Quick Sip: Borra Vineyards 2013 Artist Series Kerner-Based blend
Today’s Quick Sip is Borra Vineyards' 2013 Artist Series Kerner-Based blend. Borra Vineyards was founded by Steve Borra in 1975 and is Lodi’s first bonded boutique winery. Winemaking duties are handled by Markus Niggli who is a native of Switzerland. Markus does an exceptional job highlighting Lodi's brighter and lighter side in the bottle while still maintaining good levels of ripe fruit flavors. The fruit for this blend was sourced from Mokelumne Glen Vineyards and grown along the banks of the cooling Mokelumne River. This small, family-owned Lodi vineyard specializes in German and Austrian grape varieties. My introduction to lesser-known German grapes, Kerner and Bacchus, which make up this blend along with the ever-popular Riesling variety, was through Borra Vineyards. To date, the Lodi appellation is the sole source of Kerner and Bacchus in California.
Markus employs a non-interventionist approach to winemaking and is crafting some of the most interesting and table-friendly wines I have had from the area. In addition to this blend, I recommend trying Borra’s Intuition Field Blend White -- a blend composed of 60% Kerner, 20% Riesling, and 20% Gewürztraminer. It is a personal favorite of mine from this producer’s portfolio. For further information and where you can find these wines, please see my tasting notes below.
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| Borra Vineyards 2013 Artist Series Kerner-Based blend |
Review: Borra Vineyards Artist Series 2013 Kerner Blend (SRP 18.99): This is a light and refreshing blend of 50% Kerner, 25% Riesling, and 25% Bacchus. The wine delivers aromas and flavors of grapefruit, green apple, and lime with a lively backdrop of bright acidity that carries though the crisp, mineral-tinged finish. This is a nice wine to pair with seafood (especially shellfish), grilled chicken salads, or before-dinner appetizers. It is also perfect for everyday enjoyment on its own. Only 42 cases of this wine were produced. Region: Lodi, California. (Other info: ABV 13.5%, 100% stainless, native fermentation, screw cap enclosure.) 89 Points. Click here to find this wine.
Have a question about this post? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. Stay tuned ...more to come. Happy Sipping, my friends! Disclosure: This wine was provided for review. Thoughts are my own.
