Tag Archives: New Jersey

Heritage Winery tasting, Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey

26 Sunday Jun 2022

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My buddy Keef and I stopped in at this New Jersey winery to sample the wares.  We tasted the five Reserve offerings they had plus a bottle of their Norman’s Vineyard Cabernet Franc.  I was impressed by what I tasted.  The Chenin Blanc was spectacular- rich flavors, great mouthfeel and varietally correct.  The NJ twist on Sauvignon Blanc was another delicious wine that had telltale cut grass amongst other yummy flavors.  The rosé, a blend of 4 red grapes was very interesting and worth a re-taste.  I was not a huge fan of the two reds we were served until it came time for the Cabernet Franc.  Delicious- with dark/blue fruit, green pepper, medium (+) tannins, low acidity and good length.  Worthy of the $48 price point?  Not sure but it was a fun day out which makes the whole thing worthwhile.  If you are in South Jersey this is a definite detour to plan on.  Salut….

Amalthea Cellars Legends Edition Europa I 2019, Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey

22 Wednesday Jun 2022

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We visited this winery a year ago and had a great time.  Part of the visit was spent on the patio sipping Sur Lie Chardonanny and talking to one of the wine makers, he was kind enough to give us a sampling of this Bordeaux blend (75% Cab Sav, 20% Merlot and 5% Cab Franc).  In the glass it is medium ruby and possibly unfiltered?  The nose gives me green pepper, blackberry, licorice, pencil shavings, blueberry pie, black plum  and some charred wood.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins.  Flavors of blackberry, blueberry and plum dominate but the licorice and charred wood do come through.  The green pepper and pencil shavings are nowhere to be found.  The wine is medium bodied and has a slightly tart, medium length finish that I am enjoying.  This is a decent wine that gets 88 points from me.  Drink till 2026 with burgers, filet or roast duck.  At $35 per bottle it is a 3 star wine in my books.  Salut….

Amalthea Cellars Tour 2021

01 Sunday Aug 2021

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Back in 2018 my cousin Sharma brought over two bottles of local New Jersey wine.  I was a touch skeptical but once I tried the Amalthea Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, I was convinced that the state could produce great wine.  This past weekend we took a trip over the river and went tasting.  All in all there were 17 wines to sample- 5 white wines, 5 reds, 6 Off-dry and one draft wine meant for early consumption.  We thoroughly enjoyed our tasting and then sat on the patio with two of our favorite offerings, a Chardonnay that has been aged Sur Lie, and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

It should be noted that they make two different labelled wines- one from out-of-state fruit, the other sourced locally which carries the namesake.  I made brief comments on the tasting sheet but was really there to enjoy the moment and not get too technical.  Some of the offerings were from varietals that I had never tried before, like Rayon d’Or.  Other, more regular varietals were on tap and showed a wide range of winemaking style and expertise to produce some really delicious wines, some of whom could cellar quite nicely.

If you’re ever in the South/mid New Jersey area and are looking for a fun afternoon of wine tasting, seek them out.  We had a blast and brought home some goodies!  Salut….

Amalthea Cellars Reserve Merlot 2015, Outer Coastal Plain, USA

22 Monday Oct 2018

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This is the second bottle of Amalthea that my cousin brought over.  Bluish purple with nice legs showing in the glass.  The nose has plum, blueberry and filberts.  The palate has rich blue fruits, juicy acidity, nice tannins from the outset and a hint of that nuttiness I caught on the nose.  The wine transitions nicely to the mid-palate and finish where the tannins really grip.  More blueberries, black tea and a mineral note close it out.  The wine is very balanced with really well crafted tannins that give a nice level of dryness without astringency.  This is a much smoother wine than the Cabernet, which can be expected with the varietals.  It paired nicely with my Tri-Tip roast, Yorkshire pudding and roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2024.  91 points and 5 stars for this $21 effort.  Of note- both wines have had freezing issues which does not harm the wine, only crystalizing some sediment in the glass.  Salut….

Crystals from freezing

Tri Tip Roast

 

Amalthea Cellars Clone II Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Outer Coastal Plain NJ, USA

18 Thursday Oct 2018

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A gift from my cousin (we’ll call him Sharma).  Dark purple, very opaque.  The nose is intriguing.  Plums, charcoal, crushed rock, a certain minerality.  The palate is delicious with a toasty oak note opening it up, followed by grilled plum, black olive, bacon and delightful tannins.  The flavors carry through to the end where the astringency of the tannins hit.  There is a nice mouthfeel throughout and the acidity is very well balanced.  The greenness of the back end gives me a check.  I’ll get over it, I’m sure.  Overall a delicious New Jersey Cabernet worthy of 91 points which gets 4 stars from me for the $25 price tag.  It’s getting a pairing of Strip steaks with Balsamic reduction.  Drink till 2021.  Salut….