Most of the times I have avoided California Chardonnay and yes, for the same reasons most people avoid all Chardonnays together because of oak. I like a good Virginia Chardonnay where they try to minimize the influences of the oak because for me that buttery texture can just get too heavy some times. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure there are places in California that do very little oaked Chardonnay just like there are some over-oaked Virginia wines.
This brings me to the 2009 Bjornstad Chardonnay, which was a gift from Underground Cellar for participating in a contest. Disclaimer: as with all wines bought or gift I will always give an honest review. 2nd disclaimer: I am quite worried about tasting a California Chardonnay. It did receive 92 points by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Here are the tasting notes from the winery’s website:
2009 Sonoma County Chardonnay
Aromas of creamy vanilla, spice and roasty, toasty creme bruleé interweave with the rich tropical fruit qualities and then, a mineral aspect of crushed stone. The texture of the wine is rich and opulent with flavors of stone fruit of peach and apricot and vanilla custard. The richness of the wine is beautifully balanced with bright acidity and a solid structure, finally giving way to a long and persistent finish. This wine is unfiltered and unfined and may show an opaque quality, which is entirely natural.
Ok so we have creamy and not buttery. My hopes are up. So how was it?
Color – Definitely can tell that it is unfiltered. This wine is a hazy pale yellow.
Nose – Apple, Pineapple, a little bit of vanilla.
Taste – Tropical fruit, with everything from banana, pineapple, and strawberries.
Finish – Little buttery but not bad. Long finish with medium acid.
Overall, this wine was amazing. I was really surprised with every sip. The tropical fruit flavors were so strong and vibrant that every time I took a sip I said “Wow.” I would highly recommend this wine to someone who really wants to challenge their palate and try something different.
Rating: A
~Justin
Oh look, another review of a dry rose wine by me! I recently read an article from Gentleman’s Gazette that gave the history of rose wine and what I really found it interesting that most wines in the past history were rose. It wasn’t until they developed new machines could they make more red wines wide spread. The article does a good job of also explaining how the sweet White Zinfandel wines came about, as well.
Every so often we hear of a study where moderate amounts of alcohol can be good for you. Just recently, scientists studied 20,000 Swedish men who chose semi-healthy life choices and consumed a moderate amount of alcohol would have a lower risk of a heart attack. How many times do we have to have this study to believe that it is true?
Some bottles of wine last a few weeks in my collection and some last years. How long do they last in yours? I think the average consumer either consumes the wine immediately or shortly there after. A year or two probably does not make a huge different on a wine but I am sure a decade does.
Once again, on the rose kick again even as the weather turns cold. Most people will be putting away their white and rose wine and bundling up next to the fire with a big glass of red wine. I am not sure that my new obsession with rose wine will be seasonal unless the grocery stores make me seasonal with it. Besides seasonal beers and the occasional gin martini around Christmas time (yes, because it does really taste like Christmas), there is not a whole lot of things I drink seasonally.
Many times when you get a wine blend from either France or California the leading grape in the blend is usually Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. In some cases with French wine, those are the only two grapes in the blend. I think sometimes what makes Virginia wines so unique is that they do not lead with those big classic grapes.
For those of you who read my reviews regularly, you know, that I have some favorite wineries and some favorite websites. I think it is good to develop a relationship with the few sites and the few wineries that you really enjoy. There is no point of me buying wine from a winery and bashing them on and on. There was one site that I wasn’t a fan of and they approached me to give me more free wine. I always say yes to free wine but my reviews will be honest.
I have been waiting for this moment for a while and it actually happened by accident but for the first time I will review a wine type from the same winery twice but two different vintaged years. I am sure most people do not pay attention to vintages when they shop in the grocery store. Many in the store are not vintaged to keep consistent.
Without getting into a debate on screw top or cork screw, I would imagine that the hardest thing to do in the wine business would be to sell an expensive screw top. I would imagine that if most people want to invest $30 or more in a bottle of wine they would want the cork. I mean, really, who saves their screw caps? Technically, it is illogical being that you have a better chance of the wine going bad.
Time after time, you have seen me review and rave about dry rose wine. I will admit that I am a little addicted. But what goes better on a warm Sunday afternoon sitting on a deck or patio? White wines are good for that two but you have to invest in some way to make it cold. If a rose loses a few degrees off the temperature then it really isn’t effecting the taste.