An interesting tidbit from the American Vintner's Website" "Miller and Lux went from small time New York butchers to the largest cattle owners in California, and one of the largest land holders in the United State in the late 1800’s. At the height of their partnership, Miller and Lux boasted nearly 1.4 million acres of grazing land and one million head of cattle. They would come to be known as the “Cattle Kings of California”. Fast forward to current day, and much of the Miller and Lux land holdings is now the fertile ground of California’s Central Coast wine country."
This is a very nice Chardonnay from Wente, a long time producer in California (founded in 1883). This particular Chardonnay is grown from a single vineyard, Riva Ranch, in Arroyo Grande. Yellow gold in color, clear and shimmering bright. The nose is a bit chalky with grapefruit and slight baking spice. With air, a bit of pineapple comes out. It has a really nice voluptuous texture. On the palate, more lemon chiffon with nice underlying minerality and some spice. Moderate acidity. Good finish. This is tasty and drinks nicely on its own but will work well with all but the heaviest of
Tasted from Magnum. Great showing. In the world of semi-affordable Champagne, this is one of the top Rose's. Ruby/copper in color, clear and bright. A steady steam of tiny bubbles form a pretty mousse. The nose has strawberries, slight orange peel and just a hint of currants. Medium bodied. Nice acidity. Fresh and clean. On the palate, the red currants really come out along with a bit of red raspberries. Nice finish. This drinks easily and served as a wonderful prelude to a long dinner, both stimulating the palate and working well with Potato Pave. Drink over the next few years
This is a big, California Chardonnay in the best sense. It is a blend of four different vineyards of Chardonnay. Silvery gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is big and enticing with Lemons, vanilla and nutmeg. Full bodied with a creamy texture. Good acidity. Slightly oily. On the palate, this has lemons, slight lemon peel and an interesting note of mint on the finish. It is deep with tight complexity that unwinds in the glass. A very long finish. This may improve over the next year or two but either way should make great drinking for the next ten years. It drinks great on i
This is another quality value from this Argentinian producer. Made from a blend of organic grapes, it is 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir. The Charmat method is utilized meaning that the bubbles are trapped in stainless steel tanks versus in the bottle. While that does not have the tradition or "romance" of the Methode Champenois, to does allow for high quality wines at much more reasonable pricing. And, this bottle is proof. Golden in color, clear and bright. The wine is frothy on opening with lots of small bubbles. On the nose, there are lemons, lemon peel, and minerals. Good aci
There are lots of reviews for Maybach Cabs on this site, but not as many for other varietals so it was nice to get a chance to enjoy this Chardonnay. At age 5, this is still young, but showing a bit of maturity and very enjoyable. Golden in color with slight green hues, clear and bright. On the nose, this is a big wine. Lots of red apples, some grapefruit, with lots of vanilla and oak and some floral notes. Full bodied. On the palate, this has a great, viscous texture. Flavors of lemons, lemon candy and baking spice. Good acidity. Long finish. If you like oak, this is your wine, b
Green gold in color, clear and bright. The nose has slight grapefruits and baking spices. Light bodied. Thin. On the palate, slight grapefruits with no oak showing. Clean. Refreshing. A bit clipped on the finish. This is solid with no faults but not particularly exciting. However, an RRV Chardonnay at this price point is rare. It drinks better on its own. Drink over the next year.
This is a newer wine from Rhys. It has some similarities to the Rhys style, but it should take a few vintages for Kevin Harvey to zero in on what he is looking for. Green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose has lemons and vanilla along with spices. Full bodied. On the palate, this is young, but drinking well. Lemons and vanilla comes thru. At this stage, it will be a difficult food match but as it ages it should go nice with salmon or other "steak" fish. Drink over the next ten years.
The Daou brothers have really added to the wine reputation in Paso Robles. The make mostly Bordeaux varietals at all price points. This is there inexpensive Chardonnay and it is an excellent value. Silvery/green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose has yellow grapefruits and smoke. A nice oily texture. On the palate, lemons, quince and smoke. Nice acidity. Long finish. This drinks easy and is sure to be a crowd pleaser at parties. Drink over the next couple years. Nice on its own, it will work well with lighter foods or seafood.
