Muscat Love

This weekend, the weather finally showed some signs of summer.  So on a Monday night, when I was in the mood for something cool and white, I popped open the James David Cellars Muscat Blanc.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, Muscat?  On a hot day?  Too sweet!  Too sticky!  WRONG!  This is a dry muscat, with low residual sugars.

The muscat grape is a Vitus Vinifera variety, and is often grown for wine as well as table grapes.  Often times, you will see it as Sweet Muscat, or Muscat Canelli, which is a lovely sweet wine, and I like to pour it over my fruit salad for a summer dessert. This muscat, the Musact Blanc varietal, is often used for wine in Asti, Beaumes-de-Venise and some Tokaji.  Here, James David makes a full bodied and refreshing white wine that is a great alternative to Chardonnay in the warmer weather or for white wine lovers.

On the nose, I found sawdust, sandlewood, vanilla and a touch of petrol.  Upon the first sip, I immediately tasted preserved lemons with a slight flavor of pine sap.  I want to say it tasted like Amber, but I’m not sure you would ever eat amber!  After a few more sips, I tasted almonds, fresh cream and lychee, with lots of grapefruit and stone fruit flavors.

I really enjoyed this as a white alternative, and I hope other vintners will follow suit with this great grape!

This wine retails for $18, is is available directly from the winery website.