Posts Tagged california

I’ve been coming back again to Chardonnay, particularly from California lately. I think it’s for two reasons. One, the quality has improved and also the style has changed quiet a bit. We’ve moved from over-oaked flabby wines to steely, piercing wines, and now are starting to settle somewhere in the middle. I’m finding a good number of wineries both mid-priced and high-end playing around with what makes the most enjoyable wine at a higher quality.

Bernardus Chardonnay

I was able to get the 2007 Bernardus Central Coast Chardonnay for around $15. This wine does seem to fall somewhere in between the big buttery chards of old and the new mouth-puckering acidic Burgundy-style wines. And while I’m a fan of the later, sometimes, a simple enjoyable glass of Chardonnay is all you need. This wine does have some character to it however. The nose is full of cinnamon and apple blossom. There are also hints of lemon custard.

The flavor complexion moves from full bodied, with apples, pears, melon and pineapple, with a good attack on the mid-palate. There is a decent amount of malolactic fermentation present, but it doesn’t make the wine too buttery or milky. Instead, it added subtle body to the finish which does round nicely with the acidic-lemon-lime swirl at the end. I’m pretty high on this wine in terms of the level of complexity and its unique dimensions that are easy to decipher.

Overall, this is a very drinkable wine, and I think the price point matches up well with the overall QPR. Keep in mind however, that I’ve seen this wine selling in the mid-twenties. I think at that price, the wine starts to get a little overvalued. At $15-18, it instead delivers a very solid wine, that for California, stays right in the middle of flavor tastes. Because of that, I’d think this would be a crowd pleaser. I’m rating this wine a Borderline Outstanding.

Is Napa Valley the center of the wine world? Hard to say, but for many the answer is yes. And the main reason is Cabernet. Cab Sav is still by and large the principle grape grown in the valley, though others are making inroads. Every winery wanting to be a major player in the market rolls out there “big boy” high-end release each year, hoping to snag a huge Parker or Spectator score, and slap the $100+ price tag on the bottle. Having tasted a number of wines from Napa, in a lot of cases, their prices may be justified. Napa cabs just seem to have the richest flavors, huge gripping tannins, and long rounded finishes. Here are just a few of the cabs I’ve tried over the years with tasting notes.

2000 Broman Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

This wine came as a gift from some friends last year. Noting the vintage, I figured this wine was ready for drinking. I wasn’t disappointed with my decision. A beautiful wine with finely integrated tannins, a earthy nose, with olives and mushrooms, giving way later to cherries, touch of oak for backing. On the initial pour I found the wine to be a bit tight and acidic. But within an hour of decanting, the acidity and griping tannins melted away, and the wine started to show its true character. Not an overpowering wine but more of a rustic style, with medium body. Because of its rustic nature, I really enjoyed this wine.  Priced around $30.

Rating: 91pts

2001 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

I thought this was a wonderful wine – it seemed to be smooth and aged. Plump and ripe with solid fruit, and a smooth rich sweet finish. There were very integrated tannins that would just ripple below the surface. I had some doubts about this wine given the bad press this one got on some of the web sites out there. But the fruit was still in good shape and the flavors were really just starting to gain complexity. I’ll be very excited for my second bottle in a year or two.

Rating: 93pts

2001 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Ruby-red to deep purple in color, this was a dark and rich wine. This wine had a nose with perfumes of blueberries, lilacs, and hints of allspice. The flavor is all chocolate and cherries. As this wine progressed through the tasting, it continued to be sweet, smooth and suave, with spicy flavors of currant. There was also a decent amount of oak that backed this wine, but nothing over-powering, say like a Silver Oak. This was a big wine that kept on going and going, and would have been good for a few more years to come. Served this with a roasted duck breast, rich cherry sauce and polenta.

Rating: 92pts

2003 Amizetta Cabernet Sauvignon

Not much nose on initial pour – taking its time to open up. Still even after 2 hrs it’s a bit closed down – a note of spice and violets, lavender as well. Bell pepper nose and on the taste. Not a ton of oak holding things up either. Fruits are muted some by a tannic and acidic nature of the wine overall. Softens up after about 2 hours – still a good grip of tannins and raspberry earthiness. Good finish and follow-through with pencil lead and tobacco. Warm molten bittersweet chocolate.

Priced around $40

Rating: 91pts

2004 Ladera Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a really wonderful, rich Napa cab that is showing really well in these early stages of life. It possesses big sweet fruit, with raspberries and green peppers on both the nose and tongue. There are notes of mocha, mushroom and tobacco flavor. The finely integrated tannins give this wine a solid mid-pallet and finish. A really nice wine all around for the price, which I’ve seen for around $30.

Rating: 91-92pts

2004 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon

This was a wonderful wine full of big, brawny, and bold flavors. The flavor was rich and multi-dimensional, with the tannins bold at first however quickly fading into the body. Chocolate raspberries and classic Napa blueberries dominate the mid-palate, with an earth tobacco and charred earth mix in the finish. Good length and body, especially for the price of around $35. This was a solid Napa cab for the money.

Rating: 93pts

2005 Monticello Vineyards Jefferson Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon

This was a wonderful wine from Napa Valley. I let it decant for about 1 hour prior to tasting. The initial taste however found this wine to still be tight and acidic. There was a good nose on the wine however, with aromas of black fruit and earthy spices. The flavor was big, long and lush, and with a little more time, the wine opened up perfectly. Blackberries and black cherries dominated the palate, and mixed in with tobacco, cocoa, and cassis. The finish was relatively long and the tannins, while fairly well integrated, still had a nice bit of grip to give the wine that bigger mouthfeel. Overall I found this wine to be exceptionally well-made and even went out to buy a second for the cellar.

Rating: 93pts

California cabernet from outside of Napa is surely seeing its time come lately. Its not only usually cheaper, and easier to get a hold of, many really pack a punch and deliver wines that can be both powerful and complex. And they leave a little in the wallet for dinner. Here’s a couple of wine I’ve tried that will satisfy your cab cravings

2002 Forth Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Sonoma

This wine is brooding with big purple, black colors and a violet tinge around the edge. Slow drawn legs on this wine hint at the alcohol level which is around 14.7. This is a nice meaty wine from Sonoma. The wine seems to run a little hot at the outset. Nose has plums and green peppers with a little bit of asparagus as well. Definitely on the hot side taste wise. It does have all of the body and weight of a heavy hitter from Napa – the plums and blackberries, along with green peppers and tobacco are the first things I notice. A nice bit of tannins under the fruit help drive to a very dry finish – but now I can’t get over the heat coming off this wine. It started out very, very nice, and now has gone a little bit dull by hour 2. Tobacco and a hint of mocha seem the prevalent notes here, though there is definitely a vegetal quality to this wine. Not a bad wine by any means, and for the price, around 25 bucks, this still stacks up nicely with some of the Napa wines that would be close to 40 dollars. By hour 3, the wine is starting to smooth out and I’m getting some raspberries peaking through. There’s also not a ton of oak, and the wine shows some nice chocolate-covered cherries. After a good 3hrs, this wine is really showing nicely. Lesson shows that this needs some decanting – probably a good hour or two before serving.

My Rating: 91-92pts

2004 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Bordeaux Blend

This was a nice fruit-driven wine displaying a good blend with cherries and chocolate. There were also notes of tobacco and dirt mixed in too. The tannins were integrated and not showing too much through the finish. The wine had a decent finish and some nice complexity. Overall not a great wine but it still delivered. Priced around $35.

Rating: 89pts

Here are some other chardonnay selections from California and beyond.

2003 Three Saints Chardonnay

This wine had a lemony explosion of flavor.  This $24 central Californian Chardonnay was a little on the acidic side. There was nice fruit in the wine, with apples, pears and a little caramel hiding at the edges.  I think it was tough at times to taste the classic Chardonnay body underneath the acidic nature of the wine.

Rating: 87-88 pts

2005 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay Dominique Russian River Valley

This wine possessed a nose of butter and baked apples. The taste was like fall in a glass with baked apples, cinnamon, spice and a buttery crust. There was a good bit of malolatic fermentation that gives a lot of roundness and a slightly noticeable oak. This was a rich big wine. I also still had some great acidity that helps to balance the richness. It would make the perfect wine for the holidays. Priced around $40

Rating: 93pts

2006 Tolosa Chardonnay Edna Ranch

Here was an interesting wine, full of gravel and chalky notes. There was a distinct mineral quality. The wine wasn’t overly rich through had a nice depth. Lots of acidity on the wine means it might evolve a little over time. There was a little bit of a bitter taste on the end of the wine that was disappointing. Priced around $15.

Rating: 88pts

2006 Pierre Herni Chardonnay

This French chardonnay was a really nice find, especially for the price of around $7. The wine had a nice richness, possessing apples and lemon custard flavors. The wine had good body, all while being light and slightly crisp. The nose had some hints of almond and wet stones integrated. The finish was round and smooth and quiet refreshing. For the price and quality, I found the wine to be a great deal.

Rating: 89pts

2006 Step Rd Blackwing Chardonnay

This was a nice interesting wine. The flavors focused on a lemon-crisp style similar to Chablis. The mid-plate still possessed some rich layers of toffee and custard. The wine had a nice balance of acidity with a soft texture. The wine reminds me of key lime pie. This wine is a good value at around $12.

Rating: 90pts

Don’t let the name fool you. There’s nothing usually “petit” about these wines. Petit Syrah is just another grape, and the wines tend to be even darker, richer, and fuller than a normal Syrah wine. I always like a good petit, especially in the summer for barbeque. The richness and smooth quality of the wine matches up well to burgers and bbq ribs. Here are a couple of wines to keep an eye out for.

2005 Vina Paul Lodi Petit Syrah/Syrah Blend

Good spice box and blueberry notes on the nose. A little smoked meat too. Big fruity wine – full bodied – with a nice bit of spice, blueberry and raspberries notes, Bell pepper, tobacco. A little cigar box, and then dry finish with earthy mix of mushroom and mint. Long finish, with a good grip and tannins. Great fruit through the finish. Lovely wine and for the price really pushes what can be done.

Price: $15
Rating: 91pts

2005 Grazino Petit Sirah

This wine had a big nose with black/blueberries persistent. Also had some cedar and smokiness along with bell pepper and vegetal qualities. A big mouth-feel with integrated tannins and a good grip. There’s lots of cedar and oak in the wine, seemed a little bit like licking the barrel. There was some fruit underneath present blueberries and raspberries. I definitely pick up the Zin in it as well. This wine was still a little young and hard. Has some potential to even out but probably not going to get too great.

Rating: 88pts
Priced around $20