Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Herzog Chenin Blanc Late Harvest – A Sweet Wine for a Dry Wine Lover?

I was going to let my husband write this post since it’s about him, but well he’s not a writer.  
  
For as long as I have known him he has always preferred to drink dry wines.  When I was still drinking White Zinfandel he introduced me to Pinot Grigio.  His favorite wine now is a Pinot Noir.  So imagine my surprise when I brought home a bottle of Herzog Chenin Blanc Late Harvest from a tasting and he actually liked it.  Every time I come home from a tasting he asks me if I have anything new and interesting for him.  I told him no, just a sweet wine which I wasn’t a fan of.  He decided to try it anyway and then said that it was actually really good.  I was really surprised that he liked a sweet wine that I did not.  For those of you that like Chenin Blancs and white wines that are on the sweet side this is a good wine to try.

 The grapes for this California wine were harvested from the Ehrhardt block of the Herzog Vineyard. This two acre block of Chenin Blanc grapes are unique for three reasons. First, it receives the utmost care and maintenance throughout the year, especially during harvest. Second, the grapes in this block were allowed to ripen to the fullest extent, thereby maximizing sweetness. And third, these grapes were harvested very late in the season to provide a uniquely luscious Late Harvest wine characteristic.

The wine is light gold with orange tints, full-bodied and generously sweet with good acidity to keep it lively. A fine effort, rich and generous with dried apricot and yellow peaches on first attack, those yielding to notes of mango and ginger, all overlaid with light hints of ginger and blanched almonds. Since the wine is naturally sweet it is best enjoyed with full flavored desserts, fresh fruit or as an aperitif.    



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