2011 Giant Steps Chardonnay, Sexton Vineyard, Yarra Valley, Australia
Clear straw color. Initial aromas of smoky oak and clove frame sweet white peach and citrus blossom. Medium in body, this white is crisp and vibrant in the mouth, leading to a creamy, juicy finish that invites the next sip. The citrus component… Read more
2011 Chappellet ‘Signature’ Chenin Blanc, Napa Valley
Bright straw color. The floral nose delivers ample complex aromas of honeysuckle, sweet lemon, freshly cut pineapple and hints of vanilla and nuts. Fermented dry, the wine gains a viscous creamy edge in the mouth, a result of barrel fermentation…. Read more
2011 Sonoma-Loeb ‘Envoy’ Chardonnay, Carneros
Clear medium straw color. Using select lots from the famed Sangiacomo Vineyard on the Sonoma side of Carneros, winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus has fashioned a stunning Chardonnay. The nose is pure California in expression, offering up hedonistic… Read more
2011 Sbragia Chardonnay, Home Ranch, Dry Creek Valley
Clear medium straw color. Lots of smoky oak, vanilla and sweet butter scents frame the ample peach, pear and pineapple in the nose. Lush and mouthfilling, the buttery fruit follows through to a lip-smacking, long afterflavor. This is very much a… Read more
2011 Domaine Vincent Careme Vouvray Tendre, Loire Valley, France
Faintly sweet and delicately floral, with an undercurrent of minerality and tightly wound acidity, this Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley speaks to Vouvray’s most memorable qualities. Vincent Careme has experience producing Chenin quite literally… Read more
2011 J. Lohr ‘Fog’s Reach’ Pinot Noir, Arroyo Seco, Monterey
Nearly transparent light ruby, picking up some pink at the rim. The nose is full of jammy strawberry and raspberry fruit, joined by whiffs of sweet vanilla and white pepper. Well balanced with nuanced oak shadings, the wine offers bright red fruit… Read more
2011 J. Lohr ‘October Night’ Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
Clear light straw color. The perfumed nose exhibits exotic Asian flowers and fruits, sweet Meyer lemon, and oak shadings of vanilla and clove. The wine is medium-full in the mouth, with fine balance. From mid-palate on, it gains volume, pumping… Read more
2011 Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Australia
Nearly transparent garnet color, with orange shadings, lightening at the rim. The nose has notes of smoked oak and dried orange peelings that frame delicate, perfumed cranberry and sour cherry fruit. The wine is feminine and silky in the mouth,… Read more
2011 d’Arenberg ‘The Olive Grove’ Chardonnay, McLaren Vale/Adelaide Hills, Australia
Very light straw color with green glints. Scents of spiced oak and light butter frame citrus blossom, lime, minerals and green apple. On the palate, initial sharp citrus tang leads to sweeter, rounder fruit impression in the mid-palate. At the… Read more
2011 Windstream Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands
The cool climate of the Santa Lucia Highlands allows Chardonnay to develop along Burgundian lines. This bottling from Maddalena Brands shows complex aromas and flavors of ripe pear, green apple, honey and bright shadings of spiced oak and butter…. Read more
