Lovely drinking wine. Toasty yellow apples, honey and some light spice notes. Nice body, has some richness but the finish shows precision and good acid. Very nice.
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liked this a lot - blew through expectations based on price and grape (candidly, not that much experience with chenin). wonderful with salmon - mid-weight, touch of beeswax, very nice minerality
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Big round chenin blanc with honeyed Notes. Decent amount of oak I think. Rich. Different than other sandlands chenins with are cleaner and crisp. This was round and complex
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Oak is integrated now into a savory core with lightly honeyed fruit. Pleasing rich texture. Some heat on the nose and finish across temperatures. Improved over three nights, gaining concentration and integrating further while heat dissipated. On the upswing.
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ABC (anything but Chardonnay) with Thai food: Underripe peach core with slight reduction and wet wool. In the mouth, dry with elevated acid. A bit bitter and hot (despite reading 12.8% alcohol). Tastes like partial new oak (vanilla, freshly-sanded wood, maybe about 30% new?). Score: around 8.5
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Anything but Chardonnay WineBerserkers Tasting (Thai Cottage, SF): Nose seems a tad hollow, but has some funk and peach; palate is dry, alcohol is a bit too pronounced and the fruit seems hidden or faded; short finish. The balance seems off to me... Not enough fruit. 82
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Chenin Blanc! Pale, citrus, acidic, balanced, and a long finish. What a treat, especially for the price. Not sure this is easy to source (I ordered a few years ago), but if you can find it, buy it. Drink now through 2018.
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Opened for Thanksgiving. From memory. PnP. Initially closed but with time and air, nice tart apple, citrus aromas and flavors, with characteristic woolly notes. Some minerality. Nice weight and body.
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Wines At Our Table; Week of October 25th 2015; 10/19/2015-10/25/2015: Pale yellow color. Initially opens with wet wool aromas that give way to white peach, apple, citrus, honey and a bit of wet stone aromas. On the palate its medium-bodied, and dry with wonderful acidity and texture with green apple, white peach, baked apricot, and citrus flavors. Lingering satisfying finish with a hint of minerality. 12.8% alcohol. Wonderful at the table!
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Rhone Tasting: Crisp and clean, tart green apples, apricots, limes, doused with chalk and white tea, hints of almond and nougat. Lovely balance between fruit and non-fruit flavors, richness and acid. Surprising depth, impressive. The only non-Rhone wine in the bunch, but a welcome addition for sure.
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Interesting balance of citrus, minerality, and a bit of oak. Hints of chardonnay type flavors, but crisper, cleaner. Would probably pair nicely with raw bar seafood.
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At first, lots texture. Wax. Directly after I would have sworn I was drinking Chardonnay. Oak, round and lowish acidity. Not at all what I was expecting. Day 2 was leaner and a bit racier, with some zest.
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Peach, white flowers, honeysuckle, apple, traces of the characteristic wet wool, oak fades with air. Palate features peach, slightly under ripe stone fruits, lemon, some oak on the finish but fairly integrated. Medium body with nice richness without being overdone, good acidic cut frames everything up nicely.
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Popped and poured, bright golden lemon with a slight haze. Interesting, stone-filled aromas of honeysuckle, beeswax, subtle lemon and oak. Medium-light body, immediate notes of citrus and an impression of minerals are complimented by undertones of sliced pear, stone fruits and a touch of oak...perhaps more Pouilly-Fuissé than Amador County. Well-rounded, plush texture almost obscures the moderate-plus acidity, puts on weight with air. Great now, should only improve with additional cellaring.
Quick comment: This is a fantastic QPR @ $24 per, especially for fans of the style.
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Very pale yellow in the glass. Very fragrant, fruity aromas—tree fruit. On the tongue, fruit dominates—apricot, red apple—but there is also a caramel thing, here. Towards the back of the palate sufficient acid arises that tones down the fruitiness. Very refreshing. I say this is an easy wine to drink now.
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Incredibly good. Perfect density, wonderful length and concentration, and balanced acidity. I didn't know what to expect but I was frankly blown away at how good this chenin blanc is. There's so much going on but it never feels busy or rushed, it just saunters along your palate doing as it pleases. There's minerality over there, some citrus and stone fruit wandering by right here, acidity weaving amongst everyone, and a tart, crisp finish to wrap the package up. One of the best chenin blancs I've had.
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Pale yellow color. Initially opens with wet wool aromas that give way to white peach, apple, Meyer lemon and a bit of wet stone aromas. On the palate its medium-bodied, and dry with wonderful acidity and texture with green apple, white peach, baked apricot, citrus, and a hint of spice flavors. Lingering satisfying finish with a bit of minerality. 12.8% alcohol. Wonderful at the table!
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Decanted for > 2 hrs. Pale gold. Nice melange of tart apples, hint of tropical fruits, and wet wool. Palate with tart (gala) apples, mild pink grapefruit and pith, and mild minerality which becomes more pronounced in the moderately long finish. Ripe grapefruits come up in the finish. Nice acidity. Nicely done but missing something that really distinguishes it.
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On opening, smelled like sauv blanc, pineapples. On the palate, green apples. Dry. Bright to very bright. Some creaminess that reminds me of champagne. Tasty but oh so crisp. I'll be leaving the other bottles in the cellar for a while to see how it develops.
Update day 2: I enjoyed this more on the second night. It brought forward more waxy/creamy body to balance the acid, while not losing any of the green apple fruit.
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My first bottle from Sandlands, and it was a nice introduction. It showed many of the typical characteristics of Chenin Blanc (hello wet wool!), and was best on the finish, where it had both a richness/breadth and a bit of a citric snap that brought a lot of life to the wine. I'll put my other bottle away for a little bit to see how some age affects the wine.
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I didn't like this as much as the reds I've tried from Sandlands. It's a joyful wine with plenty of upfront fruit but it lacks the minerality and acidity that I love in a good Chenin Blanc. Perhaps you can't find that in the Sierra Foothills. I'll stick to the reds in the future and hope to snag more of the Trousseau.
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Seems very young, evolving rapidly in the glass. Initially a bit 'stiff', quickly opened up with nice lemon notes and solid backbone and some viognier-like peach notes. Suspect that this will improve with age, and look forward to seeing how Sandlands handles this fruit over the coming years.
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I was surprised at the amount of oak on this. yes, there's minerality, yes there's reasonable acidity; but with this much oak, it'd need more of each. The oak does, however, lend a sense of broadness to the fruit such that this wine is more a complete meal than "just" a food-wine. I'm glad I tried it - but now I just don't know what to do with bottle #2 ...
Killer, crystalline clover honey note on the front end. Then it falls off a bit more quickly than I'd like (or than was suggested by it's brilliant first move). I suspect youth, and will hold a while before the next one. Seems like there's more to see here, with time.
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I liked this but didn't love it. Lovely nose and really nice waxy texture with an attractive mineral backbone. This is pretty broad shouldered. There is some acidity but it could use a little more, and there is slight marzipan note that perhaps comes form the lees contact. The oak is notable and detracts from the finished product. Nice wine and worth the money but I imagine it can get better with future vintages.
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Bottle #2. Fleshy pears, and lemons dominate the aromatics. The palate was floral and soft with medium acidity. Had some waxy almond notes on the palate that seemed to come from oak influences.
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Flowers and pear on the nose, the wine seems rich but very light on it's feet, pears apple and minerals good streak of acidity. Really liked this a lot.
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12.8% abv. Medium straw. Flowers and stone aromas. On the palate, Apple, pear, a touch of citrus and a saline note. Great balance, depth and length. Who says California can't compete with Loire's great white grape?
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Lots of lanolin and floral notes on the nose. The palate had a peachy/banana note to it, a touch of cream, some leesy notes, and nice acidity. A sleek but rich Chenin...very nice.
6/11/2019 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Lovely drinking wine. Toasty yellow apples, honey and some light spice notes.
Nice body, has some richness but the finish shows precision and good acid. Very nice.
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2/10/2019 - nectar14 Likes this wine:
Drank this a while ago. I recall it being very good, and having lots of good chenin blanc typicity and not too heavy.
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8/8/2018 - Jahull03 wrote:
liked this a lot - blew through expectations based on price and grape (candidly, not that much experience with chenin). wonderful with salmon - mid-weight, touch of beeswax, very nice minerality
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3/20/2018 - jkline wrote: 90 Points
Big round chenin blanc with honeyed Notes. Decent amount of oak I think. Rich. Different than other sandlands chenins with are cleaner and crisp. This was round and complex
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1/15/2018 - rc@ughey wrote: 88 Points
Better than last time. Same waxy texture and rich citrus, but the oak is less obtrusive. Nice.
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11/11/2017 - rama wrote:
Peach and tropical nose, austere pallet.
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10/6/2017 - rama wrote:
S'okay. Not a ton of chenin character, but clean and a fine drink.
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8/9/2017 - cfk49 wrote: 89 Points
Chalk and peach in the nose. Austere peach flavors with an oily texture. Good overall restraint and elegance. Very nice for what it is.
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1/11/2017 - jmw17 Likes this wine:
Oak is integrated now into a savory core with lightly honeyed fruit. Pleasing rich texture. Some heat on the nose and finish across temperatures. Improved over three nights, gaining concentration and integrating further while heat dissipated. On the upswing.
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9/4/2016 - JOsgood wrote:
This showed great. Seems to have improved with age.
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8/21/2016 - dougie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Defintely smoother than a year ago. Try last 2012 next year. What a fun, beautiful wine.
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7/20/2016 - scott w Likes this wine:
Pear hints of smoke and a little peach. Just a slight bit of creamy-ness wax and I still really like this. Drinks best around room temperature.
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4/27/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 85 Points
ABC (anything but Chardonnay) with Thai food: Underripe peach core with slight reduction and wet wool.
In the mouth, dry with elevated acid. A bit bitter and hot (despite reading 12.8% alcohol). Tastes like partial new oak (vanilla, freshly-sanded wood, maybe about 30% new?).
Score: around 8.5
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4/27/2016 - aagrawal wrote: 82 Points
Anything but Chardonnay WineBerserkers Tasting (Thai Cottage, SF): Nose seems a tad hollow, but has some funk and peach; palate is dry, alcohol is a bit too pronounced and the fruit seems hidden or faded; short finish. The balance seems off to me... Not enough fruit. 82
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4/24/2016 - tbone wrote:
Fantastic tonight! Smoky melon fruit, citrus on nose and medium bodied fruit on palate with adequate acidity. Loved it.
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3/6/2016 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 91 Points
Improved in the last year. Nose is opening with some crisp apple, taste is lovely with a dry sharp palate. Solid CA Chenin.
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2/18/2016 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chenin Blanc! Pale, citrus, acidic, balanced, and a long finish. What a treat, especially for the price. Not sure this is easy to source (I ordered a few years ago), but if you can find it, buy it. Drink now through 2018.
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11/28/2015 - James Kim wrote: 91 Points
Opened for Thanksgiving. From memory. PnP. Initially closed but with time and air, nice tart apple, citrus aromas and flavors, with characteristic woolly notes. Some minerality. Nice weight and body.
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11/22/2015 - Rollerball wrote: 88 Points
Better a little warm. Great accompaniment to olives.
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10/20/2015 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wines At Our Table; Week of October 25th 2015; 10/19/2015-10/25/2015: Pale yellow color. Initially opens with wet wool aromas that give way to white peach, apple, citrus, honey and a bit of wet stone aromas. On the palate its medium-bodied, and dry with wonderful acidity and texture with green apple, white peach, baked apricot, and citrus flavors. Lingering satisfying finish with a hint of minerality. 12.8% alcohol. Wonderful at the table!
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7/19/2015 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points
Rhone Tasting: Crisp and clean, tart green apples, apricots, limes, doused with chalk and white tea, hints of almond and nougat. Lovely balance between fruit and non-fruit flavors, richness and acid. Surprising depth, impressive. The only non-Rhone wine in the bunch, but a welcome addition for sure.
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6/15/2015 - bobflan Likes this wine:
Had a little more oak than I'd expected, but not overdone; crisp and citrusy.
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5/31/2015 - tcarter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Interesting balance of citrus, minerality, and a bit of oak. Hints of chardonnay type flavors, but crisper, cleaner. Would probably pair nicely with raw bar seafood.
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5/15/2015 - Old_Winyards Likes this wine:
Rich & leesy, but sufficient acidity to retain plenty of juiciness. Some oak, but not overwhelming. Plenty of chenin character here... I'm a fan.
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4/13/2015 - Boatdrinker Likes this wine:
At first, lots texture. Wax. Directly after I would have sworn I was drinking Chardonnay. Oak, round and lowish acidity. Not at all what I was expecting. Day 2 was leaner and a bit racier, with some zest.
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4/3/2015 - paydon9 Likes this wine: 87 Points
Peach, white flowers, honeysuckle, apple, traces of the characteristic wet wool, oak fades with air. Palate features peach, slightly under ripe stone fruits, lemon, some oak on the finish but fairly integrated. Medium body with nice richness without being overdone, good acidic cut frames everything up nicely.
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3/22/2015 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured, bright golden lemon with a slight haze. Interesting, stone-filled aromas of honeysuckle, beeswax, subtle lemon and oak. Medium-light body, immediate notes of citrus and an impression of minerals are complimented by undertones of sliced pear, stone fruits and a touch of oak...perhaps more Pouilly-Fuissé than Amador County. Well-rounded, plush texture almost obscures the moderate-plus acidity, puts on weight with air.
Great now, should only improve with additional cellaring.
Quick comment: This is a fantastic QPR @ $24 per, especially for fans of the style.
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3/22/2015 - maxmanx wrote:
Like the 2011, enjoyed it but not a re-buy for me.
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3/4/2015 - dougie Likes this wine: 90 Points
A beautiful, easy drinking wine. More flavorful when close to room temp. Liked at all temps.
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1/29/2015 - EMark wrote:
Very pale yellow in the glass. Very fragrant, fruity aromas—tree fruit. On the tongue, fruit dominates—apricot, red apple—but there is also a caramel thing, here. Towards the back of the palate sufficient acid arises that tones down the fruitiness. Very refreshing. I say this is an easy wine to drink now.
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1/27/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine: 93 Points
Incredibly good. Perfect density, wonderful length and concentration, and balanced acidity. I didn't know what to expect but I was frankly blown away at how good this chenin blanc is. There's so much going on but it never feels busy or rushed, it just saunters along your palate doing as it pleases. There's minerality over there, some citrus and stone fruit wandering by right here, acidity weaving amongst everyone, and a tart, crisp finish to wrap the package up. One of the best chenin blancs I've had.
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1/23/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 91 Points
12.8% abv. Light straw in color. On the palate a bracing, lively mixture of apple, pear and citrus. Terrific wine.
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1/18/2015 - tooch wrote: 88 Points
Some banana peel, lemon, pear, and apple. Palate has the usual vanilla/oak profile that I like with soft florals and some chalkiness.
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1/10/2015 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pale yellow color. Initially opens with wet wool aromas that give way to white peach, apple, Meyer lemon and a bit of wet stone aromas. On the palate its medium-bodied, and dry with wonderful acidity and texture with green apple, white peach, baked apricot, citrus, and a hint of spice flavors. Lingering satisfying finish with a bit of minerality. 12.8% alcohol. Wonderful at the table!
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12/21/2014 - James Kim wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for > 2 hrs. Pale gold. Nice melange of tart apples, hint of tropical fruits, and wet wool. Palate with tart (gala) apples, mild pink grapefruit and pith, and mild minerality which becomes more pronounced in the moderately long finish. Ripe grapefruits come up in the finish. Nice acidity. Nicely done but missing something that really distinguishes it.
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12/20/2014 - rama Likes this wine:
On opening, smelled like sauv blanc, pineapples. On the palate, green apples. Dry. Bright to very bright. Some creaminess that reminds me of champagne. Tasty but oh so crisp. I'll be leaving the other bottles in the cellar for a while to see how it develops.
Update day 2: I enjoyed this more on the second night. It brought forward more waxy/creamy body to balance the acid, while not losing any of the green apple fruit.
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12/16/2014 - Rieslingfan wrote:
My first bottle from Sandlands, and it was a nice introduction. It showed many of the typical characteristics of Chenin Blanc (hello wet wool!), and was best on the finish, where it had both a richness/breadth and a bit of a citric snap that brought a lot of life to the wine. I'll put my other bottle away for a little bit to see how some age affects the wine.
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12/15/2014 - JOsgood wrote: 87 Points
I didn't like this as much as the reds I've tried from Sandlands. It's a joyful wine with plenty of upfront fruit but it lacks the minerality and acidity that I love in a good Chenin Blanc. Perhaps you can't find that in the Sierra Foothills. I'll stick to the reds in the future and hope to snag more of the Trousseau.
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12/14/2014 - tooch wrote:
Nice amount of acidity with peachy/lemony fruit. Yum.
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12/14/2014 - Richard M wrote: 90 Points
Seems very young, evolving rapidly in the glass. Initially a bit 'stiff', quickly opened up with nice lemon notes and solid backbone and some viognier-like peach notes. Suspect that this will improve with age, and look forward to seeing how Sandlands handles this fruit over the coming years.
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12/3/2014 - tooch wrote:
Very similar to my previous notes. Fleshy and ripe with a dose of oak and nice backend acidity. Perfect wine for a lazy Wednesday night.
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11/30/2014 - christyler wrote: 89 Points
My first thought was "it smells like Chenin!" It's too bad that most domestic Chenins don't pass this test. I liked the cut/acidity and the price.
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11/15/2014 - BadOyster wrote: 91 Points
I was surprised at the amount of oak on this. yes, there's minerality, yes there's reasonable acidity; but with this much oak, it'd need more of each. The oak does, however, lend a sense of broadness to the fruit such that this wine is more a complete meal than "just" a food-wine. I'm glad I tried it - but now I just don't know what to do with bottle #2 ...
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11/13/2014 - stubbie999 Likes this wine:
Killer, crystalline clover honey note on the front end. Then it falls off a bit more quickly than I'd like (or than was suggested by it's brilliant first move). I suspect youth, and will hold a while before the next one. Seems like there's more to see here, with time.
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11/11/2014 - rc@ughey wrote: 87 Points
I liked this but didn't love it. Lovely nose and really nice waxy texture with an attractive mineral backbone. This is pretty broad shouldered. There is some acidity but it could use a little more, and there is slight marzipan note that perhaps comes form the lees contact. The oak is notable and detracts from the finished product. Nice wine and worth the money but I imagine it can get better with future vintages.
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11/9/2014 - tooch wrote: 89 Points
Bottle #2. Fleshy pears, and lemons dominate the aromatics. The palate was floral and soft with medium acidity. Had some waxy almond notes on the palate that seemed to come from oak influences.
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11/9/2014 - scott w Likes this wine: 90 Points
Flowers and pear on the nose, the wine seems rich but very light on it's feet, pears apple and minerals good streak of acidity. Really liked this a lot.
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11/9/2014 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 91 Points
12.8% abv. Medium straw. Flowers and stone aromas. On the palate, Apple, pear, a touch of citrus and a saline note. Great balance, depth and length. Who says California can't compete with Loire's great white grape?
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10/31/2014 - tooch wrote: 89 Points
Lots of lanolin and floral notes on the nose. The palate had a peachy/banana note to it, a touch of cream, some leesy notes, and nice acidity. A sleek but rich Chenin...very nice.
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