There’s finesse in this elegant Chardonnay — it’s got some requisite “Napa heft,” but the fruit is so pure and honest it comes off more like a white Burgundy. Bright and refreshing.
From a legendary estate, this is a voluptuous and elegant Napa Cab, drinking beautifully now, the tannins ripe and present, and the fruit evolving into layers both sweet and savoury. Wonderful.
Solid, superior wine (to its Yarra stablemate) with great depth of fruit. Exciting stuff! Very long.
Very pale ruby. Quite gamey and vegy on the nose. Fresh and sweet with lots of pleasure delivered but a bit simple and maybe not the most appetising.
Solid and sturdy without lift. Concentration but not extra charm. Very stolid and a bit sweet.
Saline element and lots of fun – ready to enjoy already! A touch of appetising butterscotch. Long.
Situated adjacent to the redwoods and one of the last vineyards before one reaches the Pacific, the Maggy Hawk vineyard is in what many refer to as the “deep end” of Anderson Valley. The vineyard contains a complex patchwork of different facings, slopes, and clones, all of which conspire to provide a dazzling array of different Pinot Noirs. The soil is comprised of decomposed sandstone, known for exceptional drainage and low nutrients, both critical to the development of naturally balanced vines.
This Pinot Noir is big, rich, complex, and assertive. The color in the glass is medium ruby. Out of the glass the Stormin’ Pinot Noir shows expressions of lavender, black cherry, dark chocolate aromas which intermingle with toasted chestnuts, ginger, and a hint of mushroom. On the palate there are bold red and black fruit flavors, wonderful texture, tart acidity, a joyous mouthfeel, and round polished tannins which give way to a long generous finish. All of nuances from this very well-made Pinot Noir from Maggy Hawk shows that the wine will age well for years to come. But I would find it very hard to wait!
Great Chardonnay Values
Kendall-Jackson’s entry into the no-oak realm of Chardonnay is pale gold in hue and bright with sweet citrus and tropical fruit notes, an intriguing contrast to the winery’s mega-popular Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay.
This widely available white walks a nuanced line between ripe fruit and zingy acidity; a small percentage of new French oak barrels (about 20%) adds spice but not overt “oakiness.”
This South African Chardonnay offers beautiful nuance, with toasty notes from 10 months on lees (the spent yeasts from fermentation), lush lemon curd and pear flavors, and a creamy texture.
Hartford Family Winery, Russian River Pinot Noir 2018, assertive for Pinot, there’s crunchy red berry fruit, well integrated gently spicy oak and a silky sleek character that makes this the most wonderfully satisfying fireside wine.
Liquid Gold | 7 Splendid Napa Valley Chardonnays
This inaugural vintage of the La Jota W.S. Keyes Vineyard Chardonnay comes from a cherished vineyard block planted in the historic W.S. Keyes Vineyard in 1999. With bracing minerality, refreshing acidity, and notes of white peach, crisp pear and freshly baked bread, this is a Chardonnay that is ready to drink now, but is also built to age.
Complex notes of black fruit, violets and plenty of spice. Exceptional freshness, original, and well-defined tannins on the mid-palate which evolve towards a slightly bitter finish with a hint of licorice root.
Distinctive nose disclosing precious wood, stewed red fruit, and blueberry. Exceptionally complex and harmonious palate with tight tannins, intense aromas, and a mineral touch on the finish. A very well-rounded wine.
The incredibly seductive nose exudes black fruit, black cherry, slightly minty freshness, a luxuriously smooth texture, exceptional balance, and a delicately spicy and lingering finish.
The nose discloses wild berries, blackcurrant, and floral notes reminiscent of rose petals. The palate is savory, juicy, and spicy with a saline, mineral, and savory finish.
Distinctive nose offering up leather, blackcurrant, and raspberry jelly. The palate combines delicate yet precise tannins with a touch of wet soil, a balsamic freshness, and a pleasant bitterness on the finish.
Seductively pure and fruity nose offering up blackberry and violet and a harmonious palate underpinned by velvety, silky smooth tannins with a hint of cocoa and a mouthwatering, slightly spicy finish.
This is a beautifully structured wine with generous notes of black olives, blueberries and lavender. Deliciously ripe and fruit forward.
Celebrating International Women's Day - With Wine
Owned by Barbara Banke, named for her daughter and made by winemaker Jill Russell this is a female-led triple threat of a wine with Cambria’s slogan being ‘Women Led, Women Owned’. Delicious notes of baked apple pie, vanilla blossom and a racy line of warm citrus evokes the sunshine and glamour of Napa.
Of the latest 2018 vintage, which was one of the best in the last two decades, the wine that is truly singing right now is the sensuously silky and perfumed 'La Muse'; a Merlot dominated blend (90%), with a splash of Cabernet Franc (6%) Malbec (4%). La Muse echoes Pétrus with its soft texture, incredible depth, and flavour concentration. Think cedar, ripe plum, violets and leather with a ferric, mineral core and velvety tannins. One for investment certainly or simply when you want to pop the cork for a spot of decadence.
Raise A Glass
Now to a special wine, because Saturday February 26 is a date for the diary: Open that Bottle Night - there's always a wine-themed day on the calendar if you look hard enough. The idea is to encourage people to open special wines and enjoy them right now. I bet you have one you're hanging on to for a special occasion? Why wait? Open That Bottle Night's ethos is about sharing and celebrating. Make the day you're waiting for, that day or you may forever be procrastinating. My "practise run" was with Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2020. Yes its special, by golly it is. But that's the point. The wine is fermented in oak, some old, some new; and aged in the same. It has a honeyed, buttery nose, with dried and fresh apples, and peach. The palate is crisp, zesty and mouthwatering.
This vintage was hand-harvested during a crisp autumn, producing whole cluster grapes that were settled then transferred to French oak barrels. The result is a wine that tastes of tangerine and starfruit, with an acidity on the finish that pairs perfectly with a roasted chicken and vegetables.
A collective “whoa” was the response I received when I shared this wine with my family, and I felt bad for any bottle that was to come afterward. A remarkable reflection of Willamette Valley’s terroir, with aromas of chamomile tea and earth, and on the palate, delicate boysenberries and orange peel. Sublime, really.
A Year Of Drinking While Being A Homeowner
What I drank when I finished my kitchen renovation, sat back and admired the result of blood (yes), sweat and tears. Gran Moraine “Dropstone” Chardonnay 2018, Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon. So delicious, I wish I had saved it for a more stylish occasion, but this Burgundian imposter was a perfect reward for weeks of plaster and saw dust, paint and tung oil fumes, spackle, caulk and wood filler (and the erratic schedule of handyman No. 3). Creamy baked yellow apple, some wood-spice caramel and hazelnut tones, and a rich, textured mouthfeel and full-bodied but extremely nuanced.