A Weekend in Atlantic City

My girlfriend and I had some, well, interesting wine while we were hanging in Jersey.

• 2010 Sharrott Winery Pinot Grigio 70 Points

  USA, New Jersey, Outer Coastal Plain

  (3/10/2012)

  Light yellow color in the glass. The aromas are quite weak, with a little freshness and flowers. There's a bitterness on the palate that reminds me of the inside of a banana peel. It tastes like this wine was made from underripe grapes. There are some green flavors in here, but the wine is too thin to be interesting.

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• 2010 Sharrott Winery Vidal Blanc 80 Points

  USA, New Jersey, Outer Coastal Plain

  (3/10/2012)

  I have to give this wine credit for being interesting. I wasn't expecting much from this vidal blanc wine, but I was surprised by it's character and uniqueness, even if I don't think it's great. There's a distinct carmelized sugar aroma on the nose, and some cotton candy. The wine is very oily on the palate, with some orange rind and lemon bitters flavors. Fun, but strange.

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• 2010 Sharrott Winery Unoaked Chardonnay 81 Points

  USA, New Jersey, Outer Coastal Plain

  (3/10/2012)

  I didn't love this wine, but I was surprised by it. The nose shows green apple and lime. The palate is surprisingly creamy, with lots of fresh pineapple flavors. It's a bit thin, but not a bad wine.

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• 2010 Sharrott Winery Chardonnay Barrel Reserve 71 Points

  USA, New Jersey, Outer Coastal Plain

  (3/10/2012)

  This chardonnay comes from the same vineyard as their regular bottling, but it spends time on the lees, undergoing full maloactic fermentation and aging in American oak. Aromas of mango, milkshake and oak. Lots of oak. The palate shows pear fruit, dripping in butter. There's a harshness to this wine. The original chardonnay did not have enough power to withstand the oak. I mean, the oak has beat the hell out of the fruit.

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• 2010 Sharrott Winery Merlot 76 Points

  USA, New Jersey, Outer Coastal Plain

  (3/10/2012)

  Bright purple color in the glass, with nice clarity. Aromas: overwhelming mocha. The palate is actually quite light, but toasted with lots of oak. There's some nice sour cherry fruit on the palate. I like its freshness.

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• 2010 Sharrott Winery Cabernet Franc 76 Points

  USA, New Jersey, Outer Coastal Plain

  (3/10/2012)

  I liked this cabernet franc, even if I don't think it's a that good, technically speaking. it's really dark purple in the glass. The nose shows lots of dark berry fruit and oak. The palate has some serious tannins, giving it some structure. The amount of mocha and oak on the palate is insane, just overwhelming any fruit. So it's basically oak-covered tannins, with the slightest hint of sour cherry. It might have been interesting if it hadn't been oaked.

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• 2010 Sharrott Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 82 Points

  USA, New Jersey, Outer Coastal Plain

  (3/10/2012)

  This was my favorite wine of the tasting. Aromas of spiced punch and red berries. The palate shows darker berry fruit, backed up by significant tannins. It's bold, but not overoaked. There's just a bit of dark chocolate on the finish, which is pleasant.

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• 2003 Two Hands Shiraz Max's Garden 88 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote

  (3/10/2012)

  I popped this bottle in Atlantic City on a weekend away with my girlfriend, and we both enjoyed it. This shiraz is much more restrained than any other Two Hands wine I've tasted, ever. It took a bit to open up, and showed best between two and five hours opened. The next morning, it had gone quite flat. The nose showed pleasant cherry, bright currant, not too candied. The palate is soft and juicy, not at all jammy. The tannins are still present, but they've smoothed out. This is much lighter than I was expecting. There's some sweet raspberry and vanilla flavors, and a real creamy finish. I liked this wine, but was searching for just a bit more complexity. This is a wine for those who think Australian shiraz is too big, fruity and jammy.

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