Palmer Vineyards 2007 Select Reserve White Table Wine

It's true what they say. Sometimes the sum really is greater than the parts.

That is certainly the case with the latest release from Palmer Vineyards, a white blend that Spanish-born winemaker Miguel Martin has named "Select Reserve."

Retailing for around $25, Palmer Vineyards' 2007 Select Reserve is a blend of 45% chardonnay, 35% pinot blanc, 18% sauvignon blanc and 2% Gewürztraminer. Sometimes, when you taste blends like these, you taste each component grape in a distinct way... almost like tasting each in succession.

This wine isn't like that. Sure, you can assume that the chardonnay is responsible for the ripe pear aromas and flavors. And it's likely that the sweet herbs on the palate come from the sauvignon blanc and the floral notes are the result of that squirt of Gewürztraminer. But there's a oneness to this wine that raises the individual pieces to create a greater whole. Each grape seems to always be there throughout, but each also stepping up at different times along the way.

Pale straw yellow, this nuanced blend has a nose redolent of honeydew melon, pears, and honeysuckle with faint hints of hay and citrus zest emerging as it warms a bit.  In the mouth, the flavors closely match those aromas with the addition of sweet herbs and subtle tropical fruit flavors that remind me a guava but aren't quite. It's medium bodied with a juicy burst up front and an almost-oily, glycerine mouthfeel on the mid-palate and finish, which lingers just a bit and ends on a floral spice note.

There is just enough acidity here, but more would really lift this wine significantly. Still, this is an impressive first vintage for this wine. It paired well with cumin-mustard glaze pork chops.

White blends have been very successful for other wineries, so it makes a lot of sense that Palmer is joining that fray. I expect to see more wineries doing it going forward.

Grape(s): 45% chardonnay, 35% pinot blanc, 18% sauvignon blanc and 2% Gewürztraminer
Producer: Palmer Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $25
Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended)  (Ratings Guide)