Bitter and dry, especially on the finish. Has some drive and verve, but seems to lack a bit of concentration. Some quince and pear notes. A "typical" Gruner? ...just not too interesting to me. QPR…
Same as my notes from two weeks ago. Normally I like my Chardonnays served at a cooler cellar temperature (54 degrees), but I actually appreciated that this was served a little cooler than that this…
Same as my previous notes. Not as much tropical nuances and a bit more grass and steel this time (which made it less NZ-esque in its delivery - which I was ok with - but it didn't necessarily elevate…
Like many low-end NZ Sauvignon Blancs, this gets lost in the shuffle amongst the population of others in its category. Pushes out some pleasant grass, subtle tropical citrus, and pithy pear notes,…
Similar to all of my other notes. I'm preferring this wine colder than other Chardonnays (somewhere between cellar and refrigerator temps). I usually prefer Chardonnays at around 54 degrees, but the…
A nice pairing throughout the various courses at dinner. Light bodied but still able to push out some subtle savory notes. Lemon verbena, grass, and some stone/flint. Never overpowered the dishes,…
It was simple. It was fine. It served its purpose with some extraordinary fare from Madrona Manor in Healdsburg. Light bodied and fairly crisp. Nothing to object to. Nothing to be drawn to.
I remember this being a "fine" Chardonnay, but in comparison to the other Chardonnays we had throughout the day at Lynmar and Wren Hop, this got lost in the shuffle by the end of the day. I recall…
A very fine example of a Wente Clone Chardonnay, displaying a nice tension between lemon curd and creme brûlée richness and yellow citrus acidity. Some stone fruit and green fruit (apple, pear)…
Though I remember liking this wine ok, I honestly can't remember it in comparison to the others in the tasting. Like other CT notes have mentioned, it was more medium-bodied than the others, which…
The wine in the lineup I would certainly seek out again was this 2012 Old Wente Chardonnay. Offered up a generous balance of lemon and yellow citrus, vanilla, and plain popcorn, along with just the…
Like the Covenant, the Susanna's had some Burgundian characteristics that made for a more lithe experience overall. Still decent flavors and mineral notes, but I was drawn more to the Old Wente and…
Offered up more minerality than the other Chardonnays, making it seem more Burgundian in style than its siblings. Threw off some Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc characteristics that were a little…
#2 - Second of two bottles of this wine poured: This was a PnP version (the other first version had been opened for 24 hours - tasted side-by-side for for comparison).
Lees, lees, lees! Tart and pithy, with hits of stale lemon, dry grass, alkaline, chalk, pumice, and alcohol. Any real semblance of fruit was instantly hammered by bitter lemon seed and sourdough…
Same as my previous notes from 9/26/16, except it has lost some vibrancy and verve that would have otherwise made for some welcomed tension among the flavors. It felt a little flat on the back end.…
The nose hints at strong tropical fruit and grassy notes. On the palate, alkaline/metallic and dry grass flavors dominate, with some yellow citrus bringing up the rear. A somewhat bitter and…
Slices a nice divide between sweet and dry. Good concentration without being heavy or cloying; light on its feet without seeming thin or weak. Finishes more sweet than dry.
Picked up this wine on sale at <$20. Well worth the price of admission. A really nice interplay of a touch sweet and a touch dry. Excellent food-pairing wine. As it warmed up in the glass, the…
An exquisitely balanced Chardonnay that represents the finesse that can actually come out of a well crafted domestic Chardonnay. This carried some upfront citrus fruit, lemon curd, and subtle vanilla…
Round and soft, especially for a Viognier-based white. It completely lacked the acidic citrus, grass, and/or steely mineral cut desired from this varietal to make it more palatable and interesting.…
Oak, butter, oak, butter, oak, butter, and a hint of oak. The back end was speckled with flecks of oak and butter. Hints of vanilla and butter contrasted with a slight hit of oak and butter. An…
The failure here was that it was served at room temperature. This needed to be at least 15+ degrees cooler. As fair as I can be with this wine (temperature aside), this was an ok white blend. The…
I very much enjoyed this wine, even more so than Denner's reds. Nicely balanced, with acid and frame in wonderful check. Lemon citrus, minerality, lycee, white peach, and some pumice.
