2021 Rhys Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$46.00USD

Rhys may be my favorite Chardonnay producer (that I still choose to afford) and Santa Cruz may be my favorite region for Chardonnay.  But, still, this is their basic offering and I had low expectations.  They were far exceeded.  What an excellent wine.  I ended up drinking two bottles over three days and that is unusual.  Light golden in color with slight silvery/green hues.  Clear and bright.  The nose is great.  Very mineral driven but also some lemon creme, vanilla and a touch of grapefruits.  Medium to full bodied.  Lots of energy.  Light tannins.  Great acidity and balance.  On the pal

2021 Elk Cove Vineyards Chardonnay Mount Richmond, USA, Oregon, Yamhill-Carlton, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

One of the old guards of Oregon, this winery had gotten away from Chardonnay for a time, but in the last decade they revived it.  This is 100% Chardonnay.  Light golden in color, slight green hues, clear and bright.  The nose is classic with lemon peel, nutmeg, and slight dust.  Full bodied.  Creamy texture (stirring of the lees?).  Light tannins.  On  the palate, this has slightly crisp, tart acidity.  Flavors of Meyer lemons with nice minerality.  Long finish.  This is a very good, middle of the road, Chardonnay that drinks wonderfully on its own and will work well with the usual foods; s

2021 Ponzi Vineyards Chardonnay Laurelwood District, USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$43.00USD

This is 100% Chardonnay from Oregon.  Light yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with lemon curd, slight melon and spice.  Full bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is reasonably crisp with lemon, slight lemon candy and spice.  Nice finish.  Overall, this is a very nice Chardonnay which drinks nicely on its own and will certainly work with seafood or vegetarian dishes.  It has enough body to work with pork or fowl as well.  Drink over the next ten years.  

2021 Adelsheim Chardonnay Ribbon Springs Vineyard, USA, Oregon, Ribbon Ridge, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$65.00USD

This is their top Chardonnay.  Very impressive.  Light golden in color with a touch of green and a slight touch of copper.  Clear and bright.  The nose has baked apples, wild herbs, slight vanilla and a touch of grapefruit.  Lovely, full bodied, texture.  Good balance.  Crisp.  On the palate, the baked apples and vanilla come thru along with a touch of lemon curd.  This is a bigger rounder Chardonnay at least in this vintage.  Great on its own and this will work well with richer foods as well as the usual pairings.  It would be nice with a creamy mushroom pasta with alfredo sauce.  Drink ov

2021 Adelsheim Chardonnay

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$28.00USD

Adelsheim was established in Oregon in 1971.  This is their basic Chardonnay and it is excellent and a great value.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with grapefruit, slight peaches, limes and a bit of minerality.  Full bodied.  Nice acidity. Great, slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is very clean.  Some grapefruit with slight peach.  A bit of pine on the back end.  Tasty.  This is nice on its own and will be versatile with food.  It would work well with seafood such as Crab Salad.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

2016 Adelsheim Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Bryan Creek Vineyard, USA, Oregon, Chehalem Mountain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$95.00USD

This is a lovely sparkling wine from Oregon.  It is 100% Chardonnay.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  It has a full mousse with a thick head of tiny bubbles.  The nose is persistent with lemons and some lanolin notes.  With a bit of air, some apple notes emerge.  Good acidity.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, fresh lemons and slight chalky notes.  A long, slightly tart finish.  Overall, this is an excellent sparkling wine that should drink well for another decade.  It is very food friendly and will work with a wide variety of foods.  It was very nice with a French Lentil Sa

Calera 2021 Mt. Harlan Chardonnay

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$65.00USD

Calera winery has been making wine for almost 50 years. But few people ever visit this winery. It’s way off the normal wine experience, being sequestered in the Gavilan Mountain range near the tiny town of Hollister. But that is also its best quality. There is a lovely viscosity to this Chardonnay - a thickness that rolls over the tongue. Yes, you will find the requisite lemon chiffon, lime kefir, white peach, green apple and Asian pear.

2017 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$899.00USD

From one of the top producers of Chablis.  Impressive showing.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has crushed shells, green apples, lemons and a slight waxy note.  Great texture.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Crisp granny smith apples with crushed shells and slight lemon notes.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own and is very food friendly.  Obviously shell fish but this went quite well with sweet potato sushi and even asparagus sushi.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

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