I recently stopped by my friend’s wine shop, Bacchus and Venus, to taste the 2005 Truchard Roussanne Carneros Napa Valley Botrytis dessert wine. This wine was made from grapes that were allowed to hang on the vine until late in the season. The conditions were ideal for the development of botrytis cynera, a mold that causes the grapes to dehydrate and become incredibly sweet.
I really liked this wine. It had flavors of honey and pears. The wine was sweet, but not overpowering. I can image it with a beautiful Roquefort cheese or a nice bleu such as Roaring 40′s.
While I was there, I also tasted the 2005 Elysium California Black Muscat wine. It was really nice – flavors of honey with an aroma of roses and a magenta color. I can envision serving this wine with a dense flourless chocolate cake or with a lovely bleu cheese such as Fourme d’Ambert.
Dessert wines put the finishing touches on a great meal. People always seem to enjoy them.