This Rhone-style blend is a low-intervention wine that lets the fruit sing
Cormorant 2021 Preston Vineyard, Sonoma County
This is a medium-bodied Rhône-style blend of 64 percent Grenache Blanc and the remainder Marsanne, made from certified organic grapes sourced from the Preston Vineyard, at the far end of Dry Creek Valley. The Dry Creek Valley AVA is about 25 miles north of the Russian River Valley AVA.
UC-Davis grad and veteran winemaker Charlie Gilmore started Cormorant Cellars in 2018 and first made this blend in 2021, using low-intervention methods (ambient yeast; no filter or fining) that allow the fruit to shine and sing. Made with an old-school, Old World sensibility, the wine is co-fermented in a combination of seven-year-old and once-used barrels.
Offering more subtlety than showiness, this wine still exudes a unique character: think tart green and yellow fruits from the orchard – think cherry and plum – with dashes of cooked Meyer lemon, quince, and a savory herbal undertone.
“I’ve always held quite a liking for the whites from the Rhône Valley. They intrigued me with their structure and mouthfeel. With this blend of Grenache Blanc/Marsanne, my objective was to craft a wine that balanced good structure with a bright freshness,” said Gilmore. He went on to note that while Grenache Blanc has the potential to exhibit a heavy or bitter mouthfeel, harvesting the fruit at the right moment was crucial. In this case, he appears to have nailed it.
The label features pacific crested cormorants, coastal birds that Gilmore and his father spent countless hours observing during family excursions to the Monterey coast during his childhood. The wine retails at $27, with 205 cases produced.
But why stop at merely recommending this wine? Let’s ramp up this recommendation by suggesting a “pairing of the month.” I paired it with a roasted sweet corn risotto with shrimp, paired with steamed asparagus on the side. Given an evening that almost assures that spring is nigh but still carries a crisp chill that calls for a hearty meal, I could not have chosen a more fitting pair.
Sweet corn risotto with shrimp is an excellent match with this Rhone-style wine from Cormorant.
How to make:
· Make your favorite risotto recipe, browning the pot with both garlic and shallots.
· More shallots in either a roasting pan or a cast-iron skillet with olive oil and corn kernels (frozen is OK when fresh corn is out of season); roast until the kernel brown slightly, but before they’re crunchy.
Prepare shrimp as you prefer: in this case, the shrimp were sauteed in white wine and garlic, but you also have the option to pan roast them with corn.
Steam asparagus, finish with a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon and serve as a side dish. Alternatively, here’s a recipe you can modify from wyseguide.com.
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