Two new wines I had the fortune of trying for the first time last week, just as they were making their way to the stores.

The first was the new Dalliance white, from Lake County. Honestly, I am not always a fan of white blends from too many parts of the world, excepting, perhaps, the Rhone Valley.

Often, they either put oak on varietals that should not be anywhere near a barrel, or they blend low quality with a touch of residual to get it gone. Not that this is what I expect from Clay Shannon, but I was excepting a soft, slightly off-dry white blend niche wine. What I tasted is nothing like that at all.

The blend contains 60% Viognier and the wine benefits from the floral character that Viognier can deliver. It is fresh and crisp, with wonderful fruit, pleasant acidity and nice balance. A wonderful picnic wine, but also something to sip while the sun is up and the grill is going. I was very surprised!

The second wine, tasted not long after the


Dalliance white, was the new BLOCK 627 Cabernet 2010 from Yountville. Yountville is a quaint village in the heart of Napa, and also an A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area) in Napa, where a small number of wineries, including Dominus, make their home.

The Block 627 delivers the purity and focus of Napa’s top Cabernets at so much less money. Slightly dusty and well-balanced, with nicely integrated oak. It is the proverbial ‘steel fist in a silk glove’ and is a fine example of the quality from this A.V.A. The first BLOCK wine we introduced was the 2002
Cabernet from the Stag;s Leap District A.V.A. and was simply delicious….we have done many fine wines since, but this new Block 627 is my favorite since we began. Get it before it is gone!

Shayne Hebert, Central Florida wine supervisor

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