As my previous impressions. Colour is deepening a little. The palate is buttery with sweet tropical and citrus fruit and with delicate ginger spice (with a touch of cumin?) at the end. Subtle lime flavours developed later. After a couple of hours, it opened beautifully and there was orange citrus character. Very long. Good with food. Lovely wine that has repaid keeping for 6 years. Wish I had more. Time to move on to the 2010....
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Deeper golden yellow/green. Still a very nice bottle but losing some of the characteristics I found earlier. After an hour or two, the nose opened and it was actually very good with trout. I still get the citrus and ginger/oaky notes later. Probably time to drink up?
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shared this with pat and ellen at selkirk manor. first wine on the thanksgiving table. paired with shrimp cocktail followed by cantaloupe and prosciutto. i continue to like this wine better than other tasters. it is fresh and clean but also has a bit of complexity to capture the attention. compared with previous notes, regarding aromatics, buttered popcorn is no longer present. more prominent pear and apple are still present. i am not sensitive to the baking spices mentioned by jay miller. i particularly appreciate the impeccable balance amd extraordinary precision of the finish. the acidity has dissipated somewhat but there is still firm structure holding things together. i have had the 2005 and 2006. both of those were at their best within a few years of the vintage. i like the 2009 better as it has proved to be more substantial and enjoyed greater longevity.
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I can do no more than post my comments on the 2010: 'A lovely yellow/green tint, nice nose with citrus, buttery, tropical notes. The palate is understated - some citrus, apple, pear, even mango - but all integrated into a lovely, mature, harmonious whole. Buttery, honeyed, supported by the subtle oak but elegant and 'un-shouty'. Beats a lot of cheaper Burgundy hands down for me. I always enjoy Catena Chardonnay at all levels but like to keep it for a few years before drinking. This did not disappoint. The perceptive comment about 'corn' by Whip Hand [this comment referred to the 2010 vintage] crystallised something for me but this component faded with a short time in the glass and with food (the wine is surely made for food) and did not detract from my enjoyment.'
Superb with a thick, fresh halibut steak. With the food, I was reminded of 'Domaine de la Bongran' Burgundy (Macon) and my wife and I found a trace of ginger (as in Bongran). N.b. Bongran is lovely but twice the current price in UK...... I think the Catena is a bargain, relatively speaking, IF you are prepared to cellar it for 3-5 years.
There is still life in this vintage. It won't get better but it will certainly not 'fall off a cliff'. Lovely wine!
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Fresh grape flavours coming through. Woody at first but after leaving a while it mellowed. Drank after a Tasmanian Chardonnay which was much sweeter though very good in its own right. It spoilt the first glass of the Catena which is a shame as the rest could only be described as wonderful.
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ellen and mahesh invited us to a pre-holiday dinner at their staten island home. we were celebrating the holiday season and completion of interior improvements. ellen's tree was perfectly formed and beautifully decorated. ellen prepared a delicious meal consisting of baked chicken, butternut squash and carrot sticks in white vinegar. the wine stood up well to the food. great depth of flavor with an appropriate amount of acidity to provide some liveliness. it is refreshing to have chardonnay now and then without the butter, vanilla, oak typical of california chard that can become boring after awhile. this wine pleases consistently. will go back for more.
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Tropical fruits, bread-dough, acidic fruit but at the same time sweet NW styled chardonnay. Hints of coffee and baked apple. Round acidity in the mouth, dry apples/bread component. Overall a good balanced chardonnay with a bit to warm fruit for me.
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Lots of tasty apple and pear with a little citrus and flowers. Came off as quite "sweet"and struck me as a touch artificial at some points, but hardly complaining given the price.
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Nose has caramelized sugar, flowers, lemon. Fruit forward with floral notes, honey, steely, nice mouthfeel, fairly round but good acid. Nice transition to finish.
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Wine Advocate got this right. An excellent Chardonnay. Straightforward, pure and vibrant. An outstanding nose of buttered popcorn in the new world style, with some added layers of fruit and earth aromas for complexity. Not oaky or woody. The mid-palate is rather simple, but pure and smooth. The finish lingers. No patent flaws to speak of. An extraordinary value.
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shared with pat at selkirk manor to wind down the week. paired with white fish fillet. another enjoyable bottle of this wine. see notes of 2/12/2011 for further description. i am still not sure that this wine will hold up until 2015. but i would buy more for near term consumption over the next two years.
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Nose of river rocks, saline, lemon rind, and some rubber. Light to medium bodied, medium acidity, and flavors of lemon, green apple and pear. Not blowing me away, but decent.
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Excellent and truly nice. The 2009 Catena Chardonnay exhibits a cascade of pineapple, lemon curd and fresh melon. The acidity is very expressive but there is a creamy touch putting an elegant balance at the forefront of the overall impression. I do like this wine and the QPR isvery good as with most Catena wines.
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memorial day weekend at selkirk manor. shared with pat, ellen, mahesh and donna. grandma and grandpa did not have any. this bottle had seen morning sun, then quick ice chill and then return to room temperature. therefore, it may have been a little bruised. it did not seem quite as intense as the last bottle. it actually tastes a little better at room temperature. notes are pretty much the same as last time. we liked it better than la crema from the nite before.
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Pale yellow, nice nose of pears, mild spiciness; elegant chardonnay, very good varietal fruit, pear, mild peach, wears its oak lightly; very balanced, food friendly wine, good acidity, lively body, nice med long finish but not heavy, wine that partners with food rather than competing for your attention- the bottle emptied much faster than we realized- a good sign; nice vanilla, pear creme tart finish. Excellent choice for a week night drinker but wouldn't embarrass itself as a lead -in to more serious white Burgs/Chardonnay'sin the early course of a dinner
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A chardonnay style I like! Big and bold, but still with a fresh and clean fruit, crystal lingering acidity. Well worth the money and not as chemical as I remembered it. Somewhat boring (bitter) finish though...
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Uiterlijk: strogeel helder. Geur: middelintens frisfruitig, tropische fruchten en floraal. Smaak: pas in de mond komt de florale gelagerde chardonnay smaak naar boven. Opvallend scherp pepertje en kruisbes. Mooi glas Chardonnay, mooi bij een bordje vis denk ik.
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shared this with pat at selkirk manor to start off the valentine weekend celebration. enjoyed with our favorite salmon from costco. i like this wine better than other tasters. it is fresh and clean but also has a bit of complexity to capture the attention. i will build my comments on the jay miller review (direct quote not permitted): regarding aromatics, i find just a hint of buttered popcorn, with slightly more prominent pear and apple. i am not sensitive to the baking spices. i particularly appreciate the impeccable balance amd extraordinary precision of the finish. will be going back for more to enjoy this summer. i am not sure that it will continue to develop for another 4 years but it will be fun to watch what happens with time. in the past, i have had the 2005 and 2006. both of those were at their best within a few years of the vintage. i like the 2009 better as it may be more substantial and enjoy greater longevity.
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An enticing yeasty nose with hints of light brown sugar, tropical fruits and butterscotch kicks things off. Initially, this chard was somewhat one-dimensional (sweet citrus) but as it warmed - give-or-take 1 hour - it opened up a bit into a very tasty tropical fruit (pineapple) & oak-laden wine. Nice drying finish with decent acidity. Slight heat & decent length in the finish as it warmed. Was also versatile enough to bridge the gap between a Dijon vinaigrette-dressed salad and a rich truffle butter cream pasta dish.
For $13 I'd buy this every week of the year.
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A charming wine but I'm a bit disappointed at the chemical touch of it. The nose is quite big, clean, fruity (tropical), and acidic. It has got a smooth mid body, medium long finish and a fresh acidity. The heat and oak is also there. 84-85 p.
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Great composition. Very champagne-like on the nose. Toasted almonds and brioche, plus hints of primrose aromas. Good intensity and evolution, though oak dominates over fruit. Good character. Good finish. Great butterscotch aftertaste.
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Leans slightly too much towards the New World style of Chardonnay for my liking. However, i think this could evolve into something better over the next 2-3 years. Honey, almost sweet but with fairly decent acidity.
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Great chardonnay with great structure and balance. Some spicyness and almost fizzyness midtaste comes as somewhat of a surprise, but to me that just makes it better Very well worth its relatively modest price.
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8/20/2016 - Pär Holmbäck wrote: flawed
Cork went into thousand pieces, wasn't able to drink any of it.
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9/19/2015 - johnrm Likes this wine: 91 Points
As my previous impressions. Colour is deepening a little. The palate is buttery with sweet tropical and citrus fruit and with delicate ginger spice (with a touch of cumin?) at the end. Subtle lime flavours developed later. After a couple of hours, it opened beautifully and there was orange citrus character. Very long. Good with food.
Lovely wine that has repaid keeping for 6 years. Wish I had more. Time to move on to the 2010....
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7/25/2015 - johnrm Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deeper golden yellow/green. Still a very nice bottle but losing some of the characteristics I found earlier. After an hour or two, the nose opened and it was actually very good with trout. I still get the citrus and ginger/oaky notes later. Probably time to drink up?
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4/17/2015 - johnrm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Entirely consistent with my notes of August 2014. Perhaps a touch of fennel on the nose and palate later. Good with salmon.
Lovely wine.
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11/27/2014 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
shared this with pat and ellen at selkirk manor. first wine on the thanksgiving table. paired with shrimp cocktail followed by cantaloupe and prosciutto. i continue to like this wine better than other tasters. it is fresh and clean but also has a bit of complexity to capture the attention. compared with previous notes, regarding aromatics, buttered popcorn is no longer present. more prominent pear and apple are still present. i am not sensitive to the baking spices mentioned by jay miller. i particularly appreciate the impeccable balance amd extraordinary precision of the finish. the acidity has dissipated somewhat but there is still firm structure holding things together. i have had the 2005 and 2006. both of those were at their best within a few years of the vintage. i like the 2009 better as it has proved to be more substantial and enjoyed greater longevity.
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8/28/2014 - johnrm Likes this wine: 91 Points
I can do no more than post my comments on the 2010:
'A lovely yellow/green tint, nice nose with citrus, buttery, tropical notes. The palate is understated - some citrus, apple, pear, even mango - but all integrated into a lovely, mature, harmonious whole. Buttery, honeyed, supported by the subtle oak but elegant and 'un-shouty'. Beats a lot of cheaper Burgundy hands down for me.
I always enjoy Catena Chardonnay at all levels but like to keep it for a few years before drinking. This did not disappoint.
The perceptive comment about 'corn' by Whip Hand [this comment referred to the 2010 vintage] crystallised something for me but this component faded with a short time in the glass and with food (the wine is surely made for food) and did not detract from my enjoyment.'
Superb with a thick, fresh halibut steak. With the food, I was reminded of 'Domaine de la Bongran' Burgundy (Macon) and my wife and I found a trace of ginger (as in Bongran). N.b. Bongran is lovely but twice the current price in UK...... I think the Catena is a bargain, relatively speaking, IF you are prepared to cellar it for 3-5 years.
There is still life in this vintage. It won't get better but it will certainly not 'fall off a cliff'. Lovely wine!
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8/12/2012 - mariolanza wrote: 85 Points
Average quality, but a a good drinking wine. I am spolit by Burgundy and the Aussies
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5/12/2012 - Good Food and Wine wrote: 89 Points
Fresh grape flavours coming through. Woody at first but after leaving a while it mellowed. Drank after a Tasmanian Chardonnay which was much sweeter though very good in its own right. It spoilt the first glass of the Catena which is a shame as the rest could only be described as wonderful.
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4/17/2012 - Dhotchki Likes this wine: 91 Points
Crisp, acidic, with notes of honey, apple, lemon and a hint of spice. Much more complex than a typical Napa Chardonnay.
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2/1/2012 - Jas1976 Likes this wine: 85 Points
Nice wood balance.
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12/17/2011 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
ellen and mahesh invited us to a pre-holiday dinner at their staten island home. we were celebrating the holiday season and completion of interior improvements. ellen's tree was perfectly formed and beautifully decorated. ellen prepared a delicious meal consisting of baked chicken, butternut squash and carrot sticks in white vinegar. the wine stood up well to the food. great depth of flavor with an appropriate amount of acidity to provide some liveliness. it is refreshing to have chardonnay now and then without the butter, vanilla, oak typical of california chard that can become boring after awhile. this wine pleases consistently. will go back for more.
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11/27/2011 - James.michael.watrous wrote: 88 Points
Great every day Chardonnay. Good value for the price.
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9/5/2011 - askoje wrote: 86 Points
Tropical fruits, bread-dough, acidic fruit but at the same time sweet NW styled chardonnay. Hints of coffee and baked apple.
Round acidity in the mouth, dry apples/bread component. Overall a good balanced chardonnay with a bit to warm fruit for me.
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8/31/2011 - wp888 wrote: 85 Points
Lots of tasty apple and pear with a little citrus and flowers. Came off as quite "sweet"and struck me as a touch artificial at some points, but hardly complaining given the price.
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8/29/2011 - jeremy_ross wrote: 88 Points
Nose has caramelized sugar, flowers, lemon. Fruit forward with floral notes, honey, steely, nice mouthfeel, fairly round but good acid. Nice transition to finish.
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8/26/2011 - THA wrote: 91 Points
Wine Advocate got this right. An excellent Chardonnay. Straightforward, pure and vibrant. An outstanding nose of buttered popcorn in the new world style, with some added layers of fruit and earth aromas for complexity. Not oaky or woody. The mid-palate is rather simple, but pure and smooth. The finish lingers. No patent flaws to speak of. An extraordinary value.
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8/14/2011 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
shared with pat at selkirk manor to wind down the week. paired with white fish fillet. another enjoyable bottle of this wine. see notes of 2/12/2011 for further description. i am still not sure that this wine will hold up until 2015. but i would buy more for near term consumption over the next two years.
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8/12/2011 - studleytrey wrote: 87 Points
Nose of river rocks, saline, lemon rind, and some rubber. Light to medium bodied, medium acidity, and flavors of lemon, green apple and pear. Not blowing me away, but decent.
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7/11/2011 - Christoffer78 wrote: 88 Points
Excellent and truly nice. The 2009 Catena Chardonnay exhibits a cascade of pineapple, lemon curd and fresh melon. The acidity is very expressive but there is a creamy touch putting an elegant balance at the forefront of the overall impression. I do like this wine and the QPR isvery good as with most Catena wines.
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6/1/2011 - Briangray77 wrote: 87 Points
A little buttery but still clean tasty.
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5/30/2011 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
memorial day weekend at selkirk manor. shared with pat, ellen, mahesh and donna. grandma and grandpa did not have any. this bottle had seen morning sun, then quick ice chill and then return to room temperature. therefore, it may have been a little bruised. it did not seem quite as intense as the last bottle. it actually tastes a little better at room temperature. notes are pretty much the same as last time. we liked it better than la crema from the nite before.
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5/28/2011 - Neil H wrote: 89 Points
For the value this is a great wine. Light and crisp, very fruity with hints of grapefruit and pear. Great on a hot summer evening.
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4/24/2011 - vinojones wrote: 89 Points
Pale yellow, nice nose of pears, mild spiciness; elegant chardonnay, very good varietal fruit, pear, mild peach, wears its oak lightly; very balanced, food friendly wine, good acidity, lively body, nice med long finish but not heavy, wine that partners with food rather than competing for your attention- the bottle emptied much faster than we realized- a good sign; nice vanilla, pear creme tart finish.
Excellent choice for a week night drinker but wouldn't embarrass itself as a lead -in to more serious white Burgs/Chardonnay'sin the early course of a dinner
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4/6/2011 - sebastienjm wrote: 84 Points
Sans intérêt. Riche mais complètement dissocié. Il faut aimer les spiritueux je crois. 12/20
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3/29/2011 - Jona wrote: 87 Points
A chardonnay style I like! Big and bold, but still with a fresh and clean fruit, crystal lingering acidity. Well worth the money and not as chemical as I remembered it. Somewhat boring (bitter) finish though...
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3/15/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Clean, mineral, touches of tropical, this is good Chardonnay. 30% new oak. this is well done stuff. Perfect at $19, just a touch annoying at $21.
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3/5/2011 - Freekie35 wrote: 87 Points
Uiterlijk: strogeel helder. Geur: middelintens frisfruitig, tropische fruchten en floraal. Smaak: pas in de mond komt de florale gelagerde chardonnay smaak naar boven. Opvallend scherp pepertje en kruisbes. Mooi glas Chardonnay, mooi bij een bordje vis denk ik.
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2/12/2011 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
shared this with pat at selkirk manor to start off the valentine weekend celebration. enjoyed with our favorite salmon from costco. i like this wine better than other tasters. it is fresh and clean but also has a bit of complexity to capture the attention. i will build my comments on the jay miller review (direct quote not permitted): regarding aromatics, i find just a hint of buttered popcorn, with slightly more prominent pear and apple. i am not sensitive to the baking spices. i particularly appreciate the impeccable balance amd extraordinary precision of the finish. will be going back for more to enjoy this summer. i am not sure that it will continue to develop for another 4 years but it will be fun to watch what happens with time. in the past, i have had the 2005 and 2006. both of those were at their best within a few years of the vintage. i like the 2009 better as it may be more substantial and enjoy greater longevity.
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1/31/2011 - mguglielmo wrote: 89 Points
An enticing yeasty nose with hints of light brown sugar, tropical fruits and butterscotch kicks things off. Initially, this chard was somewhat one-dimensional (sweet citrus) but as it warmed - give-or-take 1 hour - it opened up a bit into a very tasty tropical fruit (pineapple) & oak-laden wine. Nice drying finish with decent acidity. Slight heat & decent length in the finish as it warmed. Was also versatile enough to bridge the gap between a Dijon vinaigrette-dressed salad and a rich truffle butter cream pasta dish.
For $13 I'd buy this every week of the year.
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12/7/2010 - Jona wrote: 84 Points
A charming wine but I'm a bit disappointed at the chemical touch of it.
The nose is quite big, clean, fruity (tropical), and acidic.
It has got a smooth mid body, medium long finish and a fresh acidity. The heat and oak is also there. 84-85 p.
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11/3/2010 - Capt M wrote: 86 Points
Great composition. Very champagne-like on the nose. Toasted almonds and brioche, plus hints of primrose aromas. Good intensity and evolution, though oak dominates over fruit. Good character. Good finish. Great butterscotch aftertaste.
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10/21/2010 - Andrew Beckett wrote: 86 Points
Leans slightly too much towards the New World style of Chardonnay for my liking. However, i think this could evolve into something better over the next 2-3 years. Honey, almost sweet but with fairly decent acidity.
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9/12/2010 - Congestion wrote: 89 Points
Great chardonnay with great structure and balance. Some spicyness and almost fizzyness midtaste comes as somewhat of a surprise, but to me that just makes it better Very well worth its relatively modest price.
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