Blind white 1 - 13% ABV. Medium gold in the glass. Reticent nose of light cereal oak and a somewhat complex wool/lanolin nuance. Medium bodied with crisp, tangy granny smith apple fruit. Finishes a little short and boring in my opinion. After the reveal, I have to say I don't get this.
12.5% ABV. Pale straw in the glass. Mineral note on the nose with a similar wool quality to the Dauvissat preceding it. Medium bodied with a mouthfeel and weight that seems more rich than the nose suggested. Steely and crisp with light apple fruit. Pretty good. 88-89ish.
13.9% ABV. Bright yellow to light gold in the glass. Ripe smelling with a sweet meyer lemon quality that one tasted likened to a lemony fresh cleanser. Ripe fruit that seems a bit sweet in contrast to the two Burgundies preceding it. I find this cuts a an interesting balance between ripe sweet citrus and a sort of gala apple quality. Medium full bodied, rich and lengthy. No overt (noticeable?) oak on this. This wound up being my favorite of the tasting, but I usually prefer new world Chardonnay. Tasting the leftovers of this the following day, I did notice a touch of light vanilla oak, but it was a pleasant addition, in my opinion.
Light to medium straw in the glass. Showing minerals at first whiff on the nose, then a slightly floral muscat-like nuance and finally a flinty melon nuance. Medium bodied, lightly sweet with ripe white fruits I couldn't quite put my finger on. Nice.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
14.2% ABV. Medium gold in the glass. Somewhat subtle, nutty French oak nose. Medium bodied with a sense of fairly ripe apple and some buttered pear notes. Pretty tasty.
Medium straw in the glass. Rather aromatic with a sense of honeyed fruit with a light yeasty note along with a slight note of oxidation/sherry. On the rich side with pleasant apple and a certain dry oxidation note. This kept me interested and I kept coming back to it.
South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
13% ABV. Gold colored in the glass. The nose seemed dominated by an oaky toasted cereal note that seems slightly raw (i.e., freshly sawn wood). Medium-full bodied and a bit better integrated than the nose suggests with tangy apple fruit. Towards the finish the oak seemed to start to dominate again. Not bad. Perhaps some time will help the oak mellow?
2002 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Blind white 1 - 13% ABV. Medium gold in the glass. Reticent nose of light cereal oak and a somewhat complex wool/lanolin nuance. Medium bodied with crisp, tangy granny smith apple fruit. Finishes a little short and boring in my opinion. After the reveal, I have to say I don't get this.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2008 Domaine Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Verzé
12.5% ABV. Pale straw in the glass. Mineral note on the nose with a similar wool quality to the Dauvissat preceding it. Medium bodied with a mouthfeel and weight that seems more rich than the nose suggested. Steely and crisp with light apple fruit. Pretty good. 88-89ish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2009 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
13.9% ABV. Bright yellow to light gold in the glass. Ripe smelling with a sweet meyer lemon quality that one tasted likened to a lemony fresh cleanser. Ripe fruit that seems a bit sweet in contrast to the two Burgundies preceding it. I find this cuts a an interesting balance between ripe sweet citrus and a sort of gala apple quality. Medium full bodied, rich and lengthy. No overt (noticeable?) oak on this. This wound up being my favorite of the tasting, but I usually prefer new world Chardonnay. Tasting the leftovers of this the following day, I did notice a touch of light vanilla oak, but it was a pleasant addition, in my opinion.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2004 Nigl Grüner Veltliner Privat 92 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal
Light to medium straw in the glass. Showing minerals at first whiff on the nose, then a slightly floral muscat-like nuance and finally a flinty melon nuance. Medium bodied, lightly sweet with ripe white fruits I couldn't quite put my finger on. Nice.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2007 Gary Farrell Chardonnay Russian River Selection 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
14.2% ABV. Medium gold in the glass. Somewhat subtle, nutty French oak nose. Medium bodied with a sense of fairly ripe apple and some buttered pear notes. Pretty tasty.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2004 Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Blanc de Blancs 91 Points
France, Champagne
Medium straw in the glass. Rather aromatic with a sense of honeyed fruit with a light yeasty note along with a slight note of oxidation/sherry. On the rich side with pleasant apple and a certain dry oxidation note. This kept me interested and I kept coming back to it.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2009 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 90 Points
South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
13% ABV. Gold colored in the glass. The nose seemed dominated by an oaky toasted cereal note that seems slightly raw (i.e., freshly sawn wood). Medium-full bodied and a bit better integrated than the nose suggests with tangy apple fruit. Towards the finish the oak seemed to start to dominate again. Not bad. Perhaps some time will help the oak mellow?
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No