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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 91 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by paulst on 3/13/2015 & rated 87 points: Becoming bland and syrupy; some moments of sweet apricot-banana. (4930 views) | | | Tasted by kmmtcg on 10/27/2014 & rated 85 points: Disappointing for such an illustrious Chard. Probably waited too long. (4938 views) | | | Tasted by Tarpon222 on 4/18/2014 & rated 86 points: Oaky chards aren't my preferred chards but this wine seems a little out of balance for me with a bit too much acidity. (5511 views) | | | Tasted by jlhkiss on 9/25/2013 & rated 86 points: This wine was hard to enjoy. Pale gold color. Nose of hot pineapple, cinnamon, honeydew, apricots, and wood. Palate follows with caramel, soft banana notes, hot oranges and ripe peaches. The finish is hot and disjointed, veering into woody territory and then back to a sharp, acidic bite, and it lingers but doesn't leave anything interesting, just confused wood and pineapple. Considering the pedigree and price, we may have had an off-bottle, or maybe this guy is just past its prime? Paired with salmon burgers, spinach salad, and roasted yams with butter. (6498 views) | | | Tasted by Longpourplease on 7/27/2013 & rated 90 points: The wine looks Yellow gold colored. The legs are Fast. It smells like Grapefruit, Apricot, and Peach. It tastes like Apple, and Pineapple. The body is Medium. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Medium. (6608 views) | | | Tasted by Z1nnfull on 4/7/2013 & rated 89 points: My wife likes barrel-fermented Chardonnay, so I got this to pour on her birthday. It definitely has the promised oak, it is not in the background and it does come close to overwhelming the fruit-forward notes, but does not. It is full-bodied and lush to the smell and taste and the appearance is heavy straw color. I would rate this higher, but it seemed to diminish in the glass in just a short time - it was at its best with pop and pour and then it kind of thinned out. I see no aging potential, in fact it may be close to being done. This is no bargain for the price, but if you like your Chard oaked, this is the real thing. Not quite up to the first bottle we reviewed on 8/10/2012. (3825 views) | | | Tasted by Majiq on 3/31/2013 & rated 89 points: Med gold, apparent oak and citrus, creamy with a med long finish.
Try this along side a bottle of the silver unoaked for a great wine education (3415 views) | | | Tasted by jctra on 3/30/2013 & rated 90 points: A more modern style Mer Soleil then 2008. Not that buttery, less pineapple and tropical fruits. More elegant. (2933 views) | | | Tasted by Wineshington on 3/14/2013 & rated 90 points: Drank at seafood dinner (2543 views) | | | Tasted by Brenth on 2/24/2013: Nice and buttery. Not old school Mer Soleil buttery, but a move in the right direction. (2379 views) | | | Tasted by jbehrendt on 2/6/2013 & rated 90 points: You have to like over-oaked, heavy vanilla to enjoy this Chardonnay. We like it for a change; and enjoyed this with a shrimp dish. (2071 views) | | | Tasted by tsanders on 2/3/2013 & rated 88 points: Notes of citrus and apple, a little too much alcohol for my taste. Not as buttery as some California Chards or other vintages of Mer Soleil. Solid wine but this vintage isn't great. (2257 views) | | | Tasted by urban_dk on 2/1/2013 & rated 88 points: Citrus, stone fruit and a creamy finish. Rich and round with minimal acidity. Classic Cali cocktail Chardonnay, and a crowd pleaser. (2106 views) | | | Tasted by Zuperdaave on 1/24/2013 & rated 85 points: Very good. Not as good as other vintages...this is usually an exceptional label. Lemons on the nose. A bit too citrusy and heavy on the alcohol for my taste; this is usually smoother and more buttered. I hope they have not changed their method! (2040 views) | | | Tasted by BMF005 on 1/7/2013 & rated 87 points: Slightly pale golden hue. First impression on the nose is oakiness followed by good fruit character. Mostly pear with a little bit of cooked apple and perhaps a little ripe mellon and citrus as well. Texture is smooth and buttery with well balanced acidity. Full bodied with maybe a bit too much alcohol in the mix overall. I'm not typically a Chardonnay fan but I found this wine to be good and an excellent value for the money. (2093 views) | | | Tasted by tigeek on 12/22/2012 & rated 91 points: One of the best chardonnay i've had. Really peculiar, creamy, almost buttery. Golden, structured and refreshing wine which acidity is well balanced. Some may find it a bit sweet. (2316 views) | | | Tasted by mike410 on 12/7/2012 & rated 89 points: Light golden color. 14.5 % alcohol. Full bodied. Spices and peach taste. Hint of oak, medium acidity. (2513 views) | | | Tasted by paulst on 11/28/2012 & rated 88 points: Austere and a bit greenish; earthy apricot; a bit out of balance with some heat; decent complexity and finish. (2664 views) | | | Tasted by The Necs on 11/23/2012 & rated 88 points: Just on the edge of it's life. Still good, but past it's prime. (1528 views) | | | Tasted by Skendig2000 on 11/21/2012 & rated 90 points: My favorite chard, especially for the price. Buttery, zesty and really smooth (2714 views) | | | Tasted by Jay72274 on 11/1/2012: full body, lots of oak, very creamy. Great if you like this style of chard. (2895 views) | | | Tasted by danstrings on 9/8/2012 & rated 86 points: Lots of juicy plump fruit, a bit one dimensional tho, but a decent crowd pleaser. (3339 views) | | | Tasted by 3daywinereview.com on 9/1/2012 & rated 81 points: Never a fan of this wine with too much oak and not balanced. Short to medium finish. (3181 views) | | | Tasted by Z1nnfull on 8/10/2012 & rated 91 points: One of the best white wines we have had in some time, but let's be clear that this is BARREL-FERMENTED Chardonnay, which though out of style to some degree, is still loved by a good number of wine afficianados, including us. Served it with homemade shrimp gumbo (spicy) over basmati rice, with a side of brocollini. Mmmm. Great match. The color is straw yellow and the nose is sweet citrus. The taste starts out as more of the sweet citrus and honeysuckle, but ends up being off-dry with a touch of grapefruit taste with a touch of minerality, creamy, buttery and of course, some oak. Long finish, really gets the taste buds going. Many might not like this style, but many will. Not for those who like their Chardonnay naked (unoaked). This stood up to a spicy dish with no problem- full-bodied. (3297 views) | | | Tasted by jawegs on 8/4/2012 & rated 93 points: Ultimate creamy buttery oaky chard (3268 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By David Lawrason
WineAlign (1/18/2012)
(Mer Soleil Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County white) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (1/10/2012)
(Mer Soleil Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County white) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (9/20/2011)
(Mer Soleil Chardonnay) Light yellow color; odd, reduction, citrus nose; reduction, tart citrus palate; short finish 80 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Mer Soleil Producer websiteChardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA WikipediaSanta Lucia HighlandsAppellation: Wine Artisans of Santa Lucia Highlands | Winegeeks article
AVA Website
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