1999 Schramsberg Vineyards J. Schram Napa-Monterey-Mendocino Counties Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 96 Tasting Note: Full-bodied dry sparkling white wine; medium gold. Yeasty, rich, bready aromas are followed by rich, complex, white-fruit flavors. Long, crisp finish. Good acidity. On the lees for six years yields richness and complexity. Grape type: Chardonnay. Harvested from Napa Valley and the Central Coast. Serve at about 50 degrees (some might like it colder, but no more than 45 degrees) in tulip-shaped flutes. Suggested Food Pairings: Salmon (or other seafood) bisque topped with crème fraîche and a dab of ikura (salmon caviar); salmon caviar on lightly salted potato chips, water crackers or half-dollar sized blini, optional crème fraîche and minced chives; cocktail-sized potatoes stuffed with smoked salmon and chives; tequila-and-herb cured wild sockeye salmon; California rolls with salmon; salmon and herb (or other seafood) mousses; sushi and sashimi. Also mild creamy cheeses, such as Délice de Bourgogne, Mascarpone. Georgia Distributor Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC $95.00 2005 Groote Post Chardonnay Darling Unwooded Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied very slightly off-dry white wine; very pale yellow. Clean, enticing aromas of pear and white melon; tiny note of canned peas; flavors capture some sweet aromatic spices, blending them into the lovely white fruits. Silky texture and crisp finish. So who says unwooded Chardonnay's can't last a few years? I can think of some oaked ones that didn't make it this long. Suggested Food Pairings: Smoked salmon mousse with dill; salmon with vodka cream sauce on pasta; grilled medium rare salmon with sorrel sauce (really good); baked wild sockeye salmon with minced fresh green garlic and fresh tarragon; chilled poached (or baked) salmon with cucumber salsa (Whole Foods); wild salmon salad (Whole Foods). Georgia Distributor National Distributing Co. $14.00 2007 Grosset Riesling Clare Valley Polish Hill Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale yellow. Aromas are classic Riesling without the fusil-oil character: On the nose and palate, pear and sweet yellow apple with a crisp conclusion. Lime and lime leaf characters. Well structured. Minerals galore. Finish nearly never quits. This was a tough vintage in Australia, beginning with bad spring frosts and suffering high temperatures in summer. But winemaker Jeffrey Grosset is a master of the grape. Suggested Food Pairings: Salmon-centered sushi; tequila-cured salmon with herbs; salmon tartare with soy, ginger, sesame oil dressing; pecan-crusted baked rainbow trout or steelhead trout; baked salmon baked with mustard-cream sauce; wild sockeye salmon baked with butter, olive oil and a mix fresh green garlic and fresh tarragon. Georgia Distributor Northeast Wholesale $40.00 2006 Shaky Bridge Shaky Bridge Pinot Gris Cental Otago Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 93 Tasting Note: Full-bodied dry white wine; medium pale copper. Aromas of white stone fruits and white melon; peach-melon-nectarine flavors are rich, round and mouth-filling, with complexity and a lively, acid-backed finish. Silky texture. Just so delicious, you want to drink it forever. This one really doesn’t like being over-chilled. Pinot Blanc from New Zealand is a scarce commodity, so it's nice to have another one from there as in my humble view it does really well in Kiwi land. Enjoy this as the 2007 is sold out already at the winery. Suggested Food Pairings: Smoked salmon-dill mousse; baked salmon with lemon-herb butter; chilled poached salmon with a mild curry aioli; salmon crêpes; herbed salmon burgers; salmon in vodka cream tomato sauce on linguini; smoked trout; salmon cooked in parchment with bok choy, minced fresh ginger, sesame oil and mirin. Georgia Distributor Avant Partir $20.00 2004 Bush Bike Riesling Western Australia Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 89 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; medium pale greenish straw. Aromas and flavors of lime, lemongrass and that characteristic fusil-oil note frequent in Riesling. Touch of the taste of honey in the finish. Silky texture. Fruit balanced by good acidity. Rich finish. Develops slowly in the glass. Alc.: 12.5% All stainless steel. These Riesling grapes come from vineyards near the Munda Biddi trail. Suggested Food Pairings: Smoked salmon mousse with herbs; salmon cooked in parchment paper with bok choy, minced fresh ginger, sesame oil and mirin; salmon baked with bread crumbs and whole-grain mustard, cold poached (or baked) medium rare salmon with mustard cream; wild sockeye salmon salad (Whole Foods). Georgia Distributor All American Distributing (f/k/a Bibb Distributing) $15.00 2004 Guyot Côtes du Rhône Villages Blanc L'Envol Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Full-bodied dry white wine; medium gold. Aromas of crushed aromatic seeds—fennel; cardamom, coriander—with sweet, fleshy white fruits on the palate. Rich yet elegant. Given the bottle aging its gotten since release, it’s acquired depth and complexity. Intriguing. Not an aperitif wine; best with serious food. Silky textured. Grapes: Viognier 80%; Roussanne 20%. Suggested Food Pairings: Keep the chill factor to a minimum, about 55ºF (17ºC).Sushi; salmon or lobster chowder; tequila-cured salmon with fresh herbs (really good); barbecued trout; baked trout coated in pecan breadcrumb crust; salmon with vodka cream sauce on linguine; poached chilled salmon with cucumber salsa (Whole Foods); baked or grilled salmon with sorrel sauce (smashing!) Georgia Distributor La Fayette Selections $22.00 2005 Hugel Pinot Blanc Alsace Cuvee Les Amours Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale yellow. Aromas of yellow stone fruits with a hint of fennel seed, a character that extends to the dynamic fruit flavors, which offer pear and melon. Citrus notes. Rich, silky textured yet fresh tasting and zingy with good acidity. Pinot Blanc is a major grape type for Alsace. The 2005 vintage throughout Europe is one of the best in decades. Suggested Food Pairings: Smoked salmon mousse; gently smoked salmon; fresh salmon baked with lemon, herbs and butter; tequila-cured salmon, crab-stuffed salmon pinwheels; cold poached salmon with homemade mayonnaise; butter-baked Atlantic salmon, medium rare. Other stuff: scallops; roast pork, crab mousse; frogs' legse, oysters, mascarpone; Délice de Bourgogne; or other mild, creamy cheese. Georgia Distributor National Distributing Co. $19.00 2007 Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Alto Adige Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 93 Tasting Note: Light- medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale straw. Fresh aromas of green apple, slight hint of crushed aromatic seed spices (fennel seed, coriander); crisp green apple flavors and the same aromatic characters. Silky mouthfeel yet bracing acidity. Long, crisp finish. Mouthwatering. Suggested Food Pairings: Moderately chilled, about 55ºF (17ºC) in medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses. Great value. Tequila-and-herb-cured salmon (really good); Caesar salad with grilled salmon; poached salmon and seafood sausages with beurre blanc, salmon crêpes; poached chilled salmon with herbed mayonnaise; baked crab-stuffed salmon. Other stuff: warm green garlic cream soup; crab cakes. Georgia Distributor Quality Wine & Spirits $13.00 2006 Buoncristiani Rosato Napa Valley Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Medium- to full-bodied dry rosé; lovely deep reddish pink color. Aromas of strawberry, raspberry and red cherry; sweet fruit flavors with good spice, a bit of bramble and a long, fruit-filled finish. Bone dry, but stuffed with plenty of fruit.. Grape type: Syrah. Fermentation 40% in stainless steel; 60% in neutral French oak. This operation is the work of four brothers, and this is their fourth season of producing this rosato. Suggested Food Pairings: Salmon with vodka cream sauce; salmon cake with sweet red pepper; blackened salmon; grilled salmon steak with red fruit chutney; tamarind-glazed salmon; barbecued salmon (or chicken or ribs for that matter). Other stuff: crab mousse with red pepper. Georgia Distributor Hemispheres $20.00 2005 Brandborg Pinot Gris Umpqua Valley Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; medium pale yellow. Gentle aromas of peach and yellow stone fruits; peach, nectarine, and even a touch of strawberry in the fruit profile on the palate. Altogether a delightful wine. Long, fruit-filled finish. A bit of heat emerges in the finish, but rich foods diminish that sensation. Suggested Food Pairings: Baked salmon with a peach/pear chutney; tequila-cured herbed salmon with crème fraîche; baked salmon stuffed with crabmeat; baked or grilled salmon with mango chutney or salsa; tamarind-glazed grilled salmon. Other stuff: chilled green garlic soup. Georgia Distributor Sommelier Direct $16.00 2007 Pewsey Vale Riesling Eden Valley Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; medium-pale yellow. Aromas capture citrus peel and sweet white fruits; delectable white melon and pear fruit with aromatic sweet spices grace the palate. Silky texture and a crisp, long finish. Alc.: 13%. The Pewsey Vale vineyard has clocked more than a century and a half in Eden Valley. Winery suggests it will cellar through 2012, but to do so keep it at a constant 55ºF (12ºF). Suggested Food Pairings: Smoked salmon; salmon-focused sushi and California rolls; pecan-crusted trout; barbecued trout; ginger with salmon and cucumber salsa (Whole Foods); pizza with smoked salmon, cream cheese and thinly sliced sweet red onion; salmon cooked in parchment paper with Asian seasonings and julienned vegetables. Georgia Distributor Empire Distributing $20.00 2005 Staete Landt Pinot Noir Marlborough Review Date - 5/1/2008 Score - 93 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry red wine; medium dark cherry red. Initial smoky aromas segue into aromas of dried herb and dark cherry, wonderfully integrated. On the palate, dried herb-infused dark fruits. Suggestion of dried cranberry. Soft tannins, well integrated with fruit. Finish concludes with sweet fruit and dried herb. Beautifully balanced. Staete Landt was the name Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, gave to New Zealand. Suggested Food Pairings: Simple grilled salmon; barbecued salmon; blackened salmon; grilled or baked salmon with beurre rouge; blackened salmon.. Other stuff: roast chicken, Cornish hen or turkey; mild, creamy cheeses, such as Delice de Bourgogne, creamy mild blue cheeses such as Fourme d’Ambert. Georgia Distributor Grapefields $25.00