Bourgogne

A really nice value in French Chardonnay.  Gold/green in color, clear and bright.  The nose has red apples, good minerality and a touch of spice.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, no hard edges.  Very smooth with apples and minerals.  Long finish.  Nice on its own, but better with food.  Pepper crusted Tuna steaks would be nice.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

These wines don't seem to get the respect that other Bourgogne's get and that is a shame.  This was delicious.  It is more understated, but that is not a bad thing in Burgundy.  Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cranberries, rhubarb, cherries and slight char.  Medium bodied.  A bit riper on the palate with cherries and slight rhubarb.  Light tannins.  Sour/tart cherries on the finish.  This works better with food than on its own.  Sweet and sour Pork would work well. 

2005 was an excellent vintage in Burgundy and even the basic Bourgogne's are still drinking well.  This one is better than most.  Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has nice cherries, some spice and a touch of earthy funk.  On the palate, fresh cherries with tight layering.  A nice earthiness underneath.  There is plenty of fruit here.  It is tasty.  Long finish.  This should continue to drink well for another five to seven years.  A nice match with roasted chicken.  

Pinot Fin is apparently an ancient clone of Pinot Noir.  The berries are even smaller than Pinot Noir.  Arnoux's fruit is from Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanee, and Nuits-Saint-Georges.  Some of the vines date back to 1959.  Whether that is marketing or there is some substance there is hard to say based on this sample.  It was my first time trying this wine.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has sour cherries, dust and slight earthiness.  On the palate, this is good but relatively simple.  Cherries with slight underlying earthiness.  Medium finish.  This is easy to drink and will go with most

This is a very nice Chardonnay at a reasonable price.  It even says Chardonnay on the label.  Light golden in color.  The nose is nice.  Slightly chalky with flint and slight smoke.  Also some lemon.  On the palate, this has a nice acidity.  Lots of minerality with a bit of lemon fruit.  Clean.  Nice finish.  Worked well with an assortment of cheeses but will work with lighter and medium bodied foods.  It should last another five years but won't get much better if at all.  Depending on the price where you live, this is a very nice value.