FLO Sips and Sounds Event

There have been a lot of recent celebrity additions to the wine world from all backgrounds; sports, acting, music etc. The common theme there is none of those backgrounds involve something rather important in the wine industry and that would be WINE! Whether its Brad and Angelina buying a wine estate in Provence or former NFL Coach Dick Vermeil launching his own line of wines, celebrities have taken notice of the industry and are likely here to stay. Some stay out of the way of their wine makers and produce great wines, Coppola comes right to mind. Whereas I would steer you clear of many others, the NASCAR owner Richard Childress and his NC wine venture would be a good example of that. So needless to say, I am skeptical when I learn of new non-wine folks jumping into the wine world. When I received the invitation to the FLO Sips and Sounds event showcasing the music and wine of DC native and Jazz Musician, Marcus Johnson, my skeptic nature again prevailed. But upon speaking with Marcus, learning more about his approach to wine and more importantly trying his Chardonnay and Red Blend, the skeptic in me was put to rest, and rightfully so.

FLO is an acronym meaning for the love of, and this is Johnson’s approach to wine, music and life- do what you love and enjoy your life, make it an experience. Johnson wants fun, approachable and enjoyable wines that please a variety of palates at affordable prices. With that charge in mind, Johnson sets his St. Helena, CA based wine maker to work and the resulting bottlings achieve precisely what Johnson wants.

The 2011 FLO Chardonnay is 100% Chardonnay from Monterey. Note, the previous vintage, which was made at Tararra winery in Loudon County, include small amounts of Viognier. The 2011 is made in a classic California style meaning very fruit forward with oak. It is aged in stainless steel and the oak comes from the addition of oak chips as opposed to aged in oak barrels. This relatively light usage of oak and small percentage (25%) of malolactic fermentation allows for the natural fruit flavors to come through. I got the oak and some granny smith apple on the nose and some up front tart apple and citrus on the palate with a touch of floral and a little stone fruit. It showed nice balance with a medium body and light acidity that worked nicely with its 13% alcohol by volume. This is a what you see is what you get kind of wine, meaning everything is up front and you don’t have a lot of layers to sort through on the finish of the wine. It would go excellent with barbequed chicken, sharp cheddar or creamy brie. It’s a very nice, easy drinking and enjoyable Chardonnay and it becomes even more attractive with its $10.99 price tag.

The Chardonnay was a classic California style and is contrasted nicely by the FLO Red Blend. The Red stylistically bucks many California norms, and presents as a young, expressive and vibrant red wine. While it did have the youthful “tightness” of a wine with good structure that should age well for several years, its fruit was more subtle and delicate in an almost old world style. The blend of merlot, cabernet and petite sirah balances nicely with equal parts fruit, tannin and spice. The nose showed nice cooking spice from its time in oak and was complimented nicely by some black cherry. Those expressive aromas turned into similar flavors on the palate with some blackberry and chocolate, especially on its smooth, long finish. The tannin combined with the 13.5% alcohol gives it some intensity, but doesn’t overpower the fruit and spice notes. Again, at $10.99, this is a great buy and would be an excellent party wine that would please almost any palate and could be pared with anything from Mexican to Asian flavors.

photo credit: www.jazztonic.com

With extremely wallet friendly price tags and a national distribution, FLO wines are more than approachable. Both the Chardonnay and the Red are well made, fruit forward and flavorful with nothing off or unbalanced about them. I enjoyed both, and could easily see the fun that Johnson has with, and emphasizes in, these wines. They are lifestyle wines; creative in a bit of an improvisational style similar to Johnson’s outstanding jazz, which he was kind enough to showcase with his wines at H Street’s, The Elroy. Get a bottle of each, put on your favorite music and enjoy – that’s what Johnson would like you to do, and these wines make it incredibly easy to do so!

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