6/9/2013 - PlanetX wrote:

This is still a big, intense and tannic wine with a good core of vanilla infused fruit. Will be interested in seeing where this is in a couple of years.

3/29/2022 - Hi.its.Don.4.Wine Likes this wine:

You Know What They Say About "Assuming?"

When I first decided to review today’s wine, I already knew a great deal about the ownership of the winery, you see it’s owned by one of the largest family-owned wine businesses, the Jackson Family Wines.

In 1986, founders Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson bought one of the oldest vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley, originally called the Tepusquet Vineyard, and established Cambria; now headed by their daughters Katherine and Julia Jackson. The wines being made under the watchful eye of Jill Russell. Today’s wine is the:

Cambria "Katherine's Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay 2019

Not to worry, lest you think Julia doesn’t get the recognition of having her name on a wine; she’s got a Pinot Noir and Rosé with her name on it, oh, and Barbara has one named in her honor as well. To get to specifics, it’s actually the vineyards that are named after those prestigious women and thusly the wine.

So, we’ve got the vineyards named, or some of them, but I had this searing desire (oaky maybe just an inquisitiveness) to find out the origin of the winery name – Cambria. Now the easiest way to do that would be to contact the winery and ask; Nah, too easy. I like a challenge. Off I go to the all-knowing internet!

Searching around I found a reference to a geologic period of the earth, the Cambrian Age, that occurred 542 to 488 million years ago. Maybe a reference to the ancient soils with fossilized seashells? There’s also an orchid name the Cambria orchid. Do they grow those flowers in the vineyards? The most likely was a reference to one of the founder’s last name – Jackson. I discovered that Cambria is the name for Wales in Great Britain. Jackson is also a prevalent name there as well. So, I’m surmising that they named the winery Cambria after a possible lineage to kinfolk from Wales England.

After I post this, I’m wondering if I’ll get any response from the winery as to my assumption being correct or not? Time will tell.

As for the wine; from a cool, long, and steady growing season in the Santa Maria Valley came this delish 100% chardonnay, sustainably certified, and created using whole cluster pressed grapes fermented in barrel (75%) and 25% in stainless steel. Undergoing 75% malolactic fermentation and then allowed to age for nine months in French Oak (25%) new.

What emerges is a wine cloaked in creaminess along with nice acidity and minerality. Apple flavors surface along with a toastiness. This is a wonderful chardonnay, pleasant and enjoyable, especially for those looking for a creamy style.

Now I need only wait to see if my assumption about the name is correct.

Cheers

1/4/2022 - Oenecnist wrote:

Bought 4 mags for CAD 28+/mag (reflects 5% mixed case discount; add 15% tax) on closeout from a local shop last week; this is #1. Solid cork. Decanted but not needed: almost no sediment--surprising. Ripe red plum purple; ripe plum, some ripe cherry, some oak that follow on the palate, well-integrated oak; very good mouthfeel; good persistence. Delicious, perhaps at its peak drinking window around now. The top shelf for a good--not great--producer and a memorable experience. Stored horizontally in a cool, dark basement locker since purchase. My evaluation (see earlier posts for my 4-category, non-point rating system): This is outstanding when considering quality, age, and price in the BCLDB environment (high taxes, heavily regulated and protected).

9/29/2021 - ajbergren wrote:

Bright straw yellow-gold with medium minus optical density and very fine, high specular reflectivity. Aromas are strong, with fresh zesty citrus (grapefruit and lemon peel), tropical fruits, and some grassy meadow flowers. On the palate, fresh, zesty acidity and easy-going body provide for an easy refreshing drink. Flavours of various fruits (citrus, tangerine notes) and grassy florals on the attack, with a streak of minerals cutting through things. The midpalate sees the fruit turning softer, with a touch of a grilled character, while at the same time seeing limestone gravel fill in the gaps. The final transition sees the texture turn chalky, with more vibrant rich fruits that become sweeter at this point. Finishes very clean, with the length being at the back of the palate, where grilled pineapple and grassiness linger with decent time. Overall intensity is very nice, with enough depth and complexity to surpass the average.

An awesome wine that is classic for the region, providing great value. A fun wine that is at home with food or on its own, with both breadth and depth to appreciate. Plenty fruit-forward, for an approachable and yet elegant profile. Lovely!

11/26/2021 - TannicBeast Likes this wine:

Glera with a bit of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. Pale straw w/ a green hue. Nice vigorous perlage. Med intensity aromas of gala apple, pear, white peach, and white flowers. Dry but with a touch of RS. Med (+) acidity and med (-) alcohol at 11%. Light-bodied, w/ med intensity flavors and length. Very smooth and silky, with a clean mineral finish. It was awarded a Double Gold and is the Value Prosecco Class Champion at the 2022 Houston Uncorked wine competition and worth a try. Drink now, not intended for aging. 89+

8/28/2016 - KillerJones Likes this wine:

Oak-aged for 16 months to tame its character,” is what is written on the back label, and the wine does show vanilla from the toasted oak. And, although touted as another muscular wine from Argentina (referring to Malbec as being the other), this wine is more sinewy than muscular, supported by ripe blackcurrant berry, chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg on the nose.
Typical of Tannat, it is such a deep red, it's black. It is rich, with a mouthful of cassis, good acidity, incredible backbone and a long finish exhibiting chocolate, blackcurrant with a spiciness that just keeps on going -- well worth the $15.00. I paired it with some grilled meat -venison tenderloin with sauteed crimini mushrooms and a sauce made from the same wine.
Excellent, if not decadent, and if this 100% Tannat were a dance - it would be the tango.

5/2/2021 - Canoehead Likes this wine:

This took another 12-18 months in bottle to smooth out the grippy tannic back half. Absolutely worth the wait. Pronounced bouquet of rich cassis, liquorice and burnt sage. Repeated on the palate. Terrific concentration, medium plus body, long finish. Well balanced and very well made. I do hope von Mandl keeps the Blind Creek Collective portfolio but the chances are slim. The fruit quality is too good to ignore.

7/6/2021 - deBare Likes this wine:

Honestly, it doesn't seem as good a vintage as the 2014 (but I can't find a 2016 to save my life) so I ’settled’ for this 2015. It’s still a good wine with notes of currants, blackberries, and minerals. And I agree with Canoehead that it could use more time in the cellar as I continue my hunt for the elusive 2016 bottles.

Cheers. 🍷

3/20/2016 - deBare wrote:

Disappointing - very earthy and flat tasting.

2/23/2020 - Heynetty wrote:

A: Medium ruby
N: Medium (+) [pronoiuunced int.] nose of blackberries, violet red cherry, pomegranate, liquorice, mint, pencil shavings, wet rock, toast (from America oak)
P:Dry, medium (+) acid [high acid instructor], medium (+) fine grained [firm]tannins, full body, high alcohol, medium (+) intensity and medium (+) finish
C: Balance between the acid and the tannin and fruit intensity on the other. Though the one has some complexity and though the intensity and length contribute to this very good quality wine , greater complexity and length might be expected from better examples.

[no tertiary as still young but still ageable]
Fruit intensiity and acid and tannin structure make this wine suitable for ageing.

A bit about the region and grape:
This predominately red wine DO lies in the mountains that mark the boundary between Galicia and the Meseta Central. The climate is moderate and benefits from a cooling maritime influence. The key grape variety here is Mencia (florals and pencil shaving and acid allows ageing), which can produce elegant red wines with naturally high acidity and red fruit aromas. Many of the best wines come from old vines grown on the region's steep stony slopes. Some producers make unoaked wines to retain the perfumed red fruit of the grape variety, but many use new oak to add toasty aromas.

1/5/2021 - deBare Likes this wine:

I can't really add much to KFrench150's detailed review below (with which I agree). It's truly a great wine that pairs well with many different dishes. In fact, at a BC Wine Institute VQA tasting a couple of years back, deKerf and I determined that this wine was the clear winner among at least 80 other wineries at the event. It wasn't even 'Clos' - groan 😉 .

A bit of trivia: Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC's Provincial Health Officer, is a co-owner of the Clos du Soleil Winery - located in the Keremeos-Similkameen region of southern British Columbia. This valley is coming into its own as the new 'hottest' spot for wine-growing - competing well with the long-established Okanagan.

Sadly the 2014 bottles appear to be gone from local wine stores. I haven't tried the 2015 vintage yet but am looking forward to drinking one soon.

6/6/2019 - garrigue65 wrote:

This has past its peak. I would recommend patience in the glass or at least 30 minutes in a decanter. Please drink up now. Muted fruit/ strawberry and cherry eucalyptus finish. Was better a year ago.

4/16/2020 - deBare wrote:

I'm ambivalent about this wine. Admittedly I bought it mistakenly thinking it was 2020 Wine Spectator's #7 wine so I was probably expecting much more - shame on me. However, this is a sibling.
It's gold-coloured with a nose of flint, stoniness and mineral. The body is light. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes long. However as a previous reviewer noted, there is a slight bitterness to the finish.
I'm not likely buying this wine again - especially at the price point here in Canada.

12/13/2016 - bjamesclark wrote:

A lengthy decant shows moderate to moderate-plus aromas that are starting to show the evolution and age of this wine. Aromas show a mix of sarsaparilla, old wood, game meats, crushed dried violets and lavender, tar, earth, camphor, menthol, leather and walnut scents that lead into plum, wild blackberry, dried cherry and vanilla with touches of fennel pollen. Noticeably less fruit than previous notes.
The palate remains lively with medium-plus acid. Flavors in this have evolved as well, losing the jammy fruit quality noted in the past. Flavors of grilled game meats, herbs and tobacco, crushed walnut, dried violets and lavender, camphor, fennel pollen, menthol and fruit flavors which show dried cherry, wild blackberry and black plum skin. The finish lingers highlighting the acidity and savory notes.

Overall trending downward and showing more maturity than expected.
Past its peak, but still a great wine drinking well in its price point.

8/31/2013 - deBare Likes this wine:

I have to wonder (and it's entirely Schild Estate's fault!!!) if the extremely negative reviews below are in fact tastings of the infamous 'Second Blend' which was horrible - even undrinkable. Given the sheer number of tasting notes for this particular vintage, mixed with one of the stupidest marketing decisions by a winery since fermentation was discovered in the Neolithic period, I believe the two 'co-vintages' are often being reviewed as representing 2008 as if it were a singular vintage. In my humble opinion, this creates unfortunate confusion because the original and its inferior cousin are very very different (let me stress again this entirely Schild Estate's fault!).

It's certainly not up to the CT members to figure out which of the two releases they are drinking, especially when the labels are identical and you need to look at the etchings on the bottom of the bottle (it's ridiculous - see: www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/44637).

That said, I cellared five cases of the original 2008 Schild Estate Shiraz when it first came out and it remains among mine and my family's favourite wines. I still have about half of those bottles left. The wine is aging well and continues to deserve the high praise it received by WS as their #7 wine in 2010.

On the other hand, I bought two cases of the 2008 'Second Blend' when it came to Canada under this moniker (because WS said it was almost identical to the original), and several cases of 2010 Schild Estate Shiraz (which reached #33 on the 2012 WS list). Both vintages were absolutely horrible, and fortunately the BCLS has a great return policy because everything went back to the liquor store.

The whole experience has made me sad/mad about Schild Estates' attempt to deceive the public (and drop their winemaking standards) ... but even more confused about the tastings/rankings offered by WS which seem wildly inconsistent. I realize it's ultimately up to our individual tastes to determine what we like and don't like - using others' reviews and experiences as mere guidelines to our own buying/drinking decisions. I'm just not sure anyone reading the 522 CT tastings notes on the 2008 Schild Estate Shiraz will appreciate that if they do happen upon an original bottle, they should snap it up. I think they will discover what made this wine among the top 10 in the world for its year. As for the other Schild Estate Shiraz vintages, definitely drink at your peril. Cheers.

11/2/2009 - Polarper wrote:

Rated 5 stars in Platter's 2009 edition. Finely blends 8 separately vinified varieties, some oaked. Sauvignon Blanc (40%: Chardonnay 20%: Viognier 15%) dominates with subtle tinned pea notes, but seamless, harmonious. Silkily elegant, with rare sense of completeness. Should mature good few years.

6/9/2012 - Hamilton1 wrote:

Tried this after having the Blue Eyed Boy, which I thought was outstanding. This was disappointing in comparison, even in consideration of the considerably lower price. Not significantly better than Penfolds or Shotfire offerings that are in the $12 to $15 range.

5/18/2013 - wineshaman wrote:

Massive yes, jammy yes, sweet yes, fruit bomb yes, typical MD yes, Bordeaux no, Rhine no, elegant no. I am continually amazed at the critics of MD wines, like what are you expecting, what is even more amazing is how many and how much$$$ they spend to trash Aussie wines in general. When I open a bottle of MD I know what I am going to get, same as if I open a Bordeaux or Rhone etc. it is what it is and it is what it should be!

8/27/2012 - imissjerry wrote:

This is one of those wines that when you frink you wish you had waited another 10 years! I happen to know that was the 1st lot of this celebrated wine, (#8 WS TOP 100) and was not part of the purchased fruit mele' that plagued Schild! This wine was gorgeous Shiraz with a deep rich nose of cocoa powder, violets and a hint of coffee. The palate was deep dark bluberry, plum and chocolate present. It's inky dark color was gorgeous and had fantastic structure. The wince finished with lots of style and grace with a wonderful coating mouthfeel!

6/3/2012 - bjamesclark wrote:

Dark purple color with opaque core. medium viscosity.
(Decanted) Nutty aromas and tabacco frame plum, dark cherry wood and a hint of sassafras extract.
The Palate is full throttle delivering more than the nose alludes; Firm, well integrated tannins, bright acidity, and velvety texture; Structured. Concentrated flavors of blackberry, cherry and plum flirt with spice, wood, chocolate, vanilla and blue fruit. The finish is long with drying tannins. pleasant

7/27/2011 - Joegish Likes this wine:

Despite all the recent negative (and I might add well-deserved) press Schild has received, this is still a delicious wine.

3/9/2013 - Philly NQ King wrote:

More than a year since my last bottle and what a difference. All my bottles are from the original batch, but have still experienced plenty of bottle variation. This bottle - fantastic. Balance, spice, depth and complexity. My other bottles were NOT like this...too bad this was my last.

2/17/2013 - swade wrote:

I usually don't repost on the same wine. It has been a year. The flavor profile hasn't changed, but the mouth feel is unctuous. Simply amazing. I'm blown away. This is not spoofilated at all. Rich, but not heavy. No weariness in drinking it. Layers of flavor. My palate profiles European and my CT score average is 87. 94-95.

3/17/2013 - Arch57 Likes this wine:

Wow this wine has peaked into a glorious Aussie Shiraz that finally delivered on the WS ratings. We popped this after an 05 Clarendon Hills Piggott that was not nearly as expressive as this bottle.
I reviewed my notes on this wine over the years and this last bottle was by far the best. Explosive fruit on the nose with a mouth coating palate like a bowl of bing cherries. This is in a great place and I envy the 61% who still have some stashed away because at this price it was a real steal.

10/29/2011 - Fragrant Farmer wrote:

I think this wine. after two bottles over the last six month, is hideous. All I could taste was the "seamlessly integrated vanilla oak spice". So overpowering oak and 14.5% alcohol. Australian chardonnay 1995? Maybe if I had left it a day or two open or a year or two in the bottle it might have been OK. Take away the oak and maybe there was something nice underneath but who knows.

3/24/2013 - belfast taxman wrote:

In this varietal dominated world here was a wine with real difference - the Semillon and Sauvignon just had an edge of dominance and provided lovely depth complexity and a good long finish = drank beautifully with Chinese food

6/27/2013 - deBare Likes this wine:

Very young still bit of bottle shock after just two days. Needs some time!

12/17/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan Does not like this wine:

Not sure if I had a bad bottle or not, but it initially both smelled and tasted like a barnyard. We aerated it and decanted it, and that improved the nose substantially. But it still didn't taste very good.

I will not purchase it again.