TN: Tercero BerserkerDay Whites

TERCERO BERSERKERDAY WHITES - (2/5/2016-2/10/2016)

Have tasted two of Larry’s whites since receiving them and enjoyed both.

  • 2013 Tercero Grenache Blanc Camp 4 Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (2/5/2016)
    A wonderful Grenache Blanc. Notes of Meyer lemons with a hint of stone fruit (peaches/apricots). More flavor and mouthfeel than most wines from this variety. (92 pts.)
  • 2013 Tercero Roussanne Camp 4 Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (2/9/2016)
    Another great white from Larry Schafer. Notes of stone fruit (apricots mostly) on the palate with hints of lemon. Fuller bodied than many whites. (92 pts.)

Like both of these equally and they are similar. The Grenache Blanc has stronger lemon notes on the palate, while the Roussanne has stronger stone fruit notes.
Posted from CellarTracker

I opened the GB and liked it quite a bit. The viognier was good, but quite different than most viognier I’ve had. Definitely more bracing, which is good, but lacking the apricot and peach aromas/flavors I like about viognier.

Ron,

I am not a huge fan of most domestic viogniers for I find them ‘over the top’ aromatically and too flabby, lacking in acid and often overtly sweet.

I pick my viognier based on pH, trying to maintain higher acid levels to try to make the wine more ‘food friendly’. Some years, this dictates that I will pick riper than others, and the opposite may be true.

In 2013, I picked these grapes at about 22 brix, leading to a viognier that is about 13.1% alcohol. I ferment and age in older FR oak barrels (6+ years old) and therefore won’t achieve that initial ‘richness’ that many often associate with the variety.

I also find that viognier often acts like a red wine, needing more time in bottle to come around. To me, this 13 is still a somewhat ‘backwards’ wine and I find myself decanting it from time to time to open it up and allow for those stone fruit and floral aromas to emerge. If you have any left, try it on Day 2 - I find it to show a lot more then. Also, try it closer to room temperature.

Cheers!

The Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, in that order, are my favorite Tercero whites (and two of my favorite California whites period). But all Larry’s whites are great in different ways, and all such amazing value for the dollar.

The Grenache Blanc is one of those wines that will impress civilians and wine geeks equally, and is food friendly but great on its own as well. Kind of like good Loire chenin in those respects. Combine that with the price and availability, and it’s a winner for one of your “house whites.”

I’m a big fan of the Outlier, Larry’s gewurtz also.

How long would you recommend cellaring the viognier?

Thanks Larry – I agree with your first point completely. Anytime I pour a viognier, I’m prepared to be disappointed by a flabby, oily mess. Yours did not do any of that, which I love. I will give the next bottle a bit more time in the bottle and, when I do open it, exposed to some air to let some of the varietal nuances I’d expect from viognier blossom. I like where you are going with your style and wish more viogniers could have the nice aromatics without the textural mess that so many exhibit. Glad to have bought your wines!

That’s a great question. I can’t give you a definite answer because I’m not sure what you are looking for out of this wine. What I can tell you is that it is ‘progressing’ nicely - I was opening a bottle every two weeks for a few months, checking in on it’s status. I began releasing the wines about a month ago when I began to see some of the floral and stone fruit aromas peeking out. I do believe it will benefit with more time in bottle - but if I didn’t think it was drinking well now as well, I would not have released it :slight_smile:

Cheers!

Bob,

Just a quick correction - the roussanne is actually 2/3 from Zaca Mesa and 1/3 from Camp 4.

Cheers!

The Verbiage Blanc is also excellent - my wife anointed it her favorite white wine last year.