Varietal: Blended White Wine (Chardonnay, Viognier, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc)
Region: California – Rutherford
Cost: $17
Winemaker’s Notes: Floral bouquet on the nose with a dominance of honeysuckle. Honey, herbs, and floral notes on the palate. Pairs well with swordfish, chicken, and cheese & crackers.
My Review: So, in case you don’t remember, I had some Conundrum back in October when I attended a media dinner at Fleming’s Steakhouse. Because I enjoyed it so much, when I came across it at my local Costco while doing some shopping, I couldn’t resist grabbing a bottle of it. I should have grabbed more.
After a terrible experience with the Lucky Duck Sauvignon Blanc, my wife and I wanted something good to pair with a dinner of broiled herb chicken and butter noodles. The 2009 Conundrum was a great pairing. While the winemaker’s keep the exact blend a secret, it’s easy to pick out the notes of Viognier, Chardonnay, Muscat, and Sauvignon Blanc, even if you can’t guess at the actual percentages.
Being a Virginia resident I get to drink a lot of Viognier, and because of that I appreciate the floral notes it brings to a white wine, and the 2009 Conundrum was no exception to that. The floral, slightly sweet honey flavors and aromas were a great pairing with the seasoning I placed on the chicken, and made the wine great to drink after the food was gone.
The Chardonnay in the blend brings just enough body to the wine to help it hold up against more robust dishes, without making it so heavy that it will overwhelm the lighter ones. It may actually be the perfect wine blend, and one I plan to buy several more bottles of the next time I’m at the store.
If you can’t find the 2009 Conundrum at your local store, then you can follow this link and have it shipped directly to you. This is definitely a wine I recommend and was a welcome recovery from a bad bottle of wine.
