Cline North Coast 2021 Viognier

 

Cline North Coast 2021 Viognier, $8.49-$11.99 (same price as ten years ago), 86 points, was slightly viscous showing a medium straw yellow color with a broad gray penumbra.
On first pour a fleeting tropical fruit aroma was propitious, but quickly settled to a dusty nondescript citrus.
This Viognier was more a medium-bodied dry white wine with interesting flavors of sweet apple, Lychee nut, and peaches.
Finished fair on the fading palate with a hint of ginger and a rather big 14.5% alcohol.
Paired okay with my chicken club sandwich.

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Valiano Castelnuovo Beradenga 6.38 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione (DOCG)

 

Valiano Castelnuovo Beradenga 6.38 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione (DOCG), $25.49-$59.99, 89 points, poured a deep copper/red color with a broad clear meniscus and fat hanging legs.
Aromas of funk, red currants, black tea, and hints of coffee bean were okay.
This was a near full-bodied Chianti, was bone dry, showed a firm blank of tannin, good acidity, and flavors of edgy savory-soy sauce, anise, black plums, and bitter dark chocolate.
Finished a bit astringent, tart, with a well-balanced 14% alcohol and the taste of iron.
Paired fine with our pepperoni pizza.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Rodney Strong Sonoma County Chalk Hill 2019 Chardonnay

 

Rodney Strong Sonoma County Chalk Hill 2019 Chardonnay, $14.44-$18.99, 88 points, was a medium brass color with a broad clear wine ring.
Aromas of brioche, a bit of lemon zest, and a whisper of burnt tangerine peel were soft but pleasant.
The 2019 Rodney Strong Chardonnay was a dry medium-bodied wine with fair acidity, between sleek and crisp mouthfeel, and flavors of wet stone, lemon meringue pie, and ginger notes were soft as well, but also pleasant.
Finished on the trailing palate and a robust 14.5% alcohol.
Paired okay with my Yellowfin tuna salad and BLT.

2019 Vintage California Chardonnay

INDEX of REVIEWED WINE

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Château Mauvesin Barton Moulis En Médoc 2016 Bordeaux Red Wine

 

Château Mauvesin Barton Moulis En Médoc 2016 Bordeaux Red Wine, $16.99-$31.99, 87 points, poured a deep slightly unfiltered rosewood red with moderate stained legs and a bleeding meniscus.
The soft aromas were floral with red raspberry, dried herbs, and bit of black tea (nothing too noteworthy).
This Bordeaux was at the lighter end of full-bodied, was dry, showed sufficient tannic support, fair acidity, and good flavors, if a bit thin, of cola, dried herbs, white pepper, and anise.
Finished fair on the trailing palate with a well-balanced 13.5% alcohol, black licorice, accelerating white pepper, and a bit of wood.
Paired well with my rack of spiced lamb.
Good GPR at the lower price point.

Bordeaux Red Wine Vintage 2016

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Artesa Los Carneros 2019 Chardonnay

 

Artesa Los Carneros 2019 Chardonnay, $16.99-$21.99, 88 points, showed a bit viscus and was a medium straw yellow with a bronze sheen and a gray meniscus.
Aromas were weak but hints of dusty tangerine and mint were good.
Artesa gave us a medium-bodied dry white wine with good acidity and up-front weak flavors buoyed by late developing flavors reflective of the aromas and bright ginger all of which carried deep into the long finish with a sense of wet stone minerality and a remarkably restrained 13.1% alcohol.
Paired fine with my roast chicken.

2019 Vintage California Chardonnay

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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2019 Vintage California Chardonnay

2019 Vintage California Chardonnay

When I taste enough of a wine varietal from a particular vintage,

sometimes for convenience I'll list them in a separate post:

the 2019s and 18s are the only vintage Chardonnay I've made into a single post so far.
My taste (palate) in Chardonnay is probably going to be different from yours, I lean more towards Chablis/Pouilly Fuissé Chardonnay-styled wines and fresh fruit-driven Chardonnays, especially crisp clean wines with a lighter body than many Cali Chardonnays, thus OVER-oaked Chardonnay will be treated as anathema. 

Artesa Los Carneros 2019 Chardonnay, $16.99-$21.99, 88 points

Cambria Katherine's Vineyard 2019 Chardonnay, $15.29-$21.99, 89 points

Clay Shannon El Coyote, Lake County, California 2019 Chardonnay, $12.74-$17.99, 85 points

Diora Monterey 2019 Chardonnay, $12.99-$14.99, 86 points

Fess Parker, Santa Rita Hills, Sandford and Benedict 2019 Chardonnay, $25.49-$32.99, 91 points

Folly Of The Beast, Central Coast, 2019 Chardonnay, $14.39-$15.99, 86 points

Gary Farrell 'Russian River Selection' Russian River Valley Sonoma County 2019 Chardonnay, $32.29-40.99, 96 points

Jordan Russian River, Sonoma, 2019 Chardonnay, $28.04-$34.99, 95 points

Keenan Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, 2019 Chardonnay, $31.44-$38.99, 91 points

Louis Pommery Single vineyard, Carneros 2019 Chardonnay, $21.24-$24.99, 90 points

McBride Sisters Collection 2019 Chardonnay (Central Coast), $13.49-$16.99, 85 points

Nickle And Nickle, Truchard Vineyard, Carneros, Napa Valley 2019 Chardonnay, $39.94-$54.99, 93 points

Raeburn Russian River Valley 2019 Chardonnay, $13.59-$18.99, 88 points

Rodney Strong Sonoma County Chalk Hill 2019 Chardonnay, $14.44-$18.99, 88 points

Ramey Vineyard Napa Valley (Russian River-Sonoma County) 2019 Chardonnay, $32.30-$39.99, 93 points

Rusack Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard 2019 Chardonnay, $15.99-$39.99, 89 points

Shannon Ridge Wines "Urgency" 2019 Chardonnay

Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast 2019 Chardonnay, $20.99-$29.99, 88 points

St. Francis Sonoma County 2019 Chardonnay, $10.99-$12.99, 88 points

Stags' Leap Napa Valley 2019 Chardonnay, $26.99-$32.99, 93 points

Tangley Oaks Mendocino County Lot 12 2019 Chardonnay, $9.99-$19.99, 86 points

Trefethen Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, 2019 Chardonnay, $32,29-$39.99, 93 points

Urgency 2019 Chardonnay

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Fess Parker, Santa Rita Hills, Sandford and Benedict 2019 Chardonnay

 

Fess Parker, Santa Rita Hills, Sandford and Benedict 2019 Chardonnay, $25.49-$32.99, 91 points, was a medium straw yellow color with green highlights and a board gray penumbra.

Aromas of faint hints of cantaloupe, lemon meringue pie, a whisper of oak, and Chardonnay specific grape were okay.
This was a nearly full-bodied dry white wine, juicy, complex, showing fair to good acidity, and dynamic flavors of lemon juice, green melon rind, orange and pomelos flesh, white pepper, and a hint of smoky wood.
Finished quite long on the trailing palate and a well-balanced 14.1% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my spice-rubbed baked porterhouse pork chops.

2019 Vintage California Chardonnay

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Bodegas Trapiche "Broquel (Sheild)", Mendoza 2018 Malbec

 

Bodegas Trapiche "Broquel (Sheild)", Mendoza 2018 Malbec, $12.74-$14.99, 91 points, poured core black grading to a deep ruby red with purple highlights, a bleeding meniscus, and a necklace of legs.
Aromas of dusty plums, hints of coffee and tobacco, and over-ripe red fruit were good.
Another full-bodied Mendoza Malbec, rich, succulent, and round on the palate with fair acidity, a firm underlayment of grainy tannins, and delicious flavors of cola, anise, plums, cherry fruits, and red raspberry.
Finished very long on the trailing palate of anise, white pepper, and cola with a well-balanced 14% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with our supreme pizza.
This is an excellent wine at an outstanding price (QPR).

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Petra Zingari 2018 Toscana 2018 Red Wine (IGT)

 

Petra Zingari 2018 Toscana 2018 Red Wine (IGT), $16.99-$19.99, 92 points, poured core black grading to a deep garnet red with a broad clear meniscus and a sticky sheet of stained legs.
Aromas of ripe blackberries, plums, cinnamon, and a soft floridity were pleasant.
This Toscana was full-bodied with fair to good acidity, a supportive underlayment of tannin, a round mouthfeel nuanced with a bit of tart citrus, and a warm pepper.
Finished long, tart, dry, not quite ripe blackberry, hint of raisin, and well-balanced 13.5% alcohol. 
Varietals were Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot.
Paired nicely with our Italian cuisine.
Not quite a Merlot-soft red wine, and not quite a food-friendly acidic Chianti, but a very good hybrid as a red table wine with a good QPR.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Baileyana Grand Firepeak Cuvee 2018 Chardonnay

 

Baileyana Grand Firepeak Edna Valley 2018 Chardonnay, $16.99-$22.99, 88 points, was a medium straw yellow color with a broad gray to clear penumbra.
Aromas of white oven-fresh bread, lemon zest, white pepper, and a whisper of green apple were good.
This Baileyana Chardonnay was medium-bodied, dry, and with rather unobtrusive flavors reflective of 
the aromas which were good also; acidity was fair, texture a bit weak up front, but with developing white pepper and ginger notes graded more on the edgy side and with a 13.9% alcohol reinforcement finished well.
Paired perfectly with my baked Porterhouse pork chops.
Oak was at a respected nuance.
A good table white wine, especially for the price.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Chateau Du Courlat Cuvee Jean-Baptiste Lussac-Saint-Emilion 2016 Bordeaux Red Wine, (Merlot) Revisited

 

Chateau Du Courlat Cuvee Jean-Baptiste Lussac-Saint-Emilion 2016 Bordeaux Red Wine, (Merlot) Revisited, $15.29-$17.99 (current price averages $22), 90 points, poured core black grading to an unfiltered rosewood red, a thin clear meniscus, and dense stained legs.
Aromas of mulling spices, cassis, plums, and a hint of java were quite good.
This cuvee was a full-bodied bone-dry red wine with good acidity, firm grainy tannins (still a young wine), and rich flavors of coffee, plums, and dried herbs.
Finished very long on white pepper, fennel, iron, and a well-balanced but big 14.5% alcohol.
Paired devastatingly well with my beefy and veggie stew.

Bordeaux Red Wine Vintage 2016

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Domaine De La Creuze Noire Grand Vin De Bourgogne 2020 Pouilly Fuissé

 

Domaine De La Creuze Noire Grand Vin De Bourgogne 2020 Pouilly Fuissé, $27.19-$31.99, 91 points, was a deep yellow gold color with a greenish sheen and a broad gray penumbra.
Aromas of dusty tangerine peel, green apple, and a hint of lemon zest were quite lovely.
In the glass the wine seemed a bit viscus, and the body was a bit heavier than usual, the acidity was fair (a bit less than I am used to), and the flavors mirrored the aromas with a keen developing ginger.
Up front texture was lush, but towards the late palate a tart rendition with that developing ginger gave a complementary edge to the wine.
Finished fair on the trailing palate and a well-balanced 13% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my smoked oysters.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Chalk Hill Estate 2020 Sauvignon Blanc

 

Chalk Hill Estate 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, $19.99-$23.99, 93 points, was a medium brass color with a broad gray penumbra, and though I don't usually mention legs with white wines (they do have legs), the legs on this wine were fat and obvious.
Though the body of this Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc was light, the wine was so intense that one might actually classify it as full-bodied. Acidity was bright, it was bone-dry, and the flavors of white and black pepper, hay notes, passion fruit, and green melon rind were rich and building.
Finished quite long on the trailing palate, intense ginger notes, and a super big but well integrated 14.6% alcohol.
Paired amazingly well with our Asian cuisine which I usually reserve for Reisling.
The best Sauvignon Blanc I've had all year! ;) Not for the gentle palate of light-like Viognier white wine drinkers, or even the Gavi aficionados, and probably not for palates that dislike a bit of austerity, lean and grippy.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Château les Graves de Lavaud Cuvée Tradition Lalande-de-Pomerol 2016 Bordeaux Red Wine

 

Château les Graves de Lavaud Cuvée Tradition Lalande-de-Pomerol 2016 Bordeaux Red Wine, $14.99-$32.99, 89+ points, showed a somewhat unfiltered deep ruby red grading garnet red towards the clear wine ring and glass rim, the legs were weak and transparent.
Aromas were a bit funky, a tad perfumed floral, slightly oaky, and plums nearly prunes, but all-in-all pleasant.
This Cuvée (vat or something else) Bordeaux Red Wine was not quite the full-bodied expression I most often get from Bordeaux, but then again it appears that Pomerol red wines often buck the common Right-Bank trend of high alcohol (this one was 13.5%).
The Château les Graves de Lavaud Cuvée Tradition Lalande-de-Pomerol 2016 Bordeaux Red Wine was showing just a hint of age with flavors of coffee and tobacco notes with a lovely cherry cola along with an underlayment of softened but supportive tannins, good acidity, and an edgy tart Damson plum.
Finished well with a touch of cayenne and cranberry.
Paired fine with my Spanakopita.

Bordeaux Red Wine Vintage 2016

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Dry Creek Vineyard, Clarksburg, 2021 Chenin Blanc

 

Dry Creek Vineyard, Clarksburg, 2021 Chenin Blanc, $12.59-$13.99, 86 points, was a light brass color and clearing long before the rim.
Aromas were strong  Necco wafer candy up front but developed light peach skin and dusty citrus notes.
Flavors of this light-bodied off-dry white wine with fair acidity mimicked the aromas and seemed to tail-off into a somewhat weak finish marked by good tart citrus and the unobtrusive 12% alcohol.
Paired fine as a light white table wine and served the Asian cuisine and chicken smorgasbord admirably for a big QPR (Quality/Price/Ratio) wine. 

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Fontella 2019 Chianti (DOCG)

 

Fontella 2019 Chianti (DOCG), $10.99-$14.99, 86 points, poured a rich cranberry red with a broad clear wine ring and light clear legs.
Aromas of black tea, red raspberry, and rose pedal were soft and sweet.
Just reaching medium-bodied, this Chianti was a bit thin but tasty, showed good acidity, easy but supportive tannins, and recessed flavors reflective of the aromas with hints of watermelon, ginger, and white pepper.
Finished fair and consistent with the overall palate, a bit tart, and a remarkably balanced 12.5% alcohol.
Paired quite well with our pepperoni pizza.
As a red wine for the party or Italian cuisine meals, this is a good low budget wine that won't offend any but the wine snob.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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