Inevitably with Seattle’s first warm day of the year, I crave spicy nachos & a cold beer on the back patio. It could be a subconscious rite of passage to spring, or maybe I just jump the gun on summer, because (again, inevitably) five minutes into it, exhausted from shivering, I come inside and “warm my nachos” next to the oven that warmed my nachos.
Well, that sunny day is today and happily coincides with the very day I have to come up with a pairing for Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Marier Sauvignon Blanc for the Chateau’s Wine & Cheese night next Tuesday. Also coincidentally, sauvignon blanc pairs quite nicely with Mexican flavors: tomatoes, chiles, herbs, goat cheese, corn, citrus, grilled & smoky things.
Everyone has a way of coming up with food & wine matches - I usually start by searching my flavor memory for things that have worked in the past; thumbing through books, magazines and on-line photos for inspiration; jotting down pretty much anything that comes to mind; and throwing all those ingredients out onto the counter and get tasting.
CSM 2006 Marier Sauvignon Blanc is quite different than the last vintage. For me, the ’05 had a nose redolent of warm orchard and citrus fruits (specifically lemons & apples), the ’06 is racier and leaner with bright grapefruit, grassy and herby scents. Some don’t like the curret vintage as well and suggested I choose one of the other two wines, but I’ve decided to feature Marier at wine & cheese night, mainly because I’m hoping it will satiate my crazy annual craving, plus, I’m always up for a challenge.
Tasting Plate for 2006 Marier Sauvignon Blanc
From the top going clockwise:
Avocado, mango, cojita, pink grapefruit & orange segments, roasted poblano, chevre, tomato salsa, (middle) herb salad, (off to side) lime and kosher salt, and (temporarily forgotten in microwave) corn.
Spending a little more concentrative swirling time, the ’06 Marier Sauvignon Blanc gave more than the initial zesty lime, pink grapefruit and gooseberry nose. There are overtones of warm vanilla, soft lemon and fresh grass. The scent is beautiful. Marier is refreshing and quite food-friendly. Here are my tasting notes:
Goat Cheese: Chevre w/sauvignon blanc is usually a no-brainer, and the Marier is no exception. The acid level of each were matched and toned down turning the cheese creamy and the Marier almost caramely. It’s lovely.
Avocado: The Marier refreshes the palate from the rich avocado, and all the green flavors in both lingered. Nice - a very sauv-blancy pair. My favorite match was avocado with salt and lime, chevre and herbs on a corn chip - it was great! I think a great, quick pairing for the Marier is guacamole (with lime, cilantro and crumbled chevre on top) and corn chips.
Roasted Poblano: By itself, it didn’t make the wine any better, but the roasted, spicy flavor of the chile lingered. With other ingredients, the poblano is interesting (cilantro, chevre, tomatoes).
Cojita: No. Too salty; wipes out all the fruit.
Tomato Salsa: Again, alone it’s not the best match, perhaps it’s too powerful, but with other ingredients like fresh herbs and avocado, it works well.
Herb Salad: Delicious. Brings out the grassiness and lime of the Marier.
Mango: Not by itself - too sweet. But with a good squeeze of lime and herbs, it was pretty good - the lime lived on.
Corn: Usually I don’t feature corn with sauvignon blanc, but I’d like the finished dish to have a Mexican flavor, so thought I’d add it to the tasting plate. It’s fine, but the toasty corn tortilla chips are better - perhaps from the deeper corn flavor, the oil and more salt.
Orange: Too sweet - doesn’t work.
Grapefruit: The grapefruit isn’t too sweet, but it still washed out the Marier’s fruit.
Black Beans in Chipotle Tomato Sauce: Darn fine match, especially on a corn chip with chevre, lime, cilantro and avocado.
I love tasting plates - they are always interesting. Needless to say, my craving was satiated and I got to know another wine quite well. Now I just need to come up with a complete concept for wine & cheese night and make 200 pieces.... ¡Super olé!
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