Wine Blogging Wednesday: 2002 Nebbiolo di Klipsun
In my quest to learn more about wine, I took on the challenge proposed by this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday which is: drink local. The idea is to choose a wine from the nearest winery to where you live, drink it, and write about what you thought of it. All entries will be compiled and shared here.
Lucky for me, the nearest winery is the Wilridge Winery in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle. I’ve often wondered about this urban winery, how it operates, and what their wines are like. Wilridge Winery specializes in single-vineyard designated wines. For each of their wines, they contract with a Washington State vineyard to produce a specific wine. The wine I chose is the 2002 Nebbiolo di Klipsun in the Red Mountain Appellation. According to Wilridge’s website, Wilridge obtained all of the 2002 Nebbiolo grown at Klipsun, which was named one of the top 25 vineyards in the world by Wine & Spirits magazine. The grapes were picked on October 30, 2002, hand harvested, delivered to the winery in a refrigerated truck, and hand sorted at the winery. The wine was aged for 16 months in 2 and 3 year old French-oak barrels. 122 cases were bottled May 5, 2004. I ordered a bottle from my local shop, Urban Vines ($19).
So how did it taste? Well, I’m a novice, lacking a complex vocabulary for describing wine, so I’ll have to start out with generic superlatives: amazing, fantastic, expensive, delicious. The first sip was a bit harsh, giving my palate a start. It may have been the case that I didn’t let it breathe in the glass long enough. A few sips later it was like drinking heaven. It was rich and complex, quite fruity, too. The color was a rich red though not too dark. The aroma was gorgeous. I actually spent quite a lot of time with my nose in the glass which my children found quite funny. Sip after sip, it got better and better. My wife and I each enjoyed a glass while dinner cooked, then poured another to go with our simple meal of salmon, asparagus, and potatoes. The Nebbiolo probably would have gone better with richer food, but it was fine with what we had prepared. There’s still a little left in the bottle, miraculously.
Wilridge has made a believer out of me. The 2002 Nebbiolo may be generally more expensive than I’m likely to pay, but for special occasions it goes to the top of my list. I give it an A.
Some tasting notes on the 2002 Nebbiolo di Klipsun from Wilridge:
Brick red in color. The aroma is classic Nebbiolo, with violets and rose petals in the nose that seem to explode from the glass. The wine is both subtle and flavorful, with hints of tannins on the finish. It’s enjoyable young for the delicious fruit aromas, but also has the structure to age for several years.
2 Comments