WineSmith Cellars Dessert Wines

Tasting notes & discussion 68

24 HOUR SALE
Typically $25/bottle from WineSmith
375 mL bottles because dessert wines
Brought to you from the mystical land of far off “California”
Available for AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY
Sold by WineSmith Cellars, fulfilled by Wine Country Connect

About WineSmith Cellars
Founded in 1993 by Clark Smith, WineSmith Cellars has been focused on exploring Eurocentric wines in ways outside the mainstream. Preferring to create long-term relationships with many different vineyards, WineSmith sources from committed growers rather than run its own vineyard. Clark Smith is an expert in Cabernet Franc, with over 20 vintages from multiple locations. Some of the most notable aspects of Smith’s wines are their longevity, balance, and “understated soulfulness.” In addition, the wines are often aged prior to being released. His book, Postmodern Winemaking, contains four decades of insight and reflection on wine’s true nature.

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TASTING NOTES:
Manseng - “This obscure ancient grape of the Muscat tree is highly aromatic and achieves very high sugars while retaining exceptionally high acidity. It was treasured by the ancients because it stops fermenting while still sweet, producing a luscious dessert wine without the need for modern sterile filtration.” (AbV 12.9%, TA ~12 g/L, pH ~2.9, RS 8%)

Any Gorilla - “…this wine is a mish-mash of pieces that failed as standalone dry reds whose flaws became virtues when married together. Our base was an overripe 2017 Lodi Cabernet whose dry tannins made it unacceptable for our graceful Eurocentric style. For age, we exhumed a single barrel of 2006 Meritage we somehow forgot to bottle a decade ago. In 2018, we threw these together, blended in two tons of glorious, freshly crushed Lake County Petite Sirah and two barrels of high proof neutral brandy and voilá!” (AbV 16.9%, RS 8%, 48% Petit Sirah 48% Cabernet Sauvignon 4% Merlot)

BARRELS:
Manseng - 18 months in neutral French oak (33% of it, at least)

Any Gorilla - Old French oak, 45% bottled, rest left in the wood.

TANGENTIALLY RELATED FACT to help you make conversation over this wine:
The first mention of “Gorilla” (the word) dates back to 500 BC in journals logging Hanno the Navigator’s explorations of Western Africa. He found an island full of hairy, wild “people” that some of his interpreters from a Libyan tribe called “Gorillas.”

PAIRS WITH (winery recommended):
Pair the Gorilla with Stilton cheese, glazed walnuts, dark chocolate, celery, and pair the Manseng with chocolate mousse, strawberry shortcake, half-shell oysters, duck foie gras.

OR (really-going-with-the-theme-option):
Seeing a bunch of gorillas and just thinking, “Hm, what a bunch of hairy people.”

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