Wagner Family of Wine

Always excited to get to try tiny 50mL wine bottles from TastingRoom.com. In this event, I'm trying samples from the Wagner Family of Wine based out of Napa. I think Caymus and Conundrum are the most well known products, but it was fun to try some of the others.

2009 Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay
Santa Lucia Highlands
$22, 14.8% abv.
Oh, just delightful. Some musky aromas combined with peach, with a very smooth and round body and a light finish. Just a touch of acidity, and a brief finish.

2008 Mer Soleil Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
Santa Lucia Highlands
$32, 14.5% abv.
Not too heavily oaked, but with obvious buttered toast and vanilla. Toasted coconut and tropical fruits with, again, low acidity and a brief finish. These two wines are great to try side by side.

2009 Conundrum
California
Proprietary blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Muscat, Viognier, and Chardonnay
$22, 13.5% abv.
The Muscat notes come through immediately with that dark and dusky aroma and flavor. Not as sweet as many people assume, and it's relatively well balanced. Buttery and smooth on the palate, and it's often suggested as a good pairing for spicy Asian fare, by which I mean the thousands of different culinary traditions practiced by two billion people.

2009 Meomi Pinot Noir
Sonoma/Monterey/Santa Barbera
$22, 13.9% abv.
Black cherry and pie crust, with a touch of smoke and spice. Good fruit flavors and a nice tannic kick on the finish. Fairly substantial Pinot Noir.

2009 Belle Glos Pinot Noir
Santa Maria Valley
$44, 14.4% abv.
Mild wild strawberry and leather aromas, with a rich and delicate body. Delightful. Where's my slightly rare veal?

2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
$68, 15.2% abv.
Leather and plump with a touch of spice and black pepper. Dark and rich, and while the tannins are definitely present right now, I imagine this will be incredible in a couple of years.


Note: These wines were received as samples.