2021 Castello della Sala (Antinori) Chardonnay Bramito della Sala, Italy, Umbria, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$19.00USD

This is a Chardonnay from Umbria..  While I have its big brother, this was my first time trying this bottling.  Hay/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with gun powder, lemons, slight grapefruits and butterscotch.  Full bodied.  Creamy texture.  On the palate, lemon cream and toast.  Good finish.   Certainly some oak here, but not as much as its big brother.  This drinks easy and is a good value for people who like a slightly oaky Chardonnay.  Drink over the next few years.  

2020 Gentleman Farmer Wines Chardonnay, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$49.00USD

A middle of the road in style, Napa Chardonnay.  14.5% abv.   Yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemons and slight vanilla.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, almonds, spices, minerals, and with some air, lemon crème.  A slight bitter almond note on the finish.  This is drinking well on its own and would be a nice wine with seafood, pork or veggies.  Salmon is a great choice.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

NV La Costa di Ome Franciacorta, Italy, Lombardy, Wine Review

Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This sparkling wine is 100% Chardonnay from northern Italy.  Light golden in color with lots of tiny bubbles.  Clear and bright.  The nose is nice with notes of baked bread, slight lemon curd and spice.  Medium bodied.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, this is mineral driven with a touch of lemons.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own and will work great with fish.  Roasted trout would be a nice combination.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

2019 Recanati Chardonnay Reserve, Israel, Galilee, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$32.00USD

Another winner in the Recanti Reserve lineup.  Served with our 2023 Seder meal.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some grapefruit, slight vanilla and peach.  Full bodied.  On the palate, yellow grapefruits, slight spice and vanilla.  This vintage is starting to show a bit of age but still drinking just about at peak.  This is nice on its own and worked well with Roasted vegetables with an avocado cilantro sauce.  Drink over the next few years.  

2017 Ceritas Chardonnay Porter-Bass Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

One of my favorite Chardonnays (both the winery and this vineyard).  Light golden in color with some green hues, clear and bright.  The nose is smoky with minerality, slight vanilla and grapefruits.  Medium to full bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  Good acidity.  On the palate, minerality and slight grapefruit.  Lemon candy on the long finish.  12.9% abv.  This is still drinking youthfully.  It should drink well for another ten to fifteen more years.  Great on its own, this will work well with lighter foods but also seafood and even fried chicken.  

Stonestreet Estate Vineyards 2014 Blanc de Blanc

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$105.00USD

This 2014 Blanc de Blanc is a sparkling wine with a brisk acidity and a hint of chalky minerality. Hand harvested and whole cluster pressed, there’s a lovely creaminess to this wine with very mild carbonation, allowing more of the fruit to come through. It offers lemon-lime notes, guava, red delicious apple and grannie smith green apple, light unsweetened honeysuckle, Asian pear, a hint of baked brioche. The balance of the flavors makes this easy to pair with a diversity of foods. 178 cases. ORIGIN: Alexander Valley, Sonoma. ALCOHOL: 12.5%

2013 Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$570.00USD

A WOW wine to be sure.  Still very young.  The color is fascinating.  Almost a Day-Glo yellow/green in color.  Iridescent.  The nose has a lot of oak, toast and char but also some pineapple and a bit of citrus.  With air, minerality comes out and the oak integrates just a bit.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is big, ripe and sexy.  Citrus, some butterscotch and plenty of baking spice and char.  Long finish.  This is fantastic now (especially if you are not oak averse), but give it another decade  in the cellar and it will be flirting with a 100 score.  Either way, it should have at least

2017 La Pousse d'Or Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$165.00USD

Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is smoky with lemon notes.  Medium to full bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, lemons and lemon candy with a bit of minerality.  A bit lower in acidity than expected but enough.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue for another ten to twelve years.  It drinks well on its own but is better served with food.  This would be nice with grilled Salmon.  

2001 Louis Latour Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Grand Cru, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2001
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$400.00USD

Great showing for this wine!  At age 21, it is showing just a bit of age.  No signs of any real oxidation (too old to be premox).  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with smoke, grapefruit, slight lemon and a bit of minerality.  A lovely, oily texture.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins which were surprising.  On the palate, this has a lemon hard candied quality to it with plenty of acidity to counter it.  Long finish.  Based solely on this bottle, this could  have gone another ten to fifteen years.  Good on its own, but better with food, this went very well with Baba Ghanoush

2021 Hewitson Miss Harry Chardonnay, Australia, Adelaide Hills, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This is a high altitude, single vineyard Chardonnay.  Gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apples, apple cider and slight peach.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, red apples predominate.  Nice finish.  Screw capped.  This tastes older than it is and a bit oxidized, but is still very pleasant.  It will work better with food.  A nice wine with Sushi.  Drink over the next few years.

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