Winery: Miramonte Winery
Product/Varietal: Verdelho
Vintage: 2018
AVA on Bottle: Temecula Valley
Winemaker: Reinhard Schlassa
Rating: 88
How They Describe It
What We Taste
Kiwi | green apple | white pepper | butterscotch | fresh pine | peanut brittle | key lime pie
How We Serve
Nice and cool at around 45 degrees. That’s roughly 40 minutes in your refrigerator. If anything, this particular white is nicer on the chilled side.
How I Describe It
Appearance
Miramonte Winery’s 2018 Verdelho is a very pale lemon yellow, with ever-so-subtle hints of green.
Nose
Scents of lemon and green apple are most abundant. Elements of floral blossom, as well as a little pineapple and nectarine round it out.
Palate
Interestingly, green apple was the only flavor I detected which aligns with Miramonte’s description. The wine’s tartness is reminiscent of taking a bite into a Granny Smith apple, combined with honeysuckle, lemon, and pineapple.
This is a dry wine with medium-plus acid. At 13.5% ABV, the 2018 Verdelho has medium alcohol. Its fruit flavors provide a pleasant medium intensity with not-to-long medium finish.
Why is This Wine Special?
The Miramonte 2018 Verdelho is a fairly straightforward wine, which is crisp and easy to drink. Interestingly, Verdelho grapes originate in Portugal, and were traditionally used in Madeira (a sweet fortified white wine, especially popular in the 18th century).
I’ve written extensively on my admiration for estate wines. While Miramonte does produce its own grapes, the vineyards aren’t quite as large as other Temecula wineries. That’s not a bad thing, as wineries which produce only estate wines require their owners to be particularly wealthy. Instead, Miramonte Winery sources much of its Verdelho from local grape growers — who only focus on growing outstanding grapes.
Miramonte Winery, the destination, was founded in 2001, making it one of the older wineries in Temecula. (Personally, that speaks to how far and how fast the Temecula Valley AVA has come.) It stood out at the time for being the first Temecula winery to regularly feature local live entertainment. Today, it’s a staple at nearly every tasting room — especially on weekends.
When & How I Would Drink It
Miramonte Winery’s 2018 Verdelho seems purpose-made for warm, sunny days. It’s ideal as a poolside beverage.
Pair this wine with rich or salty foods. The Verdelho works as well with grilled chicken slathered in barbecue sauce as it does with potato chips.
Importantly, as refreshing as the 2018 Verdelho is, avoid pairing with overly sweet foods. While fruit-forward, the wine’s dryness mixes far better with salt than with sugar.
How to Get It
Order Online: https://www.miramontewinery.com/collections/white-wines/products/2018-verdelho?variant=30089161080916
Bottle Price: $32 ($25.60 for wine club members)
Cases Produced: unknown
Have you tried the Miramonte 2018 Verdelho? How did the tasting notes compare with your experience? Leave a comment below.