannins. It also had hints of plum flavors. One thing I really enjoyed about this was its varying flavors and its polished taste. The diversity of this Merlot led me to imagine a whole list of food pairings. This wine would be fantastic with some prosciutto, basil and mozzeralla. I can see it lending itself as a fine compliment to that next steak barbecue. Bring it with you as a gift during your next dinner party. My favorite combination was with my homemade pasta and meatballs. There is nothing more perfect that would go together than the Naked Merlot 2008 and a nice Italian dinner. All in all I give the Naked Merlot 2008 a 4 star rating. You most definitely will not be disappointed when you try it!
I cannot believe I've never tried this type of wine before. It is now on top of my list of wines I need to keep handy. I even went on the Snoqualmie website and found they have a store locator to find retailers. There is one just a few miles from my house that sells Snoqualmie wine. I couldn't be more excited! I also learned a lot about the winery and found the winery's history to be very interesting. I typically prefer the sweeter reds over the more dry ones. Not this wine. I drank this as slowly as I could to savor each sip. I tried it at room temperature, as well as chilled. It was much better served at room temperature. I paired it with several different dishes and found that it complemented each one nicely. My favorite pairing was with some pasta and marinara sauce. I've been invited to several fall themed parties and I plan on bringing a bottle of the Naked Merlot with me. Now that the holiday season is upon us, I know I'll be invited to several holiday parties. I plan to have a bottle of the Naked Merlot in hand to bring with me. Many of my friends enjoy wine on occasion and I think this would be a perfect gift for them. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to try this wine. I tend to stay in my comfort zone and only drink the wine I know I like. I now have a new favorite to add to my list!
This Snoqualmie,2008, Naked, Merlot from Washington State is a winner! It is slightly opaque and dark ruby colored. Opens with a mild spicy black raspberry bouquet with hints of smoke, blueberry and vanilla. In this merlot, notes of menthol are detected as well. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, nicely balanced, soft,creamy and smooth. The flavor profile is a yummy blueberry, extracted black cherry with nicely integrated oak and spice. We also detected some hints of chocolate and pepper. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins linger slightly. I paired this gem with veal marsala, and my wife with lobster ravioli. I
n Kevin Zralys' Windows on the World wine school, he teaches us to distinguish wine textures. The best way to do this is to think of lighter wines as the skim milk. The medium bodied wines as whole milk. The full bodied wines as heavy cream. I have found this to work very well, here's an example: First we must break the wines into three major grape varieties. Reds: Pinot Noir, Merlot,and Cabernet Sauvignon. Pinot Noir would be the skim milk of the reds. Merlot would be the whole milk. and Cabernet Sauvignon is then the heavy cream of the reds. This method of thinking also works well with the white wines. Rieslings being the skim milk of the white wines. Sauvignon Blanc the whole milk of white wine. And Chardonnay becomes the heavy cream of the whites. Snoqualmie, Naked, Merlot from Washington State is the whole milk of red wine.
Here's another valuable morsel of information. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grow well in Washington State's Columbia Valley which is on the same latitude as Bordeaux France! 2008 Snoqualmie, Naked, Merlot from Washington State is a true gem! Enjoy!
