10/10/2023 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Absolutely delicious

8/24/2021 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Very little nose - pale gold color. Very nice fruit and lots of acid for food. Nice every day drinking wine for cocktails or light suppers.

8/24/2021 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this much much more than expected. The fruit was forward but not overwhelmed by butter or oak. There was enough acid to be nice with food but lovely to sip on its own.

6/17/2020 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Juicy and full flavored. Really good with salmon - even good tonight with a sweet Thai crispy duck!

4/9/2020 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Yellow in color without much nose either at room temp or chilled. Typical Clos du Bois blend... a bit of butter but enough acid to go with food. Not very complex with a little finish. It's very drinkable on it's own for cocktail time or with a mild seafood dish. It's not a wine for a special occasion but very nice at the price point.

4/6/2020 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Pale yellow in color with a lovely light nose. Lots of chardonnay fruit on the palate but a bit complex and a decently long finish. There is a bit of citrus acidity to make this a nice food wine even with stronger flavors. I was surprised it paired well with a blackened catfish with Appalachian tomato gravy.

2/26/2020 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This is an exceptional value

2/25/2020 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This wine is very surprising. A sparkling dry rose which is very nice to drink as an aperitif or should go very nicely with a variety of foods. It's no where near as sparkling as a sparkling wine and yet it has a definite sparking character and will "fizz". It is a dry wine with nice fruit but not overwhelming and certainly not sweet. This would be the ideal "front porch wine" in the summer or would go beautifully with grilled seafood or poultry.

2/16/2020 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Beautiful light gold color and yummy, fruity aroma. I initially had this wine in the vineyard in France and received a gift of half a case for my birthday, It is rich and complex with a long lasting finish. Six years later, it still seems young and should be good for quite a while. There is plenty of acid for food but it has a complex blend on the palate for pure enjoyment without food. I will enjoy this wine now and in the future.

12/18/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Subtle but interesting nose. Deep garnet color. Light mouth feel with acid with the sweetness. Medium to long finish but no complex changes. Nice dessert for the price point.

12/8/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Still like it but like the tawny better.

11/3/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This is a lovely white burgundy to enjoy with friends or pair with food. It is top rate at the price point and I have stocked up against the coming tariffs. It is pale gold in color with a very slight nose. The mouth is full of chardonnay fruit but not heavy or "buttery". It;s just what an everyday white burgundy should be and a counterpoint to California style chardonnays.

10/19/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

I nice dry sparkling wine which is great for a party or with a meal. It is especially good for the price. I've been drinking this wine off and on for a long time and it is consistently pleasing.

10/17/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Nice yellow color and light citrus on the nose.Acid is evident on the palate but there is an undertone of butter that is a bit heavy for me. Nicely fruit forward but only a medium finish and not particularly complex.

10/6/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

I bought this in St. John's and have waited to drink it. I am not disappointed. Lots of fruit in a ruby port but more complexity than in a port at this price point. In addition, it is very clean - not thick and sticky like a lot of rubys. It is also complex with a longer finish than one would expect. I enjoyed it in St. John's and will try and get more. Excellent bargain!

10/6/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This is another lovely white burgundy at a very good price point for what you get. It is light yellow in color with a light but pleasant nose even when cold. The wine is very fruit forward with tones of stone fruit with a light buttery overtone but a clean mouth feel. It's more complex than most chardonnays at this price point and changes nicely with a medium long finish

10/4/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

I really like this wine and I am not a usual rose fan of the still or bubbly variety. This wine is delightful... dry but lots of fruit on the palate. And it changes ... and lasts so long. The finish is as good as the first sip. Zillions of bubbles.. it holds up beautifully and is still producing tiny bubbles several hours after opening. It's a truly nice wine for enjoying with friends and should be just as great with food. At this price point, I'm planning on getting more for Thanksgiving.

6/20/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

I still find this wine is delicious. It is incredubly fragrant to the nose with it bready yeasty nose. It's pale yellow color is host to tiny bubbles - still not so many but very apparent on the palate. The wine is fruity and toasty and the finish is long and changing. I find this a very special sparkler and perfect for a special occassion with food or just to sip.

6/1/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This my second review of this wine after a second half case purchase. I like it even better than I remembered and raised my rating a point. I still think it is a really nice drinking and food wine. I agree with my previous notes completely but enjoyed the full tasting fruit on the front of the palate. I probably would rate it higher but it still has little nose and isn't complex on the palate. The finish is of standard length for a white burgundy and nothing to write home about but the acid lends itself to pair nicely to food and I find it delicious.

5/29/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Golden yellow in color with a light fruity nose. Lots of tropical fruit on the forward palate. I get some peach but as fruity as it is, it is very clean with decent acid on the palate. No oak and no butter. Slightly changes on the finish. Nice french style white burgundy (even though it’s from the Willamett Valley) for sipping or with grilled poultry or seafood.

5/24/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This port is amazing for the price. It has a lovely rich nose full of raisins which is followed through on the palate. The ruby is a deep dark garnet color with great legs. The fruit bursts forward on the palate (mostly raisins as in the nose). Medium sweetness and good acid on the finish - a nice medium long finish. In my opinion, this is an amazing port at $6,99 at Trader Joe's. It will my "every day" dessert.

5/20/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This is a very nice wine for the price point. Light yellow color and light fruity nose. Good chardonnay fruit on the palate with enough citrus and acidic notes to go with food. The citrus lingers but the wine overall is not acerbic. There are hints of oak and tropical fruit but neither is heavy. There is also a hint of vanilla but it is not heavy. Overall, the wine is clean and not thick or "cloying". There seems to be more vanilla on the nose than on the palate. I think this is an example of a wine to sip or serve with food which is affordable in volume but isn't "overdone" or taste "chemically enhanced".

5/20/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

I don't understand the low ratings this wine has gotten. It has a lovely light yellow gold color and a light fruity nose. The wine is clean on the palate with light oak and some tropical fruit but no vanilla. It is not a heavy wine and has a light mouthfeel and maybe that's what people don't like. The flavors change and linger on the palate with a little citrus/acid developing a second or so after the initial sip. The finish is not a long one but the changes on the palate make an interesting wine to sip and the slight acid makes it suitable for pairing with some foods. It would probably not stand up to a cream or heavy butter sauce but should be quite nice with a lightly grilled fish or shellfish dish (since I haven't tried it with food, I reserve the right to modify after I do). I had this wine first when it was served in a premium airport lounge and then found it for sale at Trader Joe's. It seems like a really good wine for the price point to me. No one will confuse this with a great white burgundy or a $20+ California or Argentinian wine but it's a nice light sipping chardonnay for those who don't require stainless steel or heavy fruit. Don't drink this wine too cold or it loses all its character as do most chardonnays. 50-55 degrees is very nice and it is even enjoyable slightly chilled from room temperature. Again - this is not a heavy wine but properly served is very enjoyable.

5/14/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Tasted this first at just below room temperature.Slightly yellow green color and very little nose. Slightly creamy and rich tropical fruit and a little citrus on the finish. I thought it would be too rich for food but the citrus and acid ought to work well with grilled chicken, fish and shellfish.

5/11/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Pale yellow in color and with little nose even only slightly chilled. Tropical fruit and good chardonnay flavor. Not a California style. Very clean with no vanilla and very little butter. Good acid but it doesn't leave the mouth dry. It is not too dry to drink on it's own but with chicken, pork, fish, and shellfish, this should work well with butter sauces and with cream based sauces.

5/11/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Lovely golden color and nice chardonnay nose. Full bodied with lots of tropical fruit and a little oak on the palate but very little vanilla and very clean. Although this is a California style chardonnay, it is not heavy and cloying. I really like this for just sipping but it is clean enough and has enough acid to pair well with food - especially chicken, fish and shellfish. It may work with pork as well but I think I would like it more with grilled
food. It may fight with a heavy cream sauce. The flavors burst on the palate even when chilled below 50 degrees and, although it is not extremely complex, it lingers for a long finish.

5/1/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Very nice fruity red. Beautiful garnet color and lovely nose. NIce legs and enough tanins to go nicely with a pasta with meat sauce. A bargain at this price point.

5/2/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Beautiful dark garnet color with good legs. Wonderfil merlot nose (it was labeled improperly - this was a 2013 Merlot from Elk Creek. Lots of merlot fruit but no sweetness and pairs very well with food. I had it with grilled pork and it was perfect.

4/24/2019 - rialla977 wrote:

Yellow color and vanilla on the nose as well as on the palate. This is a typical California style chardonnay with lots of butter and oak. There is some tropical fruit in there as well and a bit of acid but, to me, it isn't as much a food wine as it is a sipper - for people who really want butter and oak. It is a nice wine of this style for the price.

4/14/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Pale yellow color - very little nose. Good tropical chardonnay fruit but the taste is light. Some acid which should go well with food. No noticeable oak. The best thing about it is the medium finish which has some character to it

4/13/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Very lovely rose color with a light fruity nose. Not as sweet as I would expect from a port but a nice light sweetness which would complement a number of desserts - especially cake types - maybe an almond cake would be nice. Not an especially complex wine or a long finish but nice for the price point.

4/6/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Light golden yellow with very nice legs. Light but lovely nose full of tropical fruit which follows through on the palate. Very good, clean chardonnay fruit with nice oak but no vanilla or malalactic heaviness. Nice white burgundy and good for sipping as well as paired with food. Enough acid to atand up to butter and cream sauces. Terrific with poultry, fish & shellfish.

3/21/2019 - rialla977 wrote:

Light yellow in color with little nose when chilled. Clean with citrus flavors. No oak. Plenty of acid to go with food.

2/24/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Nice golden yellow color with a tropical fruit on the nose and palate that improve as the temperature warms from cold to about 50 degrees. The wine has good chardonnay fruit along with some acid which will stand up to food. It it quite clean but smooth for sipping as well.

2/7/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Pale gold color and nice nose, Lots of fruit and a little oak but nice and clean on the palate. No vanilla I could taste. Very nice to sip and should pair nicely with food.

2/5/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Lovely pale golden color and a tropical nose to savor. Great mouthfeel with a clean finish. Soft tropical fruit on the front but coupled with light acid which will pair well with food. The taste lingers on the palate and changes as it goes through a long lovely finish. NOt cheap but definitely a lovely wine for sipping or a good meal with fish, shellfish or poultry. I think it will stanmd up well to butter and cream sauces but would be perfect with a simple grilled dish as well.

2/5/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Pale yellow green color and little nose. Nice tropical fruit with slight acid on the palate. The finish is long but the flavor just melts away with no real change or complexity.

2/2/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Yellow color and a tropical nose - mostly pineapple. Clean mouthfeel and light acid on the palate when served cold - very little flavor. As it lingers in the mouth and warms some, fruit (both citrus/lemon and tropical/pineapple) begins to show up along with a little oak.

1/31/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This is nice everyday wine for food or sipping. There isn't much nose and it has a pale yellow color. There's tropical fruit and some chardonnay character with a little oak but it's not heavy. It has some acid so can stand up to food and the mouthfeel is clean. There isn't much finish but it's a nice wine for the price point.

1/24/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This has aged nicely. Lemony yellow color with a slightly oaky nose. That's where oak ends for the most part. There is lots of citrus in this clean white burgundy with some tropical fruit on the palate and a nice long finish. Others described it as "modern" and I would as well. It will be a very nice food wine with fish, shellfish and poultry and should stand up nicely to any butter or cream sauces

1/19/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Pale yellow color with tiny bubbles but not a lot of them. Toasty nose not much acid on the palate but nice fruit - a hint of sweetness in the finish

1/18/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

PAle yellow color with large bubbles at first but they give way to smaller bubbles which last nicely. Light nose but the first sips are lovely on the palate with fruit and toast.Some change from the front to the back of the palate but not much finish. Very nice for the pricepoint and good as a wine to share with friends or to pair with food. Will probably stand up to a butter sauce with fish and shellfish but I'm not sure about a cream sauce.

1/11/2019 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

I was surprised by this inexpensive port. Although labeled tawny, the color was more to the ruby side with brown tawny highlights. The nose is very nice with fruity notes. The palate is warm and fruit forward with a light acid bite. The big surprise is the lovely long finish. I find this a delightful inexpensive dessert.

12/30/2018 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Not much nose but lovely golden color and nice legs. Good Russian River chardonnay for the price point. Full mouthfeel but enough acid to keep the palate fairly clean. Definitely pairs well with food and offered locally as an upscale choice by the glass at one of the better restaurants. I enjoy it as a sipper but definitely like it with fish, shellfish, and poultry - grilled or with butter or light cream sauces. There is enough acid for most things but I'm not sure about a super heavy cream sauce like traditional cocquilles saint jacques.

12/25/2018 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Lovely bready, yeasty nose. Pa;e yellow in color. Not a lot of bubbles but they are small and long lasting. Very full flavored. Light acid would make this a very nice food wine with almost anything. The flavor moderates on the palate and it has a nice longish finish that ends softly. I think this is good for food (especially fish, shellfish, chicken, light poultry, and pork) but also nice to sip and enjoy with friends.

12/2/2018 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Really nice drinking and food wine. Light nose and clear light yellow color. Nice full mouth feel but clean not thick. Lots of chardonnay fruit but not heavy with vanilla, oak or butter. Not really acidic but enough acid to pair nicely with food - especially shellfish and grilled fin fish. Probably will stand up to butter sauces but maybe not cream based.

11/19/2018 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This is a lovely white burgundy. It has a light tropical nose and is a lovely light golden color. It has delicious chardonnay fruit but is very clean with some acid on the forward palate. The best part is the many changes this lovely wine goes through and its long lingering finish. This is a great wine to share with friends or to pair with seafood or poultry. I think it will be very good with a lightly grilled dish (butter or oil) but am not sure there is enough acid for a cream sauce.

11/10/2018 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

Lovely red blend. I bought this at a winemakers tasting and did not regret it when I had my first bottle at home. Although it doesn’t have much of a nose, it is a beautiful garnett color. The burst of fruit at first sip and the complex finish make this a very nice wine just to sip. Add to that it’s light acid and a few unresolved tsnins (not many) and you have a nice wine to sip or have with a casual dinner. At my first pairing, It went particularly nicely with spicy barbecue ribs.

9/15/2018 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

I love this wine. It has been one of my favorite chardonnays for years. This bottle was a birthday present from a friend and was well chosen. It is a beautiful pale gold in color with great legs. Even cold, it has a lovely nose. It is very clean on the palate full of chardonnay fruit but no cloying thickness. It has great mouthfeel. It starts out light with a touch of acid and then adds the tropical fruit dimension. The flavors evolve for at least a minute with a long complex finish. I think this is a stellar example of California chardonnay - not the supermarket variety in any way.

9/12/2018 - rialla977 Likes this wine:

This is a lovely sipping chardonnay for California chardonnay lovers. It is light gold in colorwith lots of legs. THere is little nose when chilled but probably will open up some on warming. It has a rich taste but the mouthfeel is not thick. Lots of tropical fruit and some oak but not overdone. Medium bodied and fairly clean but without much acid. It will stand up to food but probably not cream dishes. Probably nice with grilled chicken or fish.