Tag Archives: chardonnay

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee Sparkling NV, Sussex, England

28 Friday Nov 2025

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Pale lemon colored with gold highlights and large bubbles (12% ABV).  The nose has subtle hints of yellow apple, brioche, lemon pith, green almond, lanolin and then some bruised red apple. The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a nice mousse, and light bodied. Refreshing and zesty with some brioche notes and yellow apple. The lemon notes are very faint, it’s more driven towards the apple flavor. The finish is medium (-) in length. It gets better with air, and I revised my score from 89 to 91 points.  Albeit non-vintage, I have sat on this bottle for over two years and think it has rewarded me nicely.  Bought at the London Duty Free, it runs about $55 now, making it a 4 star wine.  A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.  Salut….

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee Sparkling

Paolo Scavino Sorriso Langhe Bianco 2023, Piedmont, Italy

23 Tuesday Sep 2025

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Medium lemon colored with gold accents, and a watery sheen (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lanolin, lemon pith, lime, tangerine, white grapefruit, peach, green herbs, and wet rock.  The palate is dry, with a medium (+) body and medium acidity.  The fullness of the wine detracts initially from the flavors- of which I get grapefruit, melon, peach, lemon zest, and bouquet garni.  The finish is medium (+) in length and the acidity starts to grip at that point, the fruit lingering ever so.  Delicious and pairing beautifully with roast Cod and Brussel Sprouts.  91 points for this $18 bottle makes it a 5 star effort.  A delicious un-oaked Chardonnay/SavBlanc/Viognier blend that has not gone through MLF.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Paolo Scavino Sorriso Langhe Bianco

Castello di Monsanto ‘Fabrizio Bianchi’ Chardonnay Toscana IGT 2022, Tuscany, Italy

30 Saturday Aug 2025

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Pale gold in color, with medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lanolin, lemon pith, pink grapefruit, a touch of vanilla, melon, and straw.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and a hint of phenolic bitterness.  The medium (+) intensity flavors mimic the nose with the exception of the melon and straw.  I like the acidity, it’s not cutting but it builds towards the back end and leaves the palate refreshed, the weight of the body initially dragging this wine down.  I don’t sense MLF, but there is a very deft hand at play in the oak department- it’s very nicely done and not overwhelming.  The finish is medium in length and moving more toward the tart side of things.  I like this wine.  It ran me $28 and gets 91 points.  I think it has decent cellaring capacity with a drink-by date of 2035.  Five stars from me!  Pairing it with Shrimp Scampi.  Salut….

Castello di Monsanto 'Fabrizio Bianchi' Chardonnay

Sebastien Dampt Cote de Lechet 2022, Chablis Premier Cru, France

09 Monday Jun 2025

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We tasted this Burgundian Chardonnay at the 40th virtual wine tasting.  Per normal,  it was served chilled first followed by a room temperature glass for comparison.  The chilled version scored far better for me which is unusual.  Pale gold in color with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose gave us citrus, nectarines, honey, melon, peach and pink grapefruit.  The palate was dry with medium (+) acidity, and a medium (-) body.  The flavors are very terroir driven with loads of minerality and a long finish.  I scored this one a 16 on our tasting scale with a 91 point technical score.  The room temperature version was far less aromatic on the nose which surprised me.  It was more broad with lemon and grapefruit pith notes coupled with some honey and peach.  The palate was fuller in body but less powerful, not as complex and lacking focus.  The peach note remained alongside some ripe Honeycrisp apple notes and a slight bitterness.  The finish was only medium at this temperature.  I scored it a mere 10 points on our sheet.  Overall, I really enjoyed this wine well-chilled on night two.  At $30, it’s a treat bottle that gets 4 stars from me.  I believe it has some decent cellaring capacity with potential to evolve.  Salut….

Sebastien Dampt Cote de Lechet

Hess Collection Allomi Vineyard Chardonnay 2021, Napa Valley, California

04 Sunday May 2025

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Pale lemon colored with very narrow legs showing off a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of popcorn, lemon brioche, orange blossom, salted caramel, pineapple, vanilla, and melon.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body and more intense flavors.  The buttery notes that dominated the nose take second fiddle to the lemon, brioche and vanilla notes.  It’s a heavy weighted wine with plenty of mouthfeel, lots going on.  The finish has a telltale Napa chardonnay note of butter and brioche- no doubt from judicious oak and lees stirring.  It goes on for quite a long while.  It’s perfect for the baked Red Snapper and wild rice I am pairing it with.  This is a lovely bottle that has some aging capacity and will drink nicely till 2034.  It gets 92 points from me, a tad higher if the nose was more forthcoming.  At $34, it’s a 5 star wine.  Salut….

Hess Collection Allomi Vineyard Chardonnay

Substance Chardonnay 2021, Columbia Valley, Washington

01 Saturday Mar 2025

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Pale lemon colored with gold highlights, and medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon zest, butter, vanilla, melon, orange blossom, and a trace of peach.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium (+) body.  Medium intensity flavors of lemon curd, melon, butter, vanilla, orange blossom, and peach.  The mouthfeel is round and pleasing, not cutting or lithe.  It begs for some grilled shrimp, Mackerel filets or smoked salmon.  The finish is medium (+) in length and gives me a salted caramel note.  It’s always a pleasure to drink wines from the house of Smith, they offer tremendous quality to price ratios and are consistent.  This one gets 92 points from and for $13 it’s a screaming good 5 star deal.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Substance Chardonnay

Oyster Bay Chardonnay 2023, Marlborough, New Zealand

14 Tuesday Jan 2025

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Pale lemon colored with a watery sheen (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of seaweed, lemon zest, flint, tangerine, pomelo, white blossom, pineapple, and passion fruit.  Quite the fruit cocktail imho.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body.  Medium intensity flavors of lemon zest, pomelo, white blossom, and pineapple with that briny seaweed note adding a touch of interesting segue.  It’s not your normal Napa Chard, nor is it a Chablis- something of an outlier from the two classics.  It is weighty but still refreshing, crisp yet stoic.  The finish is medium (+) in length and concentrates on the citrus notes.  A really delicious wine that has not had all the ‘treatments’ of MLF, new oak, battonage etc.  91 points from me for this $11 steal makes it a 5 star bottle to buy cases of.  This will pair nicely with grilled salmon, roast chicken, fresh salad, and calamari.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Oyster Bay Chardonnay

Precision Wine Company Circumference Chardonnay 2023, Russian River Valley, California

01 Wednesday Jan 2025

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Pale lemon colored with gold highlights, and a watery sheen that gives way to some thick, slow moving legs (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe tropical fruit.  Pink guava, apricot, papaya, nectarine, green almond, a touch of butter, and a hit of baking spice.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and ripe fruit flavors that echo the nose.  The finish is silky and medium (+) in length, showing off the fruit rather nicely.  There are subtle secondary notes, the focus being the fruit profile.  It’s a heavy wine with a rather substantial alcohol content that would probably need to be served well chilled as I can see it ballooning out of control once it gets warmed up.  I am pairing it with Chinese food and it’s working rather nicely.  89 points for this $25 effort makes it a 4 star wine to drink till 2030.  Salut….

precision wine company Circumference Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Muirwood Unoaked Chardonnay 2022, Arroyo Seco, California

02 Tuesday Jul 2024

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Pale lemon with some green highlights and a watery sheen (13.5% ABV). The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon, peach, pineapple, white grapefruit and orange blossom. The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body. Flavors of white pear, pineapple, white grapefruit, orange blossom with a hint of lemon/lime. The finish has a touch of bitterness- perhaps a little bit of phenolics. It’s medium (+) in length and sits nicely on the palate. There are times when I feel like enjoying an un-oaked Chardonnay that hasn’t gone through any MLF or Sur Lie treatment, like today. We are pairing it with Chicken Divan after a hot day in the sun. 89 points.  This bottle ran me $15 and therefore it gets 4 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Fox Run Vineyards Kaiser Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay 2021, Seneca Lake, New York

08 Thursday Feb 2024

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Pale lemon colored with medium viscosity (12.4% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon zest, marzipan, brioche, white blossom, grapefruit pith, vanilla thread and white pear.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body.  Flavors of acacia, white blossom, lemon zest, marzipan and brioche with a hint of white pear.  The finish is medium in length and centers on the brioche and white blossom.  I liked this bottle at the winery and I like it now in my tasting cocoon.   It gets 89 points from me and for $17- 4 stars.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….