I Have a Conundrum
2006 Conundrum California White Table Wine $20
My conundrum is, I don't know how many cases of this wine to get. One? Or two? It's that good.
A little secret...this wine says bottled by Conundrum Wines but it was originally developed by Caymus Vineyards, one of California's quintessential cult wine producers. Basically, these folks know wine and Conundrum is a testimony to that.
Caymus started producing Conundrum in 1989 and has since earned a very high standing among critics and wine lovers alike.
This wine is a unique proprietary blend combining several varietals to make a dramatically different white wine blend. It's a conundrum in and of itself.
Three grape varietals were chosen as the key components used to make up this wine; Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Muscat Canelli for it's very fragrant tropical characters. Semillon and Viognier are also added in smaller quantities to give this wine a little bit of a spice character. All blend percentages are kept on the down low and change slightly every year just to keep everyone guessing.
The winemaking processes are no less than impressive keeping with the wineries tradition of high quality. I mean what did you expect.
Each varietal is crushed and vinified separately, some of the wines are fermented in barrels and others in stainless steel. Aging of the wines also varies from tanks to seeing wood in French and American oak. The differences in technique develop the unique character of each wine before making the final blend. No empirical winemaking is practiced here and I LOVE that!
As a result, a wine that appeals to both white and red drinkers is produced. Now that's another conundrum if you ask me.
What immediately jumps out when tasting this wine are the aromas of white peach, apricot nectar and honeysuckle in overwhelming proportions. This leads to layers of tropical melon, pear and hints of vanilla on the palate. The wine is highly structured with a noticeable finish making it similar to drinking a red wine, as strange as that sounds.
I can't imagine a better wine to try on a nice warm day.
Obviously for a white wine it is not cheap. However, I feel with the complexity, flavor profile and high-standard winemaking practices it is a fair price.
This wine is available everywhere. I bought it at Costco but I see it in all the stores. So please give it a chance, I think you'll like it.
So, does anyone have an interesting conundrum they drank last night? Anyone, anyone?
I wish. I had coffee last night. This sounds really good though. Thanks for the heads up.
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I drank milk last night. But this sounds good and I actually like blends. I tried a chard/sauvignon blanc/semillion that I quite like at our local seafood place. I could never find it in real life though.
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Thanks for posting this, I am always looking to try new wines that my "friends" recommend!!!
Last night was a Vodka Seven night...
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I didn't drink anything good last night, but I had to post that my husband and I had Caymus Conundrum a few years ago for the first time and it instantly became one of our favorite white wines, which is funny since we are mostly red wine drinkers.
I believe I have a bottle of this in my house right now. I'm just waiting for the weather to get warmer so I can enjoy it properly!
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"i can't imagine a better wine to try on a nice warm day."
yes, i'll let you know when we get one of those...
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I had a big cup of ice water last night; Mother Natures Milk. But the wine sounds great! I am still hard at work acquiring the taste for wine, so hang in there with me. As always this has been an eye opening experience! I LOVE it.
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I love Conundrum! I love a glass by the pool in the summer. Mmmm... Also, I find it very sushi-friendly.
I had McWilliams Shiraz last night.
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If it is that big of a dilemma--one case or two--satisfy both urges and get three! It looks delicious, and I can't wait til it's nice enough in Seattle to have a refreshing glass (it's still so cold we're still in chowder, hearty red wine and comfort food mode).
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I MUST share this with my husband... This is his favorite word... even though we are red wine people, I'll still share it...
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Oh my, I think I must have a bottle of that. Maybe even a case.
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Oh! I had the last glass from a precious bottle of Rombauer chardonnay, which is quite possibly my favorite wine of all time. Yum.
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MMMM California wine! I love it! I will see if my mom can pick up a bottle of this for me!
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I love conundrums...but last night I had a bellyfull of Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip heaven.
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Sounds like you enjoy it as much as I do. It is a staple in my fridge in the summer... My husband however think it has to sweet floral notes and fruit. I love it because it is so different, and definitely a crowd pleaser.
Cheers,
Victoria
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Sounds like a wine that would be great down here heavily chilled! I will have to check to see if I can get ahold of a bottle. Nice review!
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Surely, if it's so good, you buy three cases!
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Wonderful review! I definitely don't know that much about wine, but I know I loved it! I also really enjoyed the half-bottle screw top that we had at the restaurant - a nice convenient touch!
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