Mamacork Blog

Since my girlfriend Lisa is the big white drinker of the family, I had her taste this with me.  

Her first instinct was a bit dry and flat, but after it opened up a bit, it became fruitier with a hint of oak.

My first impression was kiwi and pineapple, but again with a woody undertone.  It is both sweet and dry at the same time, which made for a nice evening sipping wine.  

To me it would be perfect with a heavier meal of pasta, or a rich cut of meat.  It could also be paired well with a nice dish of seared sole or halibut.

All in all, we both enjoyed this wine.

Rate: 3.9 

mamachef

Just opened this bottle tonight to do my taste test.  This is definitely a bold wine.  It’s strong, and yet lean at the same time.  It sits with you as you sip it and taste the jammy of the Zinfandel grapes.  It’s a very smooth wine and an excellent blend of some of my favorite grapes.  (see Snapmama’s comments below). 

This would be great with a pork tenderloin on the grill.

Overall Rating:  4.0 

mamachef

Upon receiving this months shipment, I was informed that there is some special history behind the Coro Mendocino blend from McDowell Valley Vineyard… so special I just had to share!

This blend was created a few years back by the growers of Mendocino County who wanted to create a blend that preserved the unique heritage of the area, and thus the Coro was born. Coro is a word meaning “chorus” in Italian, a word that they decided represented the harmony between the winemakers of the region. This is FIRST TIME in US history that winemakers from a specific region have set rules to distinguish a blend from their area, much like the Europeans have done for decades. The wine must be made entirely from Mendocino county fruit, and must contain a blend of predominantly Zinfandel (between 40-70%) and a percentage of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Sangiovese, Grenache, Dolcetto, Charbono, Barbera, or Primitivo. Any ONE of these varietals not to exceed Zinfandel as majority component and max of 5% out of vintage. Each of these wines must receive a juried trademark of approval and carries a signature trademarked package, just like the Coro blend from McDowell.

I would love to tell you more, but I think I will leave it to the lovely Tom Elkjer. Fin out what he has to say about the ultra-premium Coro Mendocino blend in this great Appellation America article.

Can’t wait to hear feedback from the Mama’s on this very special blend from our friends at McDowell.

Snapmama

A while back, Lisa and I went to a great little “gay” owned wine bar up here in Portland called Everyday Wine.  I am always open to trying new wine’s and the one that was recommended to me was Owen Roe Abbot’s Table 2006.  This wine is fantastic.   I’m a blend girl when it comes to my red’s and this one is a blend of 9 different grapes.  

The predominate grape is Zinfandel, but includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot and Syrah.  Then, if that wasn’t enough, winemaker David O’Reilly added Blaufrankish, Sangiovese, Petite Syrah and Malbec…all from vineyards in Washington and Oregon.  I am a big fan of this wine and encourage all my fellow mama’s to try it!
Tara 

mamachef

De Loach 2005 Kent Richie Vineyard Chardonnay

“Bred on cool foggy nights and trained by a civilized oak fire. A lot of her beauty is up front, but this girl is more than body, she’s got class that won’t fade with age. This fruit don’t need no botox!”
-Mamabear

This nose of this wine screams “oak BOMB!” but, wait… don’t judge it just yet. While I wanted to write this one off as a totally typical California Chardonnay just based on this nose and all my preconceptions about this varietal (which I typically don’t like) my opinion was totally changed once I sipped this pristine white. When it hit my mouth I got so much more than just oak! Very true to the varietal, presenting a good acidity and wonderfully balances. This wine would be great with food, perhaps a nice meal over the holidays… Reminds me of a European style Chardonnay! The mama’s loved this one, coming highly recommended from all of us! Just some of the glowing reviews heard around the room:

“Not too candy like”
“This makes me want to eat!”
“This could be an afternoon or an evening chardonnay, meant for sipping…”
“Not too much popcorn or butter.”

Overall Mama Score = 4.8

Mamas, anything else to add???

Snapmama

We are synching this with our tasting notes and will unveil the fun very soon.

~MamaCork

Supermama aka admin