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The Slice Skin Contact White Wine 2023 is a $12 Trader Joe’s wine produced for them by Bozzano & Co. headquartered in the San Luis Obispo AVA of California’s Central Coast. This is a White wine blend with 24% Chenin Blanc, 18% Pinot Gris, 12% Colombard, 9% Xarel.lo, 8% Verdelho, 6% Vermentino, 3% Gewurztraminer, 3% Semillion, 3% Trousseau Gris, 2% Riesling, and 2% Malvasia Bianco. A very unique blend and most importantly this is an Orange Wine.
Orange Wine is a White wine with extended grape skin contact. In a typical White wine, the grape skins are removed from the juice shortly after the grapes are pressed.
Red Wine leaves the grape skins with the pressed juice for varying lengths, which is why it has that rich color. Also, chemicals in the grape skins (such as tannins and flavor compounds) leach into the juice. A White Wine does not have these compounds since the skins are removed early.
A Rosé wine has grape skin contact for a short period, just long enough to get the pink color, and Rosé wine does not contain the compounds derived from skin contact as found in Red Wine.
An Orange wine has skin contact with the pressed juice for weeks to months. With the Slice Skin Contact White Wine 2023, the skins are left with the juice for a minimum of 30 days. That makes this a White Wine with chemical compounds only found in Red wine, which should greatly affect the flavor.
The grape blend for the Slice Skin Contact White Wine 2023 is different enough that you don’t get a sense of how this blend will taste and the major differences it has from typical White wines we are entering an uncharted tasting area. The alcohol content is 11.9% and the grapes are sourced from the Central Coast AVA.
The Slice Skin Contact White Wine 2023 Tasting Notes
The color is between orange and copper. The nose is herbal, it smells more like a Pinot Noir than a White wine, it has autumn leaves and exotic spice, and I am having a hard time picking out citrus and fruit aromas, this wine is messing with my expectations. The Slice Skin Contact White Wine 2023 again has a mouthfeel more reminiscent of Pinot Noir and a soft, but unfamiliar flavor profile.
This Orange Wine tastes like green apple and grapefruit, bruised peach, tropical fruit, lime, and dried pear pieces. It tastes unfamiliar and I am having problems identifying all the flavors and sensations in this wine. I like how it tastes, but I think it will take some time to fully understand it.
The Summary
- The Slice Skin Contact White Wine 2023 is a wine any wine enthusiast should try.
- The $12 price hits the spot for taking a chance on something new.
- It is a wine that sips well, it just challenges my wine vocabulary.
