Carol Shelton Coquille Blanc 2016
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Complex, with ripe Bartlett pear, honeycomb, dried honeysuckle and fennel notes on a succulent body, showing a vibrant, juicy streak of acidity. The spicy, intricate finish reveals dried mango and candied ginger elements. Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier and Marsanne.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: There is a growing trend among wine professionals and consumers alike that blended wines (red, white, or pink) could be better than wines of predominate grape varieties. The 2016 Carol Shelton Coquille Blanc—a Rhône-styled white blend—is quite delectable. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and almost exotic. Its aromas and flavors of tart citrus, chalk, and white pepper make it a nice choice with a savory chicken stew over fragrant Thai rice. (Tasted: August 20, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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In 2000 Carol and her husband Mitch Mackenzie, a former software engineer, launched their own brand – Carol Shelton Wines. Faced with the opportunity to create her own identity and focus on whatever varietals she wanted, Carol chose Zinfandel.
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.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.