Central Coast California Grüner Veltliner a perfect pairing with Butternut Squash Pasta and Sauteed Veggies
Uccelliera Rapace Toscana 2018
David Arthur Napa Valley Meritaggio 2006
Grüner Veltliner Morro View Vineyard 2019
This is another interesting label from the broad portfolio of wines from 35-year old California winemaker Andrew Jones whose work as a vine nursery fieldman, planning and planting vineyards for farmers across Central California has provided insights and access to some of the best fruit sources across the region.
As his website explains, "having stood in just about every vineyard on the Central Coast, he’s all about finding those underdogs with untapped potential. As friendships are made and opportunities are embraced, Andrew produces small quantities of soulful wine from these unusual, quiet vineyards. (He) has developed a keen eye for diamonds in the rough: sites that are unknown or under-appreciated but hold enormous untapped potential. He strives for unique wines loaded with personality and a one-of-a-kind experience."
'Field Recordings is Andrew’s personal catalog of the people and places he values most. He quotes: “Our wines are all about the flavor — with none of the pretension.”'
The Field Recordings website shows two dozen wines sourced from no less than twenty-two vineyard sources, shown on a map of the California Central Coast wine region from Carmel in the north to Solvang in the south.
I picked up a selection of these wines to have on hand to try for special occasions and everyday sipping. Indications and experience show Field Recordings tends to provide quality wines at great value high QPR - Quality-to-Price-Ratios.
Our first encounter was a white blend, "Hock", that I selected and served at our family Thanksgiving celebration dinner.
I then opened this same label last winter a posted a tasting review at that time.
Field Recordings Morro View Grüner Veltliner 2019
I liked this pairing so much, I went back to try to obtain more but there was none to be found.
This is sourced from the Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo County in the California Central coast. It is California’s coolest wine growing area, best suited for the production of high quality wine grapes like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rhône Blends for aromatic white wines.
It has a cool Mediterranean climate and an incredibly long growing season, giving late-ripening varieties plenty of opportunity to develop great phenolic complexity.
The valley has a northwest to southeast orientation that creates a direct path for cool
Pacific air and fog to penetrate the valley from the Los Osos and Morro
Bay area inwards. Low hillsides of both calcareous and volcanic soils
are home to much of the vineyard acreage of the Edna Valley.
Tonight's optimal pairing of this wine with food enhanced the enjoyment of this wine significantly resulting in a higher rating that our earlier tasting.
At that time, this wine followed an Alsatian Blend which also featured this varietal grape associated with the Alsace Loraine region of France - Grüner Veltliner. This too would have been a good selection for Thanksgiving dinner but I opted for the more complex blend that day.
The winemaker notes, "This is 100% Grüner Veltliner, sourced from our favorite vineyard in the heart of the Edna Valley. The extra rock and limestone in the soil never allowed it to be used for row crops like the majority of the other vineyard sites in Edna. The acidity from each variety pulled from Morro View is what makes them all special. The Grüner really shines in the glass. Notes of lychee, Yuzu, Jasmine tea, electricity," as written by Winemaker Andrew Jones.
Last time I gave this wine 88 points. Tonight, I raise that to 90 points based on the enhanced pairing with the food.
Light golden straw colored, medium bodied, bright expressive forward notes of pear and green apple are accented by a layer of roasted nut and tropical lychee fruit, sweet honey and paine grille, with hints of grapefruit, with well balanced acidity on a sharp pointed finish.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3600555
