Northern Arizona's Mt Living Magazine | May 2019

BYtheBOTTLE

WINES from Mothers to Mothers

By John Vankat

M

other’s Day is always special, but enrich this year’s celebration by serving wines crafted by women winemakers who themselves are mothers.

This would have been more difficult in the past, but many more of today’s wineries have women winemakers, enabling serving wonderful wines from mothers to mothers. Below are such fine wines across a broad range of prices.

Gratien & Meyer non-vintage sparkling wine "Brut Rosé, Crémant de Loire, France” ($18) Florence Haynes’ salmon-colored sparkler is beautiful in the glass and attractive on the palate with mouth-filling fizz, enjoyable fruit, fine balance and forward personality.

La Posta 2017 Malbec “Pizzella, Mendoza, Argentina” ($18) Estela Perinetti’s Malbec is highly appealing, expressing strength along with forward fruit, well-integrated tannins, pleasing complexity, strong personality and lingering length.

Simi 2017 Chardonnay “Sonoma County” ($19) The quality of Lisa Evich’s Chardonnay exceeds its price. It is beautiful to the eye with deep color and also pleasing on the palate with full body, fruit, a touch of oak, attractive balance and extended length.

Westmount 2015 Pinot Noir “Willamette Valley” ($20) Anne Sery’s Oregon Pinot Noir reflects her family’s roots being in Burgundy. Enjoy its forward fruit, full body, attractive complexity and good length, all of which are impressive for the modest price.

Susana Balbo 2016 Malbec “Signature, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina” ($24)

20 Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine

Susana Balbo’s Malbec has excellent color depth and hue that foretell full-bodied flavors.

There’s strong fruit, as well as fine balance, texture, complexity and length.

Adelsheim 2018 Pinot Noir Rosé “Willamette Valley” ($25) Gina Hennen’s rosé stands out with its appealing development on the palate, as well as enjoyable strength, full body, well-honed crispness, forward personality and smooth, refined texture.

Mollydooker 2017 Merlot “The Scooter, South Australia” ($30) Owner and winemaker Sarah Marquis produces many exceptional wines. Her Merlot has engaging fruit and complexity on the nose and even more so on the palate, where its appealing beauty is expressed for longlingering length.

MacRostie 2016 Pinot Noir “Sonoma Coast” ($34) Heidi Bridenhagen’s finely crafted Pinot Noir is beautiful on nose and palate. I love its strength, full body and very attractive, rich, well-balanced fruit. Plus the pleasure persists through an impressively lengthy finish.

La Crema 2016 Pinot Noir “Russian River Valley” ($45) Jen Walsh’s superb Pinot is gorgeous in the glass and on the palate. Its expressive fruit

is coupled with excellent acidity, smoothly rounded tannins, notable complexity and much more.

Flaunt non-vintage sparkling wine “Brut, Sonoma County” ($48) Dianna Novy Lee’s golden-hued sparkler has voluminous fine fizz and is powerful on the palate with appealing balance, complexity and integration. Its strong personality extends through a lengthy finish. Available online from flauntwinecompany.com.

Rutherford Hill 2015 Merlot “Napa Valley” ($62) Marisa Taylor’s wonderful, classy Merlot is expressive on nose and palate with beautiful fruit, acidity, complexity, integration and refinement.

Its long-lingering finish is an experience to savor.

CADE 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon “Howell Mountain, Napa Valley” ($110) Danielle Cyrot’s captivating Cabernet is luminescent in the glass, has a powerful bouquet and is exceptional on the palate with impressive strength, appealing fruit, excellent balance and much more to engage the taste buds.

Recommended wines can be ordered from your favorite Arizona wine store unless noted otherwise.

Write to John Vankat at azpinewine@yahoo.com.