Monday, September 8, 2008

Couldn't Resist - Westphalia Vineyards 2006 Norton Reserve

OK, after the fight with UPS I just had to see if the prize was worth it so I cracked open a bottle of the Westphalia Vineyards 2006 Norton Reserve. Oh what a treat (and no, I am not letting its origins cloud my judgment... come taste it for yourself). For those not familiar with the Norton grape (another American varietal, this time red), this wine makes me think that a Zinfandel and a Syrah had a child. The color is a beautiful deep purply-red and produces firm, thick legs in my Riedel. The nose delivers peppery spicy goodness complementing the currant and berry fruits which are transported into the mouth along with a hint of vanilla (interesting note, Westphalia uses Missouri Oak for its barrels making Westphalia Vineyards the closest I can do in "buying Missouri") where we have the flavors mixed with balanced tannins and acid and providing a medium-long finish. The mouthfeel is interesting... it starts off a little soft but firms up the farther it goes through its finish. The juicy fruit makes me smack my lips after each taste and for some reason I cannot stop "sniffing" the wine (it's triggering something from my childhood but I cannot quite tell what it is).

This is a fabulous wine. I wish I had a nice juicy grill-seared steak (I can definitely see this as an alternative to the typical Zinfandel served at cookouts). This is a pretty big wine, drinkable now but should be able to keep a few more years. If you like Zins and Syrahs this wine from a young winery definitely deserves a checking out.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! Once we finish the box of Mountain Blush that we got from the bargain bin at Vons, we will be right over.

Michael Pape, AW said...

Well, I can't knock Von's, they tend to have a pretty good selection of wine. Can't really knock all boxed wines either (shoot, some wines now come in a can). Blush? Well, I have no real objections so tell me how this blend is. And where's my invite to try it out? :-)

Anonymous said...

Mike
This is Eric Neuner from Westphalia Vineyards. My brother and I live in San Diego as well. We're having a wine tasting this weekend Sept20 and would like to invite you. Please send me an email at eric@westphaliavineyards.com so I could contact you with info

Michael Pape, AW said...

Thanks Eric! My partner took my out of town and I have been out of touch with the blog. Back now and hope to meet with you soon.

Michael