Getting to be a bit past prime, oak has diminshed with age but butter and vanilla still shows. Delicate flavor with lemon, stonefruit, honey and subtle minerality. Imagine Burgandy juice but made in California.
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Underneath the 10,000% new oak there really is a fine wine. And while there's just enough acid and minerality to buttress that heavy load of butter and vanilla i still think it's a shame that the fruit should be hidden so. That said, it has aged very well and is drinking beautifully.
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This wine is still going strong and probably better than my last bottle in 2011. Medium golden yellow color with a nose of flint, lemon curd, apricot and minerals. Nice depth and richness on the palate, yet not flabby or flat. On the palate I get buttery lemon and some tropical fruits with a touch of vanilla and white peach on the finish with a decent dose of acidity as well. Impressively long aftertaste that lasted more than a minute. Much better than I expected quite frankly. It went perfectly with my sautéed striped bass filet.
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While I didn't enjoy this on release, time has given it extra dimension that makes it shine with the right foods (salmon). There's a sweetness to it that almost pushes it to the off-dry spectrum, but this is the natural result of a warm climate. Thankfully it is still under 14%, and retains a only a small bit of acid but a decent bit of minerals. Will likely continue to improve for another couple of years.
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Pale greenish yellow colour. Restrained nose when opened. Buttery, honeyed, complex palate with apple, sweet pineapple and other tropical fruit flavours integrated with subtle spice and gentle citrus acidity that persisted on the lips. Some dusty oak at first on the late palate but this seemed to soften and a hint of ginger emerged with time. The wine opened nicely in the glass and showed its class. The palate was long and the flavours were very well integrated. Good with food (cold salmon) and showed orange citrus notes later. A very attractive and elegant wine and an improvement on the excellent standard Catena Chardonnay (but perhaps not quite as dramatic a step up as I expected). I like my quality Chardonnay to develop in bottle and am happy to enjoy the mature characteristics of a wine like this, even at the loss of a little youthful freshness.
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Seems the same as my last go around. This stuff is good. Pale golden yellow. Rich aromas of nectarine, lemon, papaya and cinnamon. Great weight and presence on the palate. White and yellow fruits are present along with some simmering spice and good acidic grip. Clearly not Burgundian but also not Californian. It is really is its own thing. I have had both French and American chardonnays that hit some similar notes but this is not trying to be either. Very good stuff and continuing to drink well.
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In the nose fresh caramel, honey melon. In the mouth on the one side a confirmation of the nose, on the other side also acidity comes into the mix now. Very pleasing. Perhaps it could be just a little fresher. Nonetheless really good.
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Nice wine, but nothing special. Pretty lemon, apple and nectarine fruits, fragrant floral and grassy notes, well-judged oak. Round, soft and fairly full on the palate, but also enough counterbalancing acidity and grip. Good with food, but ultimately fairly uninteresting unaccompanied.
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A bold nose of citrus and spice, golden yellow in color. A full bodied complex Chard, with honey, apple, peach, buttered popcorn, with a long acidic spice finish. A fantastic white, at it’s peak, a great QPR. I met Laura Catena a couple years ago, a great lady and winemaker. www.winelx.com
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Best value Chardonnay alongside Thelema, if you like complexity and body this is one for you, much lighter in colour than you'd expect given the nose and taste. Last bottle was a tad sweet on the attack but finish was dry enough. A two plus case wine.
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Color: pale golden yellow. Nose: rich aromas of nectarine, lemon, papaya and cinnamon. Palate: Great weight and presence on the palate. White and yellow fruits are present along with some simmering spice and good acidic grip. Not Burgundian but also not Californian. It is really is its own thing. I have had both French and American chardonnays that hit some similar notes but this is not trying to be either. Very good stuff and drinking so well right now.
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I'm a red wine guy, probably 99% red to 1% white, but I thought the Catena was superb. I realize I don't have much of a foundation to build on, but this was the second best Chardonnay I've had, the first being a Mersault Genevrieres from almost thirty years ago. I bought this several years ago based on a WS rating. First Growth Burgundies are a little too rich for my blood, but the Catena is a worthy alternative.
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PnP served non-blind. I will preface this by saying that I prefer my Chardonnay to come from Burgundy, but...
I recall tasting this at release, side-by-side with the 07. At the time my friend (his wine) preferred the 07 over the 08, but I declared this the better wine. We agreed to disagree. Fast forward several years, and he's now seeing the light (he lamented this was the last bottle from his six pack). This was superb. More new world than old, but with serious polish and an irresistably sultry character. The flavors slightly outshine the aromas, but the aromas are an A-/A, so there you have it. In a really good place right now, brilliant, actually; I wish I had a case. Drink thru 2017, 13,9% abv
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The wine looks Yellow colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Melon, and Pineapple. It tastes like Melon, and Pineapple. The body is Light/Medium. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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- Light gold color with medium forming legs and aromas of grapefruit. It's balanced and has flavours of melon with a light/medium body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - Good first impressions on the nose. Fragrant and fruity. First taste - sweet. Then more weight develops and the Chardonnay comes through. This is one to enjoy on its own to fully appreciate the winemaker's skill.
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I like this better this time than I did a few months ago. I would not normally drink bottles that close together but I think this will go well with a pasta and chicken dish with a cream sauce for dinner tonight. The acidity is still here along with a little caramel and green apple. Vanilla is present but there is also a pineapple quality that I really am enjoying. Long finish with acidity creeping in again.
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- klar halmfärgad utseende med medelhög intensitet - ren något utvecklad fruktig doft medelhög intensitet och rostade fat med insalg av citrus, smör anannas och kaffe - torr medelfyllig fruktig smak med balanserade syror och rostade fat med inslag av citron, smör och apelsin
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Pop up and pour. Nice rounded and seducing lush style with good acidity on pine-apple. Always appreciated by my blinded guests. Drink now through 2013..
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This is pretty much good Mersault with New World high alc. Intense aromatic, Nectarine, vanilla, spice and everything nice. Great now but will improve for 4-6 years.
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Nice light golden color. Medium weight for a chard. Nose is of toasty oak and a hint of pear. This year seems more oaky and higher in acidity than previous vintages. Butter predominates the initial taste with the oak and vanilla. Mid palates as some honey and caramel notes. Finish is short but pleasant. It probably has a reasonable life left...until perhaps 2014 by my reconning.
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This is an effort with plenty of potential, given perhaps one or two more years in the cellar. The texture is amazing and the wine is very well kept together. The nose is full of ample honeysuckle, summer meadow as well as sun warm lime and a tweak of lemon curd. All components are there and only the oak speaks up a little louder than the others. I think there is a little more oak in the 2008 than in previous vintages I have tasted. This is an excellent companion to food.
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Aromas of buttered popcorn and caramel apple. Minerality takes over on the palate. Finishes with a good dose of lemon lime. This isn't really my style as I prefer the more crisp and clean chards, but I do like the minerality and acidity.
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Très bon, un nez un peu discret mais en bouche c'est équilibré, un peu d'agrumes, pas trop de bois, ce n'est pas le monstre alcoolique et boisé qu'on aurait pu avoir. Long et agréable.
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Really nice. No notes (so no score), but remember this as a satisfying, new world, buttery Chard. Good acidity, too. Lots of pleasure here as others have said. Excellent QPR, good depth.
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14% alc. Weak nose, light lemon, minerals and sweetness. Fresh, lively palate. Rather simple. 15/20 points. Chardonnay blind tasting with Steven Spurrier in Moscow
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Mid-light yellow colour which is surprising based on the full bodied, oaked wine that follows. Full bodied with huge mouth coating sensations with front end of dried and candied fruits with caramelised and coffee notes coming through, with the final notes of balanced buttery creamy fruit and some mineralty. the long finish continues with just enough acidity to pleasantly clear the palate but not destroy the lovely mouth coating of rich ripe fruit. Well balanced and not overtly over oaked, but clearly a good dose of oak within a balanced framework. we liked a lot, and it continued to evolve and change in the glass, might try to decant the next bottle and see how that changes the flavours. might be worth a better than 89, but for the price, at £17-23 it is competing with some seriously well made wines. Definately one we'll buy again.
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A nice twist compared to the CA Chardonnay that we normally drink. Oak influence here is minimal in comparison but still in the background a bit. On the palate, this come across almost sweeter with juicy ripe pear and apple flavors but still has a slight creaminess towards the finish. Quite nice.
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Medium straw to slightly gold in the glass. Nutty cereal nose. Medium full bodied with the cereal component somewhat dominating the ripe apple/pear fruit on the palate. Pretty tasty.
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Big and rich tropical fruits, butter and cream. But i'm not really getting the wow-factor. Minerality and some spice are there, but lacking the acid to get past the middle of this decade.
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Sweet sent of Honeysuckle and Honey on the nose. Very viscous mouth feel with clean bright green apple, white peach with a touch of honey and Banana. Clear greenish straw color with moderate weight. This is most certainly a big new world wine, but lacks the normal intrusion of Oak present in so many Cali cabs....It's not a Kistler, or Aubert rather a wine that has it's own personality. I really like wine.
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Aromatics of citrus, salted butter and minerals that follow through on the palate. Some apricot, stone fruits and cream and as others have said a somewhat fuller mouthfeel, but then the finish is nice and crisp and refreshing. There is nice acidity and a long finish. We liked this quite a bit and will pick up a few more.
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Bright flowers and minerals on the nose. The mouth is intense - rich stone fruit with apricots in the fore, and a touch of nutmeg and honey emerging at the back. Lush but medium/light bodied due to the (thankfully) judicious integration of oak. Exquisitely long and crisp finish, with the fruit, minerality and nutmeg merging with a wonderful acidity.
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Clear bright yellow/straw with a subtle oak and citrus nose. Wonderful acidity balanced with a lovely fullness in the mouth. Moderate body and alcohol with a long pleasing finish. A real treat on a hot day on the deck.
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Tasted alongside Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 2008 and Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne 2007, this was clearly the most restrained of the 3. Its nose was the most clearly fruity, with mellon, banana, pears and butter, slightly toasted but deffinitely less so compared to the other 2 wines, with the nutty element, typical of most barrel fermented chards being barely noticeable here. This lead to an impression of a less complex wine. Medium to full bodied with balancing acidity and a long finish.Clearly the most alcoholic of the bunch. An excellent chard no doubt, but ranked clearly at the 3d place.
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WLTV does Agentinian Wines (Eastside Wine Storage): the nose was certainly comprised of oak + fruit, but it was unabashed in this presentation. Altogether Clear and decisive, really, not mucking about with any secondary aromas or covert subtlety. The palate was very well-balanced, again, not wavering from its mission to deliver fresh tropical fruit and toasted caramel-nuttiness. I liked it for exhibiting its best attributes so frankly. New World and Proud Of It.
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Lively, tangy and very long. Exuberant on the nose with lemony incense. Full-flavored and bracing, a touch of nutty oak in the background, but this is all about vibrant, lip-smacking stone-fruit and citrus.
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Appearance: Clear, medium minus intensity lemon-green, watery rims with legs. Nose: Clean, showing developing and medium intensity aromas of lemon, pear, nut, tropical fruit, pineapple and vanilla. Palate: Dry with medium acidity. Medium plus alcohol and medium plus body, showing medium intensity flavors including lemon, nut, lime, white flowers, tropical fruit and cream. Lively acidity coupled with ripe and generous fruitiness. Medium length. Conclusion: Very good quality, with a complex aroma and flavors. Plenty of fruit and ripeness to indicate a Chardonnay coming from plenty of sunshine. Balance and with good intensity, as well as a reasonable length. This wine is ready to drink but can be further improve for another 1-2 years.
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Small tasting note from a Store tasting of the majority of Catena's current lineup. Medium gold in color. I really liked this as there was good fruit, but not overblown, good minerality, and the right amount of oak for my palate. Not usually one for much new oak with my chards, but when done like this I can't really complain. Plus a pretty good qpr for the quality.
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This is a very refined Chardonnay. Neither of the old world, nor of the Australian method. A superb chardonnay that is easy enough on the drinking for everyday, but enough substance for an occasion. For aroma and palate, I agree with a lot of the below reviews. For all white burgundy lovers, try some Argentinian chardonnay.
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Drank at home with grilled swordfish. Straw yellow with greenish hues. Buttery aromas, white peach, green apples, pears and minerality on the nose. Signifficantly more expressive than the previous time, partially because I drank it in a large Grand Cru White Burgundy glass. Full-bodied and dense but in the same time crispy and vibrant. Its relatively high alcohol content does not show at all. Rich fruit, high acidity and a long, persistent finish. Fantastic chard at a bargain price given the quality. I agree with the cellartracker user who wrote that this is an everyday wine, in the sense that I would like to drink it everyday.
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Really quite an excellent bottle of wine. I was expecting a sweet, buttery new world chardonnay but what sits in the glass is an elegant, refined a very high quality wine that has a sense of place. This is not trying to be French - it is very much Argentina, the depth of fruit though is very well managed. Lemony tanginess sits alongside rich fruit and minerality. This is a step or two above any other south american white I have tried - it is not trying to put the foot to the floor and have huge fruit and massive extractions, rather the quality here comes from having less where others think there should be more. Excellent.
Very well made, old world-style Chardonnay. Very nice minerality on the nose and on the palate; pear tones; very light touch of oak, which is well integrated with the fruit and balanced with the alcohol level. Extremely well made.
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I always feel good about an independent wine note that is consistent with a recent tasting (about which I had forgotten). I tasted this wine on Halloween of this year and made a note. Amid all of the gaiety (and confusion) of the evening, I had forgotten that I had recently tasted the wine. Tonight I critically tasted the wine and was literally spot-on consistent with my 10/31/10 tasting. This is a very nice hybrid of the new and old worlds. Drink now-12/14.
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Medium yellow-gold robe with clear rim. Very intense nose (when brought up to approximately 60 degrees), showing aromas of pears, peaches, honeysuckle and wet stones. Medium-bodied on the palate, with good acidity and flavors mirroring the nose. The oak is there, but is fairly well-integrated. The middle palate is full and retains the crisp acidity of the attack. At no point does this wine become "creamy" to the extent of most new-world Chardonnays. Medium-to-long finish. Very nice example of new-world fruit but old-world structure. Drink now-12/14.
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Straw yellow with greenish hues. Minerality, toast, citrus fruit. Quite restrained aromatically. Full-bodied but very elegant with intense minerality, bright fruit, high acidity and an amazingly long finish. 14% alcohol does not show that much. Not a new world blockbuster. Will benefit from at least 2 years of bottle aging. A high class chardonnay.
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Color - golden hue, straw-like color Bouquet - hints of green apples, vibrant minerality, honey Flavor profile - white cheese, Star fruit , chalkiness, apple skins, well-balanced oak Feel - dry with a well-balanced acidity, tight knit Impression - burgundy-like, drink now, long finish, pairs well with fish, pasta, and even ribs
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7/4/2019 - adciobanu Likes this wine: 91 Points
Getting to be a bit past prime, oak has diminshed with age but butter and vanilla still shows. Delicate flavor with lemon, stonefruit, honey and subtle minerality.
Imagine Burgandy juice but made in California.
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7/28/2017 - gbanks wrote:
Underneath the 10,000% new oak there really is a fine wine. And while there's just enough acid and minerality to buttress that heavy load of butter and vanilla i still think it's a shame that the fruit should be hidden so. That said, it has aged very well and is drinking beautifully.
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7/28/2017 - oldwines Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is still going strong and probably better than my last bottle in 2011. Medium golden yellow color with a nose of flint, lemon curd, apricot and minerals. Nice depth and richness on the palate, yet not flabby or flat. On the palate I get buttery lemon and some tropical fruits with a touch of vanilla and white peach on the finish with a decent dose of acidity as well. Impressively long aftertaste that lasted more than a minute. Much better than I expected quite frankly. It went perfectly with my sautéed striped bass filet.
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2/26/2017 - gbanks wrote:
While I didn't enjoy this on release, time has given it extra dimension that makes it shine with the right foods (salmon). There's a sweetness to it that almost pushes it to the off-dry spectrum, but this is the natural result of a warm climate. Thankfully it is still under 14%, and retains a only a small bit of acid but a decent bit of minerals. Will likely continue to improve for another couple of years.
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6/25/2016 - johnrm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pale greenish yellow colour. Restrained nose when opened. Buttery, honeyed, complex palate with apple, sweet pineapple and other tropical fruit flavours integrated with subtle spice and gentle citrus acidity that persisted on the lips. Some dusty oak at first on the late palate but this seemed to soften and a hint of ginger emerged with time. The wine opened nicely in the glass and showed its class. The palate was long and the flavours were very well integrated. Good with food (cold salmon) and showed orange citrus notes later.
A very attractive and elegant wine and an improvement on the excellent standard Catena Chardonnay (but perhaps not quite as dramatic a step up as I expected). I like my quality Chardonnay to develop in bottle and am happy to enjoy the mature characteristics of a wine like this, even at the loss of a little youthful freshness.
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12/7/2014 - short and confused wrote: 93 Points
Seems the same as my last go around. This stuff is good. Pale golden yellow. Rich aromas of nectarine, lemon, papaya and cinnamon. Great weight and presence on the palate. White and yellow fruits are present along with some simmering spice and good acidic grip. Clearly not Burgundian but also not Californian. It is really is its own thing. I have had both French and American chardonnays that hit some similar notes but this is not trying to be either. Very good stuff and continuing to drink well.
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6/24/2014 - rs Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tropical fruits, nuts and some butter. A bit sweet on the palate, maybe the acidity's a bit too low.
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5/7/2014 - joshwoodward wrote: 88 Points
A little on the unbalanced sweet side.
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3/12/2014 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 90 Points
Similiar to last note, a very good white, drink now. www.winelx.com
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2/18/2014 - Kento61 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent chardonnay wine with medium to full body, well balanced oak. Enjoyed with a light cajun spiced shrimp and lobster dish with rice.
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2/8/2014 - LIE-user wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful colour between yellow and lime.
In the nose fresh caramel, honey melon. In the mouth on the one side a confirmation of the nose, on the other side also acidity comes into the mix now. Very pleasing. Perhaps it could be just a little fresher. Nonetheless really good.
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9/27/2013 - Dr AJ wrote: 82 Points
Nice wine, but nothing special. Pretty lemon, apple and nectarine fruits, fragrant floral and grassy notes, well-judged oak. Round, soft and fairly full on the palate, but also enough counterbalancing acidity and grip. Good with food, but ultimately fairly uninteresting unaccompanied.
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4/27/2013 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bold nose of citrus and spice, golden yellow in color. A full bodied complex Chard, with honey, apple, peach, buttered popcorn, with a long acidic spice finish. A fantastic white, at it’s peak, a great QPR. I met Laura Catena a couple years ago, a great lady and winemaker. www.winelx.com
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4/9/2013 - Sonoffalstaff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Best value Chardonnay alongside Thelema, if you like complexity and body this is one for you, much lighter in colour than you'd expect given the nose and taste. Last bottle was a tad sweet on the attack but finish was dry enough. A two plus case wine.
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3/30/2013 - short and confused wrote: 93 Points
Color: pale golden yellow. Nose: rich aromas of nectarine, lemon, papaya and cinnamon. Palate: Great weight and presence on the palate. White and yellow fruits are present along with some simmering spice and good acidic grip. Not Burgundian but also not Californian. It is really is its own thing. I have had both French and American chardonnays that hit some similar notes but this is not trying to be either. Very good stuff and drinking so well right now.
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3/9/2013 - jackaroo Likes this wine:
I'm a red wine guy, probably 99% red to 1% white, but I thought the Catena was superb. I realize I don't have much of a foundation to build on, but this was the second best Chardonnay I've had, the first being a Mersault Genevrieres from almost thirty years ago. I bought this several years ago based on a WS rating. First Growth Burgundies are a little too rich for my blood, but the Catena is a worthy alternative.
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2/15/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote:
PnP served non-blind. I will preface this by saying that I prefer my Chardonnay to come from Burgundy, but...
I recall tasting this at release, side-by-side with the 07. At the time my friend (his wine) preferred the 07 over the 08, but I declared this the better wine. We agreed to disagree. Fast forward several years, and he's now seeing the light (he lamented this was the last bottle from his six pack). This was superb. More new world than old, but with serious polish and an irresistably sultry character. The flavors slightly outshine the aromas, but the aromas are an A-/A, so there you have it. In a really good place right now, brilliant, actually; I wish I had a case. Drink thru 2017, 13,9% abv
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2/9/2013 - Yapdiver wrote: 85 Points
The wine looks Yellow colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Melon, and Pineapple. It tastes like Melon, and Pineapple. The body is Light/Medium. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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2/2/2013 - czar33 wrote: 89 Points
Un peu beurré, rond. Très bon.
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1/6/2013 - bin905 wrote: 89 Points
Had a very sweet floral and slightly medicinal scent, but was served very warm. We will revisit after chilling.
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11/12/2012 - shallIshantI wrote: 90 Points
- Light gold color with medium forming legs and aromas of grapefruit. It's balanced and has flavours of melon with a light/medium body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - Good first impressions on the nose. Fragrant and fruity. First taste - sweet. Then more weight develops and the Chardonnay comes through. This is one to enjoy on its own to fully appreciate the winemaker's skill.
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11/7/2012 - pkatz wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with prior notes. Great buy!
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10/22/2012 - bin905 wrote: 91 Points
Melon, lemon, pear, tart apple and oyster juice flavor with ample acidity. Well-balanced and interesting with a long finish.
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7/12/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
I like this better this time than I did a few months ago. I would not normally drink bottles that close together but I think this will go well with a pasta and chicken dish with a cream sauce for dinner tonight. The acidity is still here along with a little caramel and green apple. Vanilla is present but there is also a pineapple quality that I really am enjoying. Long finish with acidity creeping in again.
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6/5/2012 - Reisilva wrote: 90 Points
good wine, with no persistence, balanced, light and clear, citric fruits, complexity, maybe improve with evolution. RA = 90
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5/14/2012 - joshwoodward wrote: 90 Points
Pnp. Delicious, great acid, almost kinetic. Slight bitterness on the finish, hint of sweetness. Lemon fruit, balanced oak.
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5/8/2012 - lembkes Likes this wine: 90 Points
- klar halmfärgad utseende med medelhög intensitet
- ren något utvecklad fruktig doft medelhög intensitet och rostade fat med insalg av citrus, smör anannas och kaffe
- torr medelfyllig fruktig smak med balanserade syror och rostade fat med inslag av citron, smör och apelsin
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5/5/2012 - mn47 wrote: 80 Points
Un nom prestigieux, mais un vin unidimensionnel. À ce prix, quelle déception!
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4/9/2012 - AlanM68 wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well right now and will go on doing so through 2014-15. Tastes of pineapple to me.
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2/25/2012 - dead puddle wrote: 92 Points
Pop up and pour. Nice rounded and seducing lush style with good acidity on pine-apple. Always appreciated by my blinded guests. Drink now through 2013..
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2/22/2012 - Maikochan wrote: 92 Points
Lovely buttery rich and layered- a pleasure to sip
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2/2/2012 - BenSwetnam wrote: 91 Points
This is pretty much good Mersault with New World high alc. Intense aromatic, Nectarine, vanilla, spice and everything nice. Great now but will improve for 4-6 years.
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1/11/2012 - lembkes Likes this wine: 90 Points
ljus guldgul färg
stor varm parfymerad doft med inslag av fat och citrus
fatig fräsch lånr fatig smak med citrus
ett fräscht vin med bra syror
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1/11/2012 - bin905 wrote: 91 Points
Unique. Honeysuckle scent. Green apple, papaya, melon, peach, and lemon lime flavor. Some nuttiness, mineral and light oak, too.
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12/30/2011 - oldwines wrote: 90 Points
Nice light golden color. Medium weight for a chard. Nose is of toasty oak and a hint of pear. This year seems more oaky and higher in acidity than previous vintages. Butter predominates the initial taste with the oak and vanilla. Mid palates as some honey and caramel notes. Finish is short but pleasant. It probably has a reasonable life left...until perhaps 2014 by my reconning.
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12/15/2011 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is an effort with plenty of potential, given perhaps one or two more years in the cellar. The texture is amazing and the wine is very well kept together. The nose is full of ample honeysuckle, summer meadow as well as sun warm lime and a tweak of lemon curd. All components are there and only the oak speaks up a little louder than the others. I think there is a little more oak in the 2008 than in previous vintages I have tasted. This is an excellent companion to food.
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12/14/2011 - joshwoodward wrote: 90 Points
Pnp. Typical, but great acid and not over the top. Lemon. Delicious.
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12/10/2011 - ecola Likes this wine: 89 Points
Aromas of buttered popcorn and caramel apple. Minerality takes over on the palate. Finishes with a good dose of lemon lime. This isn't really my style as I prefer the more crisp and clean chards, but I do like the minerality and acidity.
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11/26/2011 - czar33 wrote: 90 Points
Très bon, un nez un peu discret mais en bouche c'est équilibré, un peu d'agrumes, pas trop de bois, ce n'est pas le monstre alcoolique et boisé qu'on aurait pu avoir. Long et agréable.
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11/20/2011 - Number51 wrote: 90 Points
Nice tropical fruit. Well made.
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11/5/2011 - MuseMaven wrote:
Really nice. No notes (so no score), but remember this as a satisfying, new world, buttery Chard. Good acidity, too. Lots of pleasure here as others have said. Excellent QPR, good depth.
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10/27/2011 - EleonoraScholes wrote:
14% alc. Weak nose, light lemon, minerals and sweetness. Fresh, lively palate. Rather simple. 15/20 points. Chardonnay blind tasting with Steven Spurrier in Moscow
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10/20/2011 - pkatz wrote: 91 Points
A lovely sweet tasting chardonnay. Lots of pleasure here.
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9/24/2011 - stripey wrote: 89 Points
Mid-light yellow colour which is surprising based on the full bodied, oaked wine that follows.
Full bodied with huge mouth coating sensations with front end of dried and candied fruits with caramelised and coffee notes coming through, with the final notes of balanced buttery creamy fruit and some mineralty.
the long finish continues with just enough acidity to pleasantly clear the palate but not destroy the lovely mouth coating of rich ripe fruit.
Well balanced and not overtly over oaked, but clearly a good dose of oak within a balanced framework. we liked a lot, and it continued to evolve and change in the glass, might try to decant the next bottle and see how that changes the flavours. might be worth a better than 89, but for the price, at £17-23 it is competing with some seriously well made wines. Definately one we'll buy again.
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8/28/2011 - Rob MacKay wrote: 90 Points
A nice twist compared to the CA Chardonnay that we normally drink. Oak influence here is minimal in comparison but still in the background a bit. On the palate, this come across almost sweeter with juicy ripe pear and apple flavors but still has a slight creaminess towards the finish. Quite nice.
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8/17/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium straw to slightly gold in the glass. Nutty cereal nose. Medium full bodied with the cereal component somewhat dominating the ripe apple/pear fruit on the palate. Pretty tasty.
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8/2/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Big full and delicious chard. If you like the style its killer at $30.
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8/1/2011 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Big and rich tropical fruits, butter and cream. But i'm not really getting the wow-factor. Minerality and some spice are there, but lacking the acid to get past the middle of this decade.
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7/28/2011 - Bacchusboy wrote: 92 Points
Sweet sent of Honeysuckle and Honey on the nose. Very viscous mouth feel with clean bright green apple, white peach with a touch of honey and Banana. Clear greenish straw color with moderate weight. This is most certainly a big new world wine, but lacks the normal intrusion of Oak present in so many Cali cabs....It's not a Kistler, or Aubert rather a wine that has it's own personality. I really like wine.
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7/23/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Second day open it holds on and goes strong with big chardonnay. Really works at $30.
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7/16/2011 - esol wrote: 89 Points
Initially 87-88. Improved with time.
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7/11/2011 - Outplaying wrote:
Aromatics of citrus, salted butter and minerals that follow through on the palate. Some apricot, stone fruits and cream and as others have said a somewhat fuller mouthfeel, but then the finish is nice and crisp and refreshing. There is nice acidity and a long finish. We liked this quite a bit and will pick up a few more.
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6/17/2011 - Maznoc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bright flowers and minerals on the nose. The mouth is intense - rich stone fruit with apricots in the fore, and a touch of nutmeg and honey emerging at the back. Lush but medium/light bodied due to the (thankfully) judicious integration of oak. Exquisitely long and crisp finish, with the fruit, minerality and nutmeg merging with a wonderful acidity.
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6/11/2011 - Cellar Hand Likes this wine: 90 Points
Clear bright yellow/straw with a subtle oak and citrus nose. Wonderful acidity balanced with a lovely fullness in the mouth. Moderate body and alcohol with a long pleasing finish. A real treat on a hot day on the deck.
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6/7/2011 - CalypsoPoet wrote: 88 Points
Smokey sublime citrus notes, not creamy at all as I thought it might have been. Definitely worth a second tasting. Very nice.
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5/25/2011 - Yiannis wrote: 90 Points
Tasted alongside Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 2008 and Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne 2007, this was clearly the most restrained of the 3. Its nose was the most clearly fruity, with mellon, banana, pears and butter, slightly toasted but deffinitely less so compared to the other 2 wines, with the nutty element, typical of most barrel fermented chards being barely noticeable here. This lead to an impression of a less complex wine. Medium to full bodied with balancing acidity and a long finish.Clearly the most alcoholic of the bunch. An excellent chard no doubt, but ranked clearly at the 3d place.
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4/3/2011 - tarheel17 wrote: 90 Points
WLTV does Agentinian Wines (Eastside Wine Storage): the nose was certainly comprised of oak + fruit, but it was unabashed in this presentation. Altogether Clear and decisive, really, not mucking about with any secondary aromas or covert subtlety.
The palate was very well-balanced, again, not wavering from its mission to deliver fresh tropical fruit and toasted caramel-nuttiness. I liked it for exhibiting its best attributes so frankly. New World and Proud Of It.
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3/29/2011 - AdamWallstein wrote: 93 Points
Lively, tangy and very long. Exuberant on the nose with lemony incense. Full-flavored and bracing, a touch of nutty oak in the background, but this is all about vibrant, lip-smacking stone-fruit and citrus.
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3/26/2011 - peterchoy wrote: 92 Points
Appearance: Clear, medium minus intensity lemon-green, watery rims with legs.
Nose: Clean, showing developing and medium intensity aromas of lemon, pear, nut, tropical fruit, pineapple and vanilla.
Palate: Dry with medium acidity. Medium plus alcohol and medium plus body, showing medium intensity flavors including lemon, nut, lime, white flowers, tropical fruit and cream. Lively acidity coupled with ripe and generous fruitiness. Medium length.
Conclusion: Very good quality, with a complex aroma and flavors. Plenty of fruit and ripeness to indicate a Chardonnay coming from plenty of sunshine. Balance and with good intensity, as well as a reasonable length. This wine is ready to drink but can be further improve for another 1-2 years.
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3/26/2011 - manonthemoon wrote: 91 Points
Small tasting note from a Store tasting of the majority of Catena's current lineup.
Medium gold in color.
I really liked this as there was good fruit, but not overblown, good minerality, and the right amount of oak for my palate.
Not usually one for much new oak with my chards, but when done like this I can't really complain.
Plus a pretty good qpr for the quality.
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1/13/2011 - siclark Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a very refined Chardonnay. Neither of the old world, nor of the Australian method. A superb chardonnay that is easy enough on the drinking for everyday, but enough substance for an occasion. For aroma and palate, I agree with a lot of the below reviews. For all white burgundy lovers, try some Argentinian chardonnay.
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12/13/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 92 Points
Drank at home with grilled swordfish. Straw yellow with greenish hues. Buttery aromas, white peach, green apples, pears and minerality on the nose. Signifficantly more expressive than the previous time, partially because I drank it in a large Grand Cru White Burgundy glass. Full-bodied and dense but in the same time crispy and vibrant. Its relatively high alcohol content does not show at all. Rich fruit, high acidity and a long, persistent finish. Fantastic chard at a bargain price given the quality. I agree with the cellartracker user who wrote that this is an everyday wine, in the sense that I would like to drink it everyday.
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12/9/2010 - pjaines wrote:
Really quite an excellent bottle of wine. I was expecting a sweet, buttery new world chardonnay but what sits in the glass is an elegant, refined a very high quality wine that has a sense of place. This is not trying to be French - it is very much Argentina, the depth of fruit though is very well managed. Lemony tanginess sits alongside rich fruit and minerality. This is a step or two above any other south american white I have tried - it is not trying to put the foot to the floor and have huge fruit and massive extractions, rather the quality here comes from having less where others think there should be more. Excellent.
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11/26/2010 - Maznoc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very well made, old world-style Chardonnay. Very nice minerality on the nose and on the palate; pear tones; very light touch of oak, which is well integrated with the fruit and balanced with the alcohol level. Extremely well made.
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11/17/2010 - cmclean wrote: 92 Points
elegant, gentle, complex. I'll buy this again!
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11/16/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
I always feel good about an independent wine note that is consistent with a recent tasting (about which I had forgotten). I tasted this wine on Halloween of this year and made a note. Amid all of the gaiety (and confusion) of the evening, I had forgotten that I had recently tasted the wine. Tonight I critically tasted the wine and was literally spot-on consistent with my 10/31/10 tasting. This is a very nice hybrid of the new and old worlds. Drink now-12/14.
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11/14/2010 - kostaslonis wrote: 84 Points
Decanter Fine Wine Encounter; 11/13/2010-11/14/2010 (Landmark Hotel, London): (Decanter Fine Wine Encounter) Nice nose, great balance between fruits and oak, fresh and buttery. Sweet in the mouth, very fruity, not that oaky, unfortunately ends in a short aftertaste. Nice everyday wine
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10/31/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
Medium yellow-gold robe with clear rim. Very intense nose (when brought up to approximately 60 degrees), showing aromas of pears, peaches, honeysuckle and wet stones. Medium-bodied on the palate, with good acidity and flavors mirroring the nose. The oak is there, but is fairly well-integrated. The middle palate is full and retains the crisp acidity of the attack. At no point does this wine become "creamy" to the extent of most new-world Chardonnays. Medium-to-long finish. Very nice example of new-world fruit but old-world structure. Drink now-12/14.
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10/1/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 92 Points
Straw yellow with greenish hues. Minerality, toast, citrus fruit. Quite restrained aromatically. Full-bodied but very elegant with intense minerality, bright fruit, high acidity and an amazingly long finish. 14% alcohol does not show that much. Not a new world blockbuster. Will benefit from at least 2 years of bottle aging. A high class chardonnay.
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2/9/2002 - Cubatobaco Likes this wine: 94 Points
Color - golden hue, straw-like color
Bouquet - hints of green apples, vibrant minerality, honey
Flavor profile - white cheese, Star fruit , chalkiness, apple skins, well-balanced oak
Feel - dry with a well-balanced acidity, tight knit
Impression - burgundy-like, drink now, long finish, pairs well with fish, pasta, and even ribs
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