Jeff Cohn Cellars The First Date 2014
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 52% Roussanne, 46% Grenache Blanc and 2% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Readers who love Rhone whites need to grab a few bottles of the 2014 The First Date, which reminds me of a great vintage of Beaucastel's Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc! Made from 52% Roussanne, 46% Grenache Blanc and 2% Viognier, its light gold color is followed by awesome notes of buttered citrus, white flowers, peach and crushed rock-like minerality. Pure, full-bodied, beautifully textured and layered, it has a core of sweet fruit, integrated acidity and a great finish. It's a blockbuster white readers shouldn't miss.
Other Vintages
2012-
Robert
Parker
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Wine
Spectator
All JC Cellars wines are fermented in open top fermenting vessels that range in size from a half ton to eight tons, where each bin is hand punched down five times per day. This time-consuming procedure allows maximum exposure of skins to juice, intensifying the flavor of the fruit while handling it as gently as possible.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
Responsible for the vast majority of American wine production, if California were a country, it would be the world’s fourth largest wine-producing nation. The state’s diverse terrain and microclimates allow for an incredible range of red wine styles, and unlike tradition-bound Europe, experimentation is more than welcome here. California wineries range from tiny, family-owned boutiques to massive corporations, and price and production are equally varied. Plenty of inexpensive bulk wine is made in the Central Valley area, while Napa Valley is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious and expensive “cult” wines.
Each American Viticultural Area (AVA) and sub-AVA of has its own distinct personality, allowing California to produce red wine of every fashion: from bone dry to unctuously sweet, still to sparkling, light and fresh to rich and full-bodied. In the Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate vineyard acreage. Sonoma County is best known for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rosé and Zinfandel. The Central Coast has carved out a niche with Rhône Blends based on Grenache and Syrah, while Mendocino has found success with cool climate varieties such as Pinot noir, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. With all the diversity that California wine has to offer, any wine lover will find something to get excited about here.