Sunny Cali Chard

The weather has been warming up lately in Southern California, with the sun shining nice and bright almost everyday. What to drink under the sun? A nice cool bottle of California Chardonnay! Let’s go Whites!

2007 Sonoma Loeb Chardonnay, Sonoma County
Popped and poured. The chardonnay displays a light golden hue – almost clear on the rims. Wow! Nose explodes with honey, ripe pineapples, fresh honeydew melon, crisp Washington red apples; hints of vanilla and magnolia flowers. I really can’t get enough of this aroma! Truly in your face white fruit. Very little oak, if any; the more I smell it, the more I am convinced that the apples truly dominate this nose. Wow. Let’s see how it works the palate. Very different on the palate; apples still present, but to be honest, I’m really not getting anything else. After about 20 minutes in the glass, I get hints of minerals and pineapples on the finish. A medium oaked wine, the tannins are still present yet dissipated throughout the night. Quite disappointed on the palate to be honest. The nose had me expecting a lot. To try again the second night. Will report back.

Second night, nose is still quite explosive. Apples and pineapples with hints of floral notes still sing beautifully! If I could, I would make this into a scented candle! But of course, the nose wasn’t the problem last night, it was the palate. And tonight? Palate a little more expressive I must say. Sweet white fruits are coming through with very mild oak and minerals. Light tannins still present but overall, no depth on the finish.

I guess the nose really got me going on this wine. I had high expectations for this chardonnay – one of creamy, buttery taste followed by a firm vanilla fruit finish. Sadly, it wasn’t so. But then again, it’s not a wine to be poured down the drain or mix with soda water; I still think it’s a decent bottle at its price-point of $10. 87 pts

Going Back to the Roots, the Terroir, the Reliable

Running through the aisles of my local wine store, I wanted to pick out something different, something I haven’t tried yet. Burgundy? Brunello? German Riesling? Naw, not feeling the sweet stuff tonight. After browsing through the above categories, nothing seemed to have jumped up at me. Either the selection wasn’t that great or the prices were too much for a simple tasting. So what do I do? Go back to the roots, the terroir, the reliable – Bordeaux.

2003 Ségla, Margaux

Ségla is the second label for Chateau Rauzan Ségla, located in Margaux. The vineyard at Chateau Rauzan-Ségla supports 51 ha of vines, with a dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon (61%) and Merlot (35%), with 2% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin is Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, of which there are typically 8000 cases produced per annum. Rigorous selection is essential, ensuring that only the choicest portion of the harvest goes into the Grand Vin, the rest going into the second wine, Ségla.

Decanted for about 4 hours, the 2003 Ségla had a perfume that was undeniably sexy – sporting a dark garnet core with ruby rims, the Ségla had a nose full of scorched earth, dirty straw, manure, and oak. Upon more sniffing, smoke, cigar and hints of herbal notes come into display. On the palate, the wine has an amazing finish – roughly 30 seconds in length. Tannins still present, yet the wine is quite smooth. Speaking of the finish, I get dark cherries and hints of mint. Although the 2003 vintage was not a fantastic vintage for Margaux, the Ségla still displays good texture and complexity.

I decided to try a glass that is not decanted – freshly popped and poured. Wow, is it different on the nose!! Not as mature and dense as the decanted glass – the freshly poured glass displays a nose of fresh spring dirt and wet maple leaves. It’s almost as if you walked through a forest on a misty, foggy morning. Quite beautiful indeed. On the palate, much more tannic than the decanted glass, therefore, a little muted; but the finish is still quite nice. Fantastic!

If this is only the second label, can you imagine the Grand Vin!? Luckily, I have a 2005 Chateau Rauzan-Ségla slumbering . . . waiting to be awaken in about 20 years!

The 2003 Ségla is ready to drink now, but can probably benefit with another 3-5 years of cellaring and should last for another decade. What an enjoyable evening! Like I said, when in doubt, go back to the roots, the terroir, the reliable – Bordeaux. 90+ pts

Taking It Easy

I've been MIA for about 2 weeks due to my recent trip to China. It was a urgent family trip so I didn't get to venture out and taste wines in China - although I would very much like to do so. I've also been under the weather, so to speak, so tasting wines were not at the top of my priority list as you can imagine. Anyways, tonight though, I thought, "hey, why not ease into things with a nice California central coast Pinot Noir . . . " So here I am, with my 2006 Montoya Pinot Noir, Montery!

2006 Montoya Pinot Noir Proprietary Owned, Monterey
Popped and poured. Color of dark garnet and ruby red on the rims. Nose explodes immediately before I even bring it close to my nose. Full of ripe cherries, strawberries and fresh celery. I know it may seem a little odd, but yes, a smell of fresh, crisp, celery and lettuce! Have you ever brushed your hands over the dew on a fresh turf of grass when you were a kid? And then brought it up to your nose to smell it? That’s exactly how this wine smells like. Very fresh indeed! I also get very little cedar and hints of vanilla. On the palate, this wine is quite smooth. Full of cherries and floral notes, this medium bodied wine is very Napa Valley – fruit forward and ripe! Although the finish remains smooth, the Montoya Pinot Noir lacks structure and complexity. After two hours in the glass, I was hoping for more smokiness, cedar, and earthy tones. Sadly, they never came. Great nose, decent palate and good finish; however, I will say that I prefer the Montoya Cabernet over the Pinot. 87 pts