Shafer is one of the stalwarts of the Napa valley and this wine seems like it has been one of the top Chards forever as well. It has always had a fair amount of oak showing and this one seemed no exception. In the past, many had way more oak, but now, this tends to show more oak than most as time have changed. Whether this is good or bad is different for every taster/drinker. Copper/gold in color. The nose has vanilla, baking spices, orange peel and slight lemon. On the palate, this has a nice oily texture. Plenty of depth. Notes of ginger with a bit or lemon peel and spice. With a
Copper/golden in color. The nose shows a fair amount of grapefruit but also some spice/oak. On the palate, this has a very nice texture. Notes of lemon peel and slight peach. Good finish. Tasted blind, it was easy to guess Napa Chardonnay. This is drinking well now and should be for the next five to seven years. Nice on its own or with some cheeses it may over power lighter foods but will work with heavier fish dishes or pasta with a cream sauce.
A classic Napa Chardonnay. This drank a lot better for my tastes on night 2. Golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with vanilla and lemons. On the palate, this is drinking young but nice. It seems like the oak has been scaled back over the least decade. Lots of vanilla cream with some peach and some lemon. Enough acidity to keep things lively. Full bodied. Goof finish. The drinks great on its own but works great with soft cheeses. A nice match for roasted fowl. Drink now or over the next seven to ten years.
This is a middle of the road example of today's Napa Chard. Pale golden in color. The nose is dusty with spice and lemon cream. On the palate, the lemon cream comes thru. Just a touch of oak showing. Very nice acidity. An underlying minerality. Nice finish. This is young of course, but drinking very well. It should drink well for the next eight to ten years. A nice drink on its own and will work well with lighter foods.
Golden in color. The nose shows a fair amount of oak (cloves and spice) and also some pineapple. On the palate, this is slightly sweet but also has nice underlying minerality. Some grapefruit and peach notes. A nice texture. Less oak on the palate. Warmth on the finish. Pretty classic Napa Chard in style but within reason. At peak but should drink well for the next three to five years. A nice match with heartier sea food and also poultry. Drinks well on its own too. For those who like this style, they will love it even more.
Another in a fine line of Napa Merlot's from Flora Springs. Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet allowing the vineyard manager to let fruit hang if needed to get ripe. No issues here despite a less than stellar growing season. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has black cherries, milk chocolate and spice. A nice silky texture. Lots of black cherry fruit. Light tannins. This is still young but drinks quite easy. It will mature a bit, but is drinking great now. It should drink well over the next seven to ten years. Great on its own or a nice match for burgers or ribs.
Soliloquy is the name for Flora Springs’ proprietary Sauvignon Blanc clone. The bottle is labelled as white wine but it is a blend of predominantly Sauvignon Blanc, with Chardonnay, and Malvasia. It is the top of the line white from this winery. It is silvery/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is pretty with floral notes and some cara cara oranges. On the palate, this has a lovely creamy texture. Very lush. Flavors of bitters, limes and slight cream soda. Dry. A hint of almond on the finish. This is a very polished white wine and needs another year or so but should be good
Flora Springs make a variety of wines. This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Crossroads Vineyard in Oakville in Napa. It is silvery/green/gold in color. The nose is very nice with lemon-lime, sweetgrass and minerals. It has a very nice, slightly oily texture. Just a hint of residual sugar offset by tart limes.There is a slight chalky quality as well. Overall, this is very clean and refreshing. It has a long finish with some warmth. It would actually work well with grilled asparagus, always a tough food pairing, and lots ot lighter foods or on its own. Drink this over the next year.
The wines from Lagier Meredith are some of the best Syrahs from anywhere. The fruit is grown on their vineyard way up on Mt.
