Rendez-vous Winery Tasting

Clarksburg, CA
Tasted Wednesday, July 10, 2013 by isaacjamesbaker with 560 views

Introduction

The Rendez-vous tasting room is located in the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, a really pretty and quaint spot. The woman who poured for my family and I was incredibly sweet and generous, and we had a good time talking and tasting. But, overall, the wines weren't impressive. Given the corny label and the fact that the wines are associated with the folks behind the Menage a Trois label, I wasn't too disappointed. Still a fun experience, but I didn't bring anything home with me.

Flight 1 (12 Notes)

  • 2012 Rendez-vous Winery Muscat À Deux 82 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    Nose shows yellow and white flowers and ripe white peach. Dry on the palate with chunky pineapple and an oily mouthfeel. Notes of spice and lychee. Decent stuff.

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  • 2011 Rendez-vous Winery Chenin Blanc 85 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    Flora nose with salt and lime. Tangy grapefruit leads the palate, but there are also some sweet tart candies and nutty notes. An oily mouthfeel, but it's balanced well. Simple, pleasurable Chenin Blanc.

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  • 2011 Rendez-vous Winery Chardonnay 84 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    This Chardonnay shows ripe pear and yellow apple fruit, matched by nutty, toffee notes. On the palate, more pear and yellow apple, but the caramel, nuts and toasted marshmallow notes lead the way. Intense, overwhelming vanilla. I love vanilla, but this tastes like someone spiked it will vanilla extract. Not a bad chardonnay, but not a very balanced one either.

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  • 2011 Rendez-vous Winery Rendez-blanc 80 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    This blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Gris smells of sweet apricots and wildflowers. Juicy apple and apricot on the palate, with sweet, chunky mango notes. Simple, fruity white blend.

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  • 2011 Rendez-vous Winery Grenache Rosé 76 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    Bright pink color. Smells of strawberries and lemon peels. Quite sweet on the palate, like strawberry jam and watermelon. Some spice notes, not much acid. Perhaps a good cocktail mixer, but not the most pleasant rose.

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  • 2011 Rendez-vous Winery Primitivo 87 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    The first red of the tasting started a theme: I like their reds more than their whites. This one shows a nose of cherry jam, spice and leather. Juicy palate with refreshing acid and a silky mouthfeel. Sweet strawberry and cherry mixes with leather and dusty, earthy tones. Solid stuff.

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  • 2011 Rendez-vous Winery Rendez-rouge 84 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    Interesting little blend of Petite Sirah and Primitivo. Blackberries, red licorice and mocha on the nose. Juicy and sweet on the palate. I get red licorice, caramel and mocha. Too sweet and simple to be really good, but this is undoubtedly fun to drink.

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  • 2011 Rendez-vous Winery Late Harvest Petite Sirah 83 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    Rich, sweet nose of plums, blackberries and some chalk. Sweet berries coat the palate, along with cherry cordial, rich choclate and roasted fig. Not the most complex dessert wine, but enjoyable.

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  • 2009 Rendez-vous Winery Petite Sirah 74 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    An intellectually stimulating wine, but not one I could drink much of. Smells like black licorice, meat and a bit of solvent and reduced black fruit. Melted licorice and reduced plums on the palate. Some weird balsamic and nutty notes. Interesting, but this is a distressed wine.

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  • 2009 Rendez-vous Winery Rendez-rouge 78 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    Hmm...this wine perplexes me, which is positive, but I'm not sure it works for me. A blend of their 2009 Petite Sirah and a late harvest Chardonnay. I don't think I've ever come across such a blend. It smells like plum cake an wid caramelized sugar. Juicy on the palate with sweet berries and melted plums. Brown sugar and black licorice mix with a hint of sweet balsamic glaze. Interesting, but not a wine to revisit.

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  • 2009 Rendez-vous Winery Chardonnay Late Harvest 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    I really enjoyed this late harvest Chardonnay, and not only because it contains sugar. This seems like a much more well-made wine than the dry whites Rendez-vous produces. Lychee, apricot and almond on the nose. The palate is filled with honeycomb and creamy, nutty flavors. Rich but balanced, not cloying. This went really well with crackers and vanilla cream cheese provided by the tasting room attendant.

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  • 2011 Rendez-vous Winery Late Harvest Petite Sirah 85 Points

    USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

    Dense, smoky berries on the nose, with red licorice and pomegranate. Firm, tight tannins, with flavors of blackberry syrup, mocha and fig. Not very complex, but a good, ripe Petite Sirah nonetheless. I liked this more than the 2009 Petite Sirah, but they're such different wines that it's hard to compare them.

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