I'm quickly regretting only purchased the amount of 375ml of these even more each time I open one. It has definitely grown up quite a bit in the last six or seven months, and packs as much flavor when a bit (too) chilled as it does when it opens up a bit and is warmed with the hands (or to close to room temperature). The finish almost brings a bit of puckering to the mouth, but not in a negative way. The nose is even and almost violet or flowery, with the initial taste being creamy and fulfilling overall. The darkening of the color is almost deceiving, when you compare it to bottles from the early 2000s and beyond.
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The slightly accelerated aging due to it coming from a 375mL is doing wonders. Beautifully textured with cream, oil, and a slight nuttiness starting to work its way to the forefront.
This bottling continues to impress. A pairing with this wine that I preach in the tasting room is fried chicken, and I practiced that message last night. So good.
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Oh, yes: I really enjoy this wine, and I wish I had more of it, but then nothing lasts for ever, and whites like these do fade, but this one could go another year. Darkened now to a rich golden yellow. Aromas of honey, citrus, and tropicals. Medium bod, nice viscosity. A lush blend of SB and Semillon, now rounder, and sweeter but still with distinctive acidity and complex minerality, and the finish is now medium-long
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Nose is honey, lemon, grapefruit, mineral, and a touch of floral. Flavors are similar, with the addition of some herb/straw. This is a glorious wine, with the acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc blending perfectly with the lushness of Semillon. Nice long finish. Very enjoyable.
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Après 24 heures, Diffère des notes précédentes. nez de caramel écossais, retrouvé en bouche. Je maintiens qu'il n'est pas typé d'un Sémillon Sauvignon. Bonne texture en bouche, rondeur, un peu gras, légère acidité en finale. Agréable pas plus et ne vaut certes pas les 30$ ni les notes des experts.
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This vintage was FULL of wonderful fruit from the usual suspects (apples, grapefruit) but then there was lovely guava and passion fruit! What a pleasure to sip something so light and yet so satisfies. It will be a wonderful accompaniment to cheeses and meats and delicious enough to be enjoyed with white fish. This is a great summer wine that I thoroughly enjoyed!
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Pas de notes écrites après 24h Beaucoup de similitudes avec un Chardonnay Californien. Pêche, ananas. Un pointe d'acidité agréable en milieu de bouche et dans la persistance dévoile les cépages qui le constitue et lui font gagner quelques points.
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Day One: Used a bit for cooking (chicken with 40 cloves of garlic) and had a glass with it the next evening, but was off my feed, recovering from a 24-hour stomach bug. Day Two: Had another glass with the same dish (leftovers) a couple of nights later. I don't know: I like this, but don't yet understand the high scores from IWC, which are more often than not in line with my takes on wines. The nose is lovely on opening, the acidity is remarkable, the minerality complex, but I want a little more roundness, a little more sweetness, especially in the finish, which leaves me looking for some missing component. Will certainly try again; could be just me. For now, a 90, and a decent, though not stellar, QPR at $29. Day Four: Oh, now I get it. Stephen Tanzer nailed it: this is, after all, an oustanding Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend. (Just don't drink it when you have the flu.)
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K&L Pacific Northwest Tasting (K&L Redwood City): I can't remember another wine that smelled as much like basil as this one. A bit of vanilla comes through too. A hint of basil on the palate, nice viscosity and adequate acidity, which keeps the toasty oak in check. Interesting, but not a great QPR.
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Beautifully yellow gold with aromas of lemon and toast. Medium full body with balanced acidity. I love this wine already. Not usual to smells the toast. Well blended with lemon, papaya, pineapple, green apple, and an empowering toasted wafer essence that is omnipresent from start to finish. The finish is long. High complexity coupled with it's uniqueness of style make this a wine to be sought after. Get it if you can.
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Beautiful notes of citrus and honeyed fig. The SB kept this wine crisp while the Sémillon added richer flavor and a fuller body than SB can achieve on its own. Delicious.
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No formal notes taken. Solid domestic Bordeaux blanc. In need of a couple of years of cellaring as the wine is a bit unbalanced at this stage. Oak flavors awkwardly overwhelm the complex fruit/lees flavors but I suspect the oak will integrate with time. It should be fascinating tracking this wine over the next decade.
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Quite tasting indeed but to my taste a little bit over dominated by its oak. Or rather, it was wonderful stuff but a bit over-done on the oak department. I would have liked something just a bit more toned back. All that being said it didn't stop me from finishing the bottle.
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United Way Auction Dinner (Palisades Restaurant, Seattle): Dinner at Palisades - had this with crab cakes and it was a wonderful combination. This was just too my liking, not too much wet grass from the SB and not overoaked. This was definitely preferable to the Caymus Conundrum that we had earlier in the evening.
The reduction of new oak with this wine becomes more obvious with each successive vintage, and every time I pull a cork, I keep thinking I don’t own enough Chaleur Estate Blanc. This 08 version is an almost sharp and brisk specimen, with its SB acidity playfully stimulating the salvitory glands; all the while the wonderful Semillon is providing cushions of reassuring richness, keeping this white both unique as well as versatile. By far the most mineral driven CEB. Served with fresh Dungeness crab cakes and alder smoked tarter sauce, a match made in heaven
My wife and I were both blown away by this wine - HUGE nose for a blanc, with all kinds of great elements - grapefruit, lemon, honey, fig and minerals. It's buttery, but not oakey, allowing the wine to completely cover the palate, quickly, but not set off any oak alarms. Picked up a few bottles of this at the winery and debating whether or not I should pick up more. This will be a mainstay white in our house, no question.
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Label: This vintage of Chaleur Estate Blanc features grapefruit, gooseberry, orange blossom, and a bit of straw on the nose, with hints of grilled brioche and toasted almonds brought in by the barrel fermentation. Spring citrus notes of ruby grapefruit and gooseberry lead the rich and unctuous palate, supported by Sémillon-inspired notes of honey and fig. The finish echoes on with honey, crème brulée, and grilled nuts, along with subtle tropical fruits.
Review: This 2008 is 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Semillon. It's a clear pale greenish yellow. I get aromas of melted sippy cup meets dragon fruit, subtle green pear and fig with hints of sugar cookie crumbled over an overheated circuit board. I enjoyed the nose on this wine so much I asked for another glass. Flavors of green apple and fig, subtle unripe green banana with a hint of citrus and honey. Very nice acidity and well balanced.
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Light crisp golden straw color. Vibrant nose of kiwi, citrus and river rock. Wonderful crisp fruit forward win with high acidity and complexity. Wonderful minerality and a nice long finish.
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taste: really nice high acidity that is refreshing with good tones of various nuts, smokey tones and bits of tree fruits. Good medium/light body, but a bit too light and hollow on the mid-palate
overall: has all the components for a quality bordeaux-styled blanc, but just seems to lack the depth and verve to it that would really drive this. There is good balance and acidity, maybe this just needs a bit of time to add some fat on the mid-palate and round out a bit
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10/28/2014 - 124Spider wrote: 92 Points
Still exce!
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9/17/2013 - pricseno Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice!
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6/22/2013 - tombiro wrote: 92 Points
Absolutely awesome after 20-30 minutes decanted. A little bit of alcohol, a bit of wood and a strong middle. Keeps getting better, as I'd hoped.
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3/2/2013 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Domaine Wine Storage Saturday BYOB (Domaine Wine Storage (Chicago)): Very impressed with this white from Washington. A little stinky with a cat pee play that was awesome.
Honey dew and cantaloupe with a nice finish. Touch of wax on the mouth feel but really elegant.
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3/2/2013 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Saturday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Rich and balanced. Nice peach, lychee and mango flavors I was impressed by this. Not sure of its longevity, but this is drinking very well right now.
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3/2/2013 - tombiro Likes this wine: 92 Points
I'm quickly regretting only purchased the amount of 375ml of these even more each time I open one. It has definitely grown up quite a bit in the last six or seven months, and packs as much flavor when a bit (too) chilled as it does when it opens up a bit and is warmed with the hands (or to close to room temperature). The finish almost brings a bit of puckering to the mouth, but not in a negative way. The nose is even and almost violet or flowery, with the initial taste being creamy and fulfilling overall. The darkening of the color is almost deceiving, when you compare it to bottles from the early 2000s and beyond.
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11/20/2012 - jacamp16 wrote: 92 Points
The slightly accelerated aging due to it coming from a 375mL is doing wonders. Beautifully textured with cream, oil, and a slight nuttiness starting to work its way to the forefront.
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8/27/2012 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Incredible "bourdeaux" blend, amazing taste, lemons, citric, nice integration, definite drinker. Enjoy
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8/23/2012 - jacamp16 wrote: 92 Points
This bottling continues to impress. A pairing with this wine that I preach in the tasting room is fried chicken, and I practiced that message last night. So good.
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8/12/2012 - Brownvino wrote: 91 Points
Still very crisp and distinctive. Tasted very well on a warm afternoon.
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7/19/2012 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 87 Points
Kind of flabby
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7/7/2012 - Hansen73 wrote: 89 Points
I found this wine a little too toasty but otherwise enjoyed the varietal blend.
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5/27/2012 - prism wrote: 94 Points
Oh, yes: I really enjoy this wine, and I wish I had more of it, but then nothing lasts for ever, and whites like these do fade, but this one could go another year. Darkened now to a rich golden yellow. Aromas of honey, citrus, and tropicals. Medium bod, nice viscosity. A lush blend of SB and Semillon, now rounder, and sweeter but still with distinctive acidity and complex minerality, and the finish is now medium-long
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5/23/2012 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Loved it with bacon wrapped scallops! Nice nose, good acidity to hold up to the scallops and the bacon, went down way too easily and fast!
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4/19/2012 - Penguino212 wrote:
While the aroma is still outstanding, I feel it has reached it's peak. Changing my drinking window to finish these up.
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4/14/2012 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 89 Points
great bourdeaux style white wine. Nice fruit, acids, good integration, love the 375 size bottle, just the right size!
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3/31/2012 - MoreWinePlease wrote: 91 Points
Quite nice, with enough in the way of fruit, aromatics and finish to justify the price. This is good juice.
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11/23/2011 - jacamp16 wrote: 92 Points
Beautifully textured white. Looking forward to see where this goes. I have a feeling this is just on its way up.
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10/24/2011 - bvanbower wrote: 89 Points
Great fruit forward, smooth, enjoyable wine. We enjoyed it!
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10/19/2011 - hiker_guy wrote:
Good paired with chicken cordon bleu.
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10/13/2011 - Bobby202 wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding with pasta dish - Mushrooms & sausage. Stood up well, great combination. Better than a red
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10/11/2011 - The13thGryphon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose is honey, lemon, grapefruit, mineral, and a touch of floral. Flavors are similar, with the addition of some herb/straw. This is a glorious wine, with the acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc blending perfectly with the lushness of Semillon. Nice long finish. Very enjoyable.
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8/31/2011 - whjensen wrote: 93 Points
Pear dominates
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8/28/2011 - YoRi wrote: 88 Points
Après 24 heures,
Diffère des notes précédentes. nez de caramel écossais, retrouvé en bouche. Je maintiens qu'il n'est pas typé d'un Sémillon Sauvignon. Bonne texture en bouche, rondeur, un peu gras, légère acidité en finale.
Agréable pas plus et ne vaut certes pas les 30$ ni les notes des experts.
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7/20/2011 - dawgdaze wrote: 89 Points
62% Sauvignon Blanc 38% Semillon
This vintage was FULL of wonderful fruit from the usual suspects (apples, grapefruit) but then there was lovely guava and passion fruit! What a pleasure to sip something so light and yet so satisfies. It will be a wonderful accompaniment to cheeses and meats and delicious enough to be enjoyed with white fish. This is a great summer wine that I thoroughly enjoyed!
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5/8/2011 - YoRi wrote: 88 Points
Pas de notes écrites après 24h
Beaucoup de similitudes avec un Chardonnay Californien. Pêche, ananas.
Un pointe d'acidité agréable en milieu de bouche et dans la persistance dévoile les cépages qui le constitue et lui font gagner quelques points.
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1/26/2011 - skifree wrote: 90 Points
Had with business dinner. Popular at the table. Sweet flower nose, lots of mineral and acidity. Enjoyable.
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12/12/2010 - prism wrote: 93 Points
Day Two: Very refreshing, very well-made, rich and sleek rather than fleshy. Great balance. You don't want to drink it too chilled.
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11/22/2010 - prism wrote: 93 Points
Day One: Used a bit for cooking (chicken with 40 cloves of garlic) and had a glass with it the next evening, but was off my feed, recovering from a 24-hour stomach bug.
Day Two: Had another glass with the same dish (leftovers) a couple of nights later. I don't know: I like this, but don't yet understand the high scores from IWC, which are more often than not in line with my takes on wines. The nose is lovely on opening, the acidity is remarkable, the minerality complex, but I want a little more roundness, a little more sweetness, especially in the finish, which leaves me looking for some missing component. Will certainly try again; could be just me. For now, a 90, and a decent, though not stellar, QPR at $29.
Day Four: Oh, now I get it. Stephen Tanzer nailed it: this is, after all, an oustanding Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend. (Just don't drink it when you have the flu.)
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8/28/2010 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 88 Points
K&L Pacific Northwest Tasting (K&L Redwood City): I can't remember another wine that smelled as much like basil as this one. A bit of vanilla comes through too. A hint of basil on the palate, nice viscosity and adequate acidity, which keeps the toasty oak in check. Interesting, but not a great QPR.
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8/9/2010 - GreatLibations wrote: 93 Points
Beautifully yellow gold with aromas of lemon and toast. Medium full body with balanced acidity. I love this wine already. Not usual to smells the toast. Well blended with lemon, papaya, pineapple, green apple, and an empowering toasted wafer essence that is omnipresent from start to finish. The finish is long. High complexity coupled with it's uniqueness of style make this a wine to be sought after. Get it if you can.
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7/11/2010 - wineaux2 wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful notes of citrus and honeyed fig. The SB kept this wine crisp while the Sémillon added richer flavor and a fuller body than SB can achieve on its own. Delicious.
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5/23/2010 - TwoDogs wrote:
very nice--can't wait to have this again ...next time I'll pair it with oysters
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5/22/2010 - Alitt177 wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes taken. Solid domestic Bordeaux blanc. In need of a couple of years of cellaring as the wine is a bit unbalanced at this stage. Oak flavors awkwardly overwhelm the complex fruit/lees flavors but I suspect the oak will integrate with time. It should be fascinating tracking this wine over the next decade.
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5/18/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Quite tasting indeed but to my taste a little bit over dominated by its oak. Or rather, it was wonderful stuff but a bit over-done on the oak department. I would have liked something just a bit more toned back. All that being said it didn't stop me from finishing the bottle.
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4/17/2010 - SGates wrote: 90 Points
United Way Auction Dinner (Palisades Restaurant, Seattle): Dinner at Palisades - had this with crab cakes and it was a wonderful combination. This was just too my liking, not too much wet grass from the SB and not overoaked. This was definitely preferable to the Caymus Conundrum that we had earlier in the evening.
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4/14/2010 - Dale M wrote: 93 Points
The reduction of new oak with this wine becomes more obvious with each successive vintage, and every time I pull a cork, I keep thinking I don’t own enough Chaleur Estate Blanc. This 08 version is an almost sharp and brisk specimen, with its SB acidity playfully stimulating the salvitory glands; all the while the wonderful Semillon is providing cushions of reassuring richness, keeping this white both unique as well as versatile. By far the most mineral driven CEB. Served with fresh Dungeness crab cakes and alder smoked tarter sauce, a match made in heaven
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4/4/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
My wife and I were both blown away by this wine - HUGE nose for a blanc, with all kinds of great elements - grapefruit, lemon, honey, fig and minerals. It's buttery, but not oakey, allowing the wine to completely cover the palate, quickly, but not set off any oak alarms. Picked up a few bottles of this at the winery and debating whether or not I should pick up more. This will be a mainstay white in our house, no question.
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3/25/2010 - BoozingIt wrote: 89 Points
Label: This vintage of Chaleur Estate Blanc features grapefruit, gooseberry, orange blossom, and a bit of straw on the nose, with hints of grilled brioche and toasted almonds brought in by the barrel fermentation. Spring citrus notes of ruby grapefruit and gooseberry lead the rich and unctuous palate, supported by Sémillon-inspired notes of honey and fig. The finish echoes on with honey, crème brulée, and grilled nuts, along with subtle tropical fruits.
Review: This 2008 is 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Semillon. It's a clear pale greenish yellow. I get aromas of melted sippy cup meets dragon fruit, subtle green pear and fig with hints of sugar cookie crumbled over an overheated circuit board. I enjoyed the nose on this wine so much I asked for another glass. Flavors of green apple and fig, subtle unripe green banana with a hint of citrus and honey. Very nice acidity and well balanced.
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2/19/2010 - Jack wrote: 91 Points
DeLille Tasting (PVCC): Very fresh and lively. Plenty of citrus with maybe just a touch of honey. Long finish. Great.
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12/22/2009 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
Citrus, melon, hints of herbs/grass all linger nicely. Fairly rich for a SB (semillon helps!) and good acidity at the tail end. Fun!
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12/11/2009 - Wino Joe wrote: 91 Points
Light crisp golden straw color. Vibrant nose of kiwi, citrus and river rock. Wonderful crisp fruit forward win with high acidity and complexity. Wonderful minerality and a nice long finish.
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9/14/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 87 Points
Washington Wine Commision tasting (Rooftop Terrace, Millenium Park, Chicago IL): nose: good nose with a smokey backdrop along with various nutty tones, tree fruits, and tart lemon tones. decent depth with good tones, but just seems to be lacking a bit
taste: really nice high acidity that is refreshing with good tones of various nuts, smokey tones and bits of tree fruits. Good medium/light body, but a bit too light and hollow on the mid-palate
overall: has all the components for a quality bordeaux-styled blanc, but just seems to lack the depth and verve to it that would really drive this. There is good balance and acidity, maybe this just needs a bit of time to add some fat on the mid-palate and round out a bit
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