Recently The Feisty Foodie attended an event at which the wines of Chateau Ste. Michelle were featured. After telling them about her wonderful, talented, and modest beverage blogger, I was greeted by sample bottles of several bottles in the wide range of wines offered by this large producer of Pacific Northwest whites and reds.
Here I have a couple of white wines at different price points, with a couple of reds to come next week.
First up, the Naked Chardonnay, from Snoqualmie Vineyards in the Columbia Valley. Certified organic, this 2009 vintage comes to the consumer unoaked (thankfully) and at quite the reasonable price point, $10-$12 online.
Here it poses (on the left) with the other wine in this review. Snoqualmie is one of several winery labels (including Chateau Ste. Michelle, of course, else I doubt they’d have sent both these wines) that are subsidiaries of a rather large tobacco corporation (UST). It used to be created inside Columbia Crest (another label in the family), but it’s now out on its own.
The Naked Chardonnay has a nose full of apricot and pear fruitiness, rather soft and rounded. There’s a touch of sourness, tartness, in there as well. At 13.5% alcohol, no real presence is felt in the aroma. Most of this continues into the body. It’s not a sweet wine; it’s quite dry, actually, and that’s where the warmth of the alcohol is displayed. More apricot than pear, the Naked shows off what the winery calls “spicy”, and I call “peppery”, as in not only peppercorns, but even a bit of bell pepper — it has an edge to it, which kind of plays off the sour note that’s still present. It’s a fairly decent wine, and for a fair price, for a chardonnay with this much going on.
Then we opened the Eroica 2010 Riesling, combining Chateau Ste. Michelle’s talents with Dr. Loosen of Germany. The winery website lists this wine at $20.
There are several Eroica wines, but if they’re like the Riesling, I’m going to be a poor man before long. Behind the pale, pale color, the Riesling possesses a dry, fruity, tropical nose, with lots of pear and a subtle citrusy component. First taste is a bracing acidity, lined with a bit of orange and lime and a backbone of pear and even a bit of honeysuckle, impressively dry — I’ve run into an unfortunate streak of rather not-dry “dry” Rieslings lately — and leaving my mouth literally watering for the next sip. The alcohol, at 12.5%, is nowhere to be found, save a slight warming sensation late in the finish. The 2010 Eroica is an exceptionally drinkable, quenching Riesling, and I’m debating whether I need an entire case of this shipped directly to me ASAP.
Round Two will feature a red blend from the Columbia Valley, and a Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. Stay tuned!
Please note that Chateau Ste. Michelle and their PR provided products to me without charge. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor was I obliged in any way to post about this experience, positively or otherwise. This is my own opinion and I feel it was unbiased; you are free to take from this what you will.
CT says
I love Riesling! Especially when you can taste the honeysuckle …that’s my fave.
$20 isn’t terrible… though I wouldn’t be sad if it was priced closed to the Chardonnay.
CT says
Also, at first glance I thought it was called Erotica. Maybe not their best choice of label… or maybe that was their marketing strategy?
BeerBoor says
Beethoven’s Third, CT… get your mind out of the gutter!
For $20 I can get Eroica or Trimbach. It’s really a tossup, and I absolutely love the dry Trimbach Riesling.
CT says
Hahaha… oops! I still think it’s a suggestive label.
Obnoxious comments aside, I really do like Rieslings, so thanks for the tip!
Hungry says
I tasted a lot of Rieslings while in Germany and definitely leaned towards the honey tasting ones. I wonder if translation was lost b/c you’re saying honeysuckle instead.
BeerBoor says
Honey and honeysuckle are pretty similar. If you’re ever tasted the nectar from a honeysuckle flower (the “bushes” are all over NC), you’d likely agree. A little sweetness but not sugary, but a fairly distinct taste not quite matched by normal honey.
Steve R says
BB, now you’re working my beat! Eroica has been one of my stand-by Rieslings for years — it really stands out for its complexity compared to the gallons of inexpensive (though sometimes quite refreshing) Riesling from WA and CA. I look forward to your WA/OR comparison — I can think of few regions so close geographically that produce such wildly different wines.
BeerBoor says
The 2009 riesling apparently stood out in the wine world, so I’m not surprised you’ve been drinking it! I’ve run across some disappointing, even for the price, low-end Rieslings from the PNW, so I was quite pleasantly surprised to enjoy this so greatly.
Alas, I was sent five wines from four wineries, all different grapes. A head-to-head between the same wines from different wineries would have been fun – maybe I need to rummage through the wine refrigerator and find something with which to compare!
Feisty Foodie says
I surprised myself by enjoying the Chardonnay quite a lot (evidenced by my over-indulgence; apologies again!) as I don’t tend to enjoy Chardonnays. Unfortunately, I couldn’t appreciate the Riesling (though based on what you’re saying, I wouldn’t have liked it since I don’t tend towards the driest Rieslings), but I’m super curious about trying it again (with a cleansed palate) as I just found notes from a previous wine tasting where I had the very same wine (from 2008 or 2009) and really want to compare what I wrote then with what I’d write now. If you do wind up with a case on your hands, you can be sure I’ll be on your doorstep shortly thereafter 😛
Also, when did you even take that photo of both wines?! I thought you opened the Riesling much later – way after we’d finished the first bottle.
SugarButter says
Chateau Ste Michelle is my very favorite white wine maker! I bring a bottle or two to family gatherings and people always exclaim over how good it tastes. Love it!