9/16/2016 - ruffem wrote:

Great Value. Wish I had more.

6/24/2015 - ruffem Likes this wine:

This is the poster child for a great bargain. This wine is easily worth twice as much as the price. It has a great nose of deep dark berries and spices. It has a well-rounded flavors of dark fruit and cherries; a smooth mouth feel, and well integrated tannins. Highly recommended.

4/27/2015 - ruffem wrote:

Excellent balance, smooth tannin's; great mouth-feel. Highly recommend. A steal at the $15 price point.

10/22/2014 - ruffem wrote:

I am a big fan of the old-style buttery chards, but this was like eating a caramel apple. No finesse, just over the top sugar.

7/12/2014 - ruffem wrote:

Amazingly good for price -- went very well with smoked salmon pasta. Subtle sweetness of peach and lemon with good sparkle and a dry finish. Would be a great wedding wine!

5/23/2014 - ruffem wrote:

Excellent.

5/9/2014 - ruffem wrote:

I bit thin for a classic Chianti, but nicely balanced and easy to drink. Add for the price of $7, and it's well worth the purchase.

5/5/2014 - ruffem wrote:

Thin, acidic and not very interesting. Far better choices in this price range.

5/4/2014 - ruffem wrote:

Definitely my kind of chardonnay. Lots of fruit, lots of creamy mouth feel. Wish I had a case!

4/19/2014 - ruffem wrote:

Nicely balanced between dark fruit (blackberry) and acid. Tannins are present, but well integrated and smooth. Great chocolate aftertaste.
Stands up great to food, and drinks easily. Wish I had more.

4/17/2014 - ruffem wrote:

Very nice wine, with great balance with dark almost jammy fruit and soft tannins. Easy to drink, and worked well with food. Definitely a great bargain at the $18 price range.

4/11/2014 - ruffem wrote:

All $10 wines should be this good. Great jam flavors, but not too over the top. Definitely would re-purchase.

3/9/2014 - ruffem wrote:

Definitely a throwback to the "old" creamy style chards, but an easy-drinking, pleasant, in not very complex one at a great price.

2/7/2014 - ruffem wrote:

A perfect example of you get what you pay for. I can find better wines for $10. Admittedly not Pinot Noir, but then, WHAT was I thinking!

OK, so here's me retracting at least part of my own words. 2nd bottle was MUCH better, more refined and easy to drink. Score adjusted upward to 86.

12/5/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Nice Oregon pinot -- good acid; soft but present tannin; good fruit.

11/17/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Really smooth, easy drinking; great balance.

11/16/2013 - ruffem wrote:

This has some potential to mellow, but right now is a bit disjointed. Flavors of raisin with a spicy pine vein very noticeable.

11/14/2013 - ruffem wrote:

A bit thin, but an inoffensive wine. Flavors of green apple and lemon, with a smooth, full finish.

10/8/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Interesting cab-like merlot, with dark plum and cherry, cocoa, no small amount of smoke and good acid. Would definitely re-purchase -- an real bargain at the $11 price point.

9/15/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Lemon and grass on the nose. Palate has lemon and a creamy oak. Lots of acid, but a smooth finish

7/14/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Excellent balance between plum and blackberry flavors with just the right amount of acid. Tannins are present but not overpowering. A great buy.

6/24/2013 - ruffem wrote:

This has aged well in the bottle. The balance is right on and the fruits are upfront with sour cherry and tart blackberry. A good wine for the price.

6/23/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Soft, easy drinking, but with a distinct character. For the price, you can't beat it.

6/19/2013 - ruffem wrote:

For an inexpensive everyday wine that will please a wide variety of palates, this is a good choice. Has a lot of berry flavors, a reasonable balance of acid, very subtle to non-existent tannins. Pairs well with a variety of food.

6/10/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Got this at the local Grocery Outlet for $6. While not a great wine, it is well worth they outlet price. Makes a great "everyday" wine, and has paired well with pizza, pasta and steak so far. Has an attractive black cherry color and aromas of cherry and spice. Palate is cherry and nuts. Medium to short finish. A bargain for any everyday drinker.

6/8/2013 - ruffem wrote:

An incredible value with peaches and cream balanced by mineral backbone. Sweet, but not cloying. Pair extremely well with spicy Thai Shrimp noodles.

5/30/2013 - ruffem wrote:

While I am generally out of step with the prevailing taste trends of the day, particularly when it comes to chardonnays, I was surprised at the negative reviews of this one. I got it at about 1/2 the list price, which might have helped, and I agree that the 92 points from Wine Advocate is generous, it is still a nice chard reminiscent of some of those from Rombauer. For $13, I'd certainly recommend to those who like the"old style" creamy chards.

5/26/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Drinking smooth but with a lot of life. Good balance, bright acid, great fruit. A very nice bottle.

5/22/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Very subtle wine -- probably drank with wrong food that overpowered. Will probably buy another bottle to check out theory! Nice nose with some apple flavors and a slight creamy quality. Again, very subtle.

5/20/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Every $12 bottle of wine should be this good. Nice balance, good acid, fruit is mostly dark plums and a little subtle, but present. A great deal.

4/8/2013 - ruffem wrote:

For 4 dollars, this is a very nice party chard. Not very complex, but pleasant to drink.

4/6/2013 - ruffem wrote:

This is a truly nice wine -- many and varied flavors, good structure and smooth, easy-drinking character.

4/2/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Lots of dark fruit -- blackberry, dark plum, a little blueberry. Also some chocolate in the mid-palate. Smooth integrated tannins and enough acid so it's not flabby. All in all, a bargain.

3/14/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Purchased at winery. All in all, a very nice bottle. Nose of cherries and spice. On the palate, prunes, vanilla and earth. A little light in the mid-palate, but a nice smooth finish. Goes great with smokey pulled pork.

3/8/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Really pleasantly surprised at the complexity of this wine. Great balance between fruit and acid, and very smooth. Highly recommend.

2/19/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Very soft and young with an overall sweet cherry flavor. Very pleasant if not a big barn burner.

2/19/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Lots of smoke and spice with cherry notes. Medium body and finish. A good wine for price.

2/12/2013 - ruffem Likes this wine:

For the $10 price tag on this, it is an outstanding bargain. It has great balance with good fruit and spice. Tannins are upfront, but not overwhelming. Highly recommend.

2/5/2013 - ruffem Likes this wine:

Very smooth tannins with good dark fruit and nicely balanced. Flavors of dark cherry and some plum with hints of chocolate. Enough spice to know it's a zin. It is drinking well right now. Would absolutely buy again.

2/3/2013 - ruffem wrote:

This is one of those sleeper wines no one knows about, but is an excellent bargain. For $10 it is a steel. It has nice dark fruit with some chocolate notes and good acidity. A medium finish. Well worth grabbing if you see it.

1/29/2013 - ruffem wrote:

While this is not the style of chard I'm usually a fan of (a bit to thin and subtle for my tastes) since it doesn't hold up to many foods, I have to say that when consumed alone, or with light fare, it is a very good wine. Lots of peaches, good balance and good finish.

1/25/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Nose was a bit funky. Taste was nondescript -- muddy flavors with nothing that came forward. Would not repurchase.

1/22/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Very easy drinking, lots of cherry up front with some spicy notes in mid-palate. Would definitely buy again.

1/19/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Light weight with good fruit and enough acid to balance. For price, a good everyday drinker.

1/15/2013 - ruffem wrote:

This is a good bargain for a smooth drinking fairly complex flavor profile. Lots of berry flavors with good balancing earthy notes. Tannins are present but not mouth-puckering.

1/12/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Smooth tannins, spicy but balanced with good fruit. Very complex flavor palate. Highly recommend.

1/7/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Got $4, you have to assume this isn't going to be a great wine. That being the case, the wine no worse than many bottles I've had for far higher prices. It was basically not offensive. It was thin, with little fruit, It's main flavor was a burnt oak.

1/5/2013 - ruffem wrote:

Soft but supple tannins carry the mostly dark cherry fruit thru a medium finish. A good value.

1/2/2013 - ruffem wrote:

good value everyday chard.

12/10/2012 - ruffem wrote:

An unusual wine with some red fruit and minerals and very smooth tannins. At $15, this is a steal.