Country: | United States |
Regions: | California California (Monterey) |
Winery: | Chamisal Vineyards |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Argot Simpatico Ranch Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Powerful aromas of key-lime, white flowers, orange blossoms and a fierce, flinty, sauvage note define a wildly complex nose. Once in the mouth, gracefully pronounced textures coat the palate delivering an exotic interpretation of cool-climate Chardonnay character — lime peel, orange blossom, ginger and clove —lingerings deep into a vibrant finish.
Planted 1978. Shallow volcanic soils on the gently-sloped, south-facing foothills of Bennett Peak on Bennett Valley’s floor. One of California’s coolest Chardonnay vineyards. In the final year of 3-year draught cycle, Simpatico Ranch saw its earliest ever harvest and smallest crop, exposing a reserve of exoticism and minerality previously untapped. A watershed vintage for both the vineyard, and appellation. Night harvested by hand on 9/16, whole-cluster pressed direct to barrel; no settling to ensure maximum lees contact. Barrel fermented on heavy lees. Malolactic fermentation. 16 months in French oak, 50% new. Finished 2 months in steel tank, low Sulphur during barrel elevage.
Review:
There are 225 cases of the 2019 Chardonnay Simpatico Ranch, which is from a cooler, higher elevation site in Sonoma. Lots of peach, tangerine, honeyed minerality, and toasted hazelnuts all emerge from the glass, and while I don't think it matches the 2018, it's a brilliant Chardonnay offering medium to full-bodied richness, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's beautifully balanced and is going to keep for at least 5-7 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (September 2021), 94 pts
Just south of the winery, Bacigalupi Vineyard straddles Westside Road in the upper reach of Russian River Valley. The 125 acre vineyard encompasses a range of terroir, from heavier valley floor soil along the Russian River to alluvial clay loam on the rolling hillsides. The fruit is sourced from a superb block of 25 year-old Wente Clone vines located on the western slope of the site. Bacigalupi was the source of the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that, famously, beat the French wines at the "Judgement of Paris" in 1976.
Bacigalupi Chardonnay has a nose of lemon zest and vanilla bean. The palate opens with red pear and Meyer lemon, and brioche toast and honey comb notes on the finish. Like well-made Chardonnay from great vineyards around the world this wine benefits from getting some air, will age for years, and is best when served chilled around 50 degrees. This wine will evolve in the bottle for many years to come. A terrific wine from one of Sonoma County's top sites for Chardonnay.
Argot Le Rayon Vert Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
"Le Rayon Vert", the phenomenon which occurs as the sun dips below the horizon, and a brilliant green flash occurs when sunlight prisms through Earth's atmosphere. Jules Verne wrote "a green which no artist could ever obtain on his palette”, akin to the ethereal, green halo all truly pedigreed Chardonnays radiate from the glass.
Wafting from the glass like a freshly opened stick of Wrigley's gum. Both intense and vibrant, the full-bodied palate delivers Granny Smith apple and stone fruits; confections of custard and sticky vanilla bean; animated by bursts of spearmint and pine forest.
Review:
"Showcases well-knit apple, Asian pear and white currant flavors, with accents of dried mint and tarragon. Toasty in the midpalate, with a finish that lingers on and is marked by crushed stone. Drink now through 2025. 325 cases made. - Kim MARCUS"
- Wine Advocate (April 30th 2022), 93 pts
"There are a scant 320 cases of the 2019 Chardonnay Le Rayon-Vert, which hails from the Sonoma Mountain AVA and spent 14 months in 70% new French oak. It offers a lighter, grey-tinged gold hue as well as an old school nose of crushed citrus, tart peach, hazelnuts, crushed stone, and white flowers. Beautiful on the palate as well, it has a crisp, pure texture, some notable reduction, nicely integrated acidity, and outstanding length. It's a beautiful Chardonnay to enjoy over the coming 3-5 years. Give it a decant if drinking any time soon."
- Jeb DUNNUCK (September 30th 2021), 93 pts
Showcases well-knit apple, Asian pear and white currant flavors, with accents of dried mint and tarragon. Toasty in the midpalate, with a finish that lingers on and is marked by crushed stone. Drink now through 2025. 325 cases made.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
Daou Vineyards 'Bodyguard' Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Conceived by brothers Georges and Daniel Daou, Bodyguard Chardonnay is a wine of uncommon opulence. The 2020 vintage offers fragrant aromas of golden apple, buttered toast, honey and lilac. Subtle notes of Bartlett pear, star fruit, hibiscus and nutmeg round out the elegant, floral bouquet. The texture is smooth and silky, cascading across the palate with enticing flavors of spiced pear, Granny Smith apple, golden kiwi and honeysuckle, all underlain by mouthwatering minerality. Secondary layers reveal nuances of white peach and toasty oak, hazelnut, honeydew melon and citrus zest. A crisp, clean finish shows remarkable length with lingering notes of lemon curd and pineapple.
Review:
Lime leaf, crumbled herb and chiseled stone aromas hit the nose in this bottling, a new project for the Daou brothers. The palate is bright in a citrus tonic flavor, with a Key lime pie element that arises as well
-Wine Enthusiast 90 Point
DAOU Vineyards Paso Robles Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The 2021 Discovery Chardonnay leads with a stunning nose of juicy pineapple, freshly sliced pears, lemon chiffon, and warm toast. Spicy notes of nutmeg and ginger are highlighted with star jasmine and honeysuckle fragrances accompanied by hints of smoky oak and hazelnut. Elegant and silky on the palate, this Chardonnay offers delectable peach, melon, and green apple flavors accentuated by tropical notes of mango, guava, pineapple, and kiwi. A clean, exceptionally balanced finish is rounded out with essences of sweet Crenshaw melon, nectarine and papaya.
Review:
There's a guava character to the nose of this bottling, yet it's cut by a river stone edge. A bright sizzle of acidity and a chalky flesh envelop the palate, with plumeria and more guava flavors at play.
-Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
DAOU Vineyards Soul of a Lion is made from 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot.
The 2019 Soul of a Lion is a blockbuster vintage that showcases how Bordeaux varieties are remarkably suited to the terroir of DAOU Mountain. This wine explodes from the glass with a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors, including blackberry, blueberry, black currant, dark cherry, sweet tobacco, and licorice. An added floral dimension imparts an integrated sense of elegance and freshness. While full-bodied with ultra-high phenolic levels, this wine maintains its evenness and poise through an extraordinarily long finish. Structured, balanced, and powerful, the 2019 Soul of a Lion will reveal its full magnitude after several years of careful cellaring.
Review:
The 2019 Soul Of A Lion is a blend of free-run Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque ruby in color, it offers aromatic contrast between dark, savory cherry fruit, chargrill and graphite, and top notes of green pepper and rose petals. The palate explodes with detailed flavors and its tannins are already resolved and chocolaty, with seamless acidity and exotic spicy layers emerging on the extended finish. Wow!
-Wine Advocate 97+
Chamisal Vineyards Monterey Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This full-bodied wine exhibits classic varietal characteristics with aromas of toasted oak and crème brûlée. The entry is fruit driven with hints of lemon cream, Fuji apple, ripe pineapple and baked pear, leading to a rich and creamy mid-palate. Finishing clean with lingering acidity and broad texture, the wine is a beautiful example of Monterey County Chardonnay
Review:
Clean lines of pear, peach and coconut are cut by a splash of citrus on the nose of this bottling. The palate is tense in structure and fairly sharp, offering flavors of pineapple and lemon peel.
-Wine Enthusiast 90 Points
The first vineyard planted in 1973 in what would become the Edna Valley AVA, Chamisal Vineyards is located just outside the city of San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast. A specialist in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Chamisal Vineyards strives to produce wines that express the wild and inspiring beauty of California’s Central Coast and, more specifically, our 82-acre estate vineyard.
Chamisal Vineyards has become one of the most renowned producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on California’s Central Coast. Our estate vineyard encompasses 82 acres planted across three distinct soil types: Chamise Shaly Loam, Tierra Sandy Loam, and Salinas Clay Loam. Located just five miles from the Pacific Ocean, our estate vineyard thrives in one of the coolest cool-climate regions across the winegrowing world. The maritime influence of our proximity to the Pacific Ocean has a huge influence on the quality and character of our wines. Our vineyard receives the benefit of a longer and more temperate growing season, allowing for the development of complexity and intensity in our wines, balanced by a coastal freshness that has become a hallmark of our wines. We are constantly learning from our vineyard and adapting and evolving our faming methods and the way we make our wines in the cellar. Each vintage is a culmination of the vintages before it, a patient and persistent progression of tinkering, experiments, and adjustments in the cellar to nudge each wine closer to its fullest and highest expression.
While some winemakers find their domain is limited mostly to the cellar, our winemaking team is committed to spending just as much time in the Chamisal vineyards. Estate Director Andrea de Palo is dedicated to making sure that guests have a memorable experience at Chamisal.
Gimenez Mendez Alta Reserva Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Gimenez Mendez Sauvignon Blanc shows a very pale hue, almost crystal clear in color. Intense and herbal bouquet in harmony with fruity notes of guava and green apple, mango and maracuja. The wine is full and ample on the palate with a very firm structure. Dry, crisp and lively in the mouth.
Sauvignon blanc grapes are hand harvested very early during some mornings of February. Banches are destemmed and delicately crushed. With a quick press, fresh and very aromatic juice are obtained. Juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks during 15 days at controlled low temperatures, between 14 to 16 °C .Once fermentation is finished lees are kept and stirred for 1 month to get a creamy texture. Then a carefully clarification is necessary. The wine is filtered and stabilized without cold, and finally bottled to keep the freshness. No oak.
Ideal to serve with very spicy seafood, sushi or salads, as well as white meats with sweet-sour sauces, paté. Serve chilled.
Review:
Shiny gold the wine is lively and crisp, with medium-bodied notes of melon, citrus blossom and flowers. Perfectly balanced between richness, fruitiness and freshness.
Excellent with seafood (scallops and fish) as well as poultry (chicken and turkey)
Loring Cooper Jaxon Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir
Aged 10 Months in French Oak (15% New)
A special blend in honor of Cooper Jaxon Loring - the next generation of Loring. We don't limit the wine to any
specific AVA, but rather look for a blend that is big, bold, and super tasty!
Juicy and vibrant, with aromas of raspberry puree, blackberry and spring flowers.
Vines are planted on Arroyo Seco Sandy Loam soils on the following vineyard sites: Rancho La Viña, Kessler-Haak, Clos Pepe, John Sebastiano, Aubaine, Rosella's and Sierra Mar.
Vinification is traditionnal with minimal intervention.
Wine went thought Malo-Lactic fermentation and was bottled without filtration.
pH 3.61
Clones: Pisoni, 113, 115, 667, 777, 23
Pairs well with steak and lamb, spicy foods & mild cheeses.
Review:
"This fun and whimsical label from Brian Loring delivers his rich style of Pinot Noir at an affordable price, offering aromas of black cherry, forest herbs, damp sage and crushed slate. The palate is earthy, offering flavors of dark berry, fennel frond, roasted meat and clove. Matt Kettmann"
- Wine Enthusiast (June 2019), 92 pts - Editors' Choice
"Aromas of fresh herbs, pungent cedar, and forest swirl in the glass with more delicate floral notes, black pepper, bittersweet chocolate, and crushed rock. On the palate, a little brambly-vine quality clings to blackberry flavors, and warmly spiced dark plum is layered with fresh herbs for a lively, sweet-savory balance. Fine tannins yield satisfyingly rich, velvety textures, while vibrant acidity keeps you coming back for another sip." - David Jelinek, Winemaker
Faust Cabernet Sauvignon is our statement about what a cutting-edge Napa Valley Cabernet can-and should-be. In 2020, we achieved the Holy Grail of balance between richness and freshness with a blend of fruit from our cool Coombsville vineyard (always the core of the Faust blend) with carefully selected, complementary lots from other cool sub-regions in the valley. The result is a Cabernet Sauvignon with broad varietal character, including appealing herbal notes with its generous ripe fruit, and depth and texture not often found in this price
Review:
Aromas of tobacco, currants and iodine. Crushed oyster. Medium- to full-bodied with chewy tannins with spice, bark, and wet earth character. Fresh.
-James Suckling 93 Points
Robert Mondavi The Estates Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Merlot.
The 2019 The Estates Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of blackberry, blueberry, plum, chocolate, nutmeg, and subtle oak with flavors of black plum, blackberry, blueberry, and fine, well-integrated tannins. Juicy with good acidity and a beautiful flow from entry to finish.
Review:
Throws off some pretty gorgeous aromas of violet, anise and sweet bay leaf, with a core of ripe, streamlined boysenberry and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors following closely. The finish has a racy graphite edge, while the fruit and aromas just spill through. Approachable now, too. Drink now through 2034.
-Wine Spectator 94 Points
#6 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022
DAOU Vineyards Paso Robles Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The 2021 Discovery Chardonnay leads with a stunning nose of juicy pineapple, freshly sliced pears, lemon chiffon, and warm toast. Spicy notes of nutmeg and ginger are highlighted with star jasmine and honeysuckle fragrances accompanied by hints of smoky oak and hazelnut. Elegant and silky on the palate, this Chardonnay offers delectable peach, melon, and green apple flavors accentuated by tropical notes of mango, guava, pineapple, and kiwi. A clean, exceptionally balanced finish is rounded out with essences of sweet Crenshaw melon, nectarine and papaya.
Review:
There's a guava character to the nose of this bottling, yet it's cut by a river stone edge. A bright sizzle of acidity and a chalky flesh envelop the palate, with plumeria and more guava flavors at play.
-Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
It is hard to imagine with the Lithology range receiving 298 points out of 300 for the three single-vineyard wines, that there could possibly be a wine above them. But there is, and it is our Estate wine. Blended several times very intently by masters of their craft Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, this is the ultimate expression of our house’s work. Positive, full-bodied, and quite powerful, there’s the expected crème de cassis and blackberry from St. Helena Cabernets, with mineral, herb, subtle tobacco and vanilla, plum skins, and pie crust, purple flowers, forest-conifer notes, and very fine tannic structure. It is a magnificent, and magnificently elegant expression of this house, and when asked recently, Monsieur Rolland stated plainly to me, “oh yes indeed – this is the best one, the best yet…”
Review:
Pure perfection in Cabernet, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Alejandro Bulgheroni is all varietal and comes two-thirds from Oakville with the balance from sites in St. Helena and Rutherford. Aged 20 months in 70% new French oak and put together by Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, it has an incredibly pure, full-bodied, massive yet weightless style that I suspect couldn’t be achieved anywhere outside of Napa Valley. Cassis, blackberries, leafy herbs, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco leaf are just some of the nuances here, and it’s full-bodied, deep, and concentrated on the palate while maintaining an ethereal, seamless, utterly perfect balance between its fruit, alcohol, tannins, and acidity. As good as it gets, it needs just 2-4 years in the cellar and will evolve gracefully for at least 20-25 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points
Thorn Clarke 30th Anniversary Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
Rich, inky purple color. Aromas of black cherry and licorice supported by rich vanillin & mocha notes from the American Oak. The palate highlights the intensity of the varietal characters, showing plum and spice, with cocoa, smokey bacon and coffee bean notes below. Dense fruit tannins fill out the palate and lead to a long, complex finish. This is a wine which will comfortably cellar for years to come.
Great accompaniment to most red meat dishes, with lamb roast being a favorite of the family.
The wine was racked post malolactic fermentation and returned to the same barrels. The wine was topped every month and after six months racked and returned to the same barrels again. Prior to bottling the parcels were emptied from oak and blended. Minimal fining and filtration was carried out prior to bottling.
Remontage (pump over) twice daily. Pump over regimes were adjusted toward the end of fermentation to suit the tannin and flavor extraction of the wine. The wine remained in fermenters for 6-8 days before being pressed and filled to American oak (100% new barrels).
A Shiraz specific yeast was selected. Fermentation was carried out at a maximum of 28°C.
100% de-stemmed.
Night harvest.
Harvested at optimum flavor ripeness.
Review:
"This anniversary bottling offers a complexity aromas including brambly blackberries, game, coffee grounds and chocolate. There's some heat from the steep 15.5% alcohol on the palate, but it's kept relatively in check by fine leathery tannins, juicy fruit, herbs and spices. This has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2020–2034."
- Wine Enthusiast (December 1st 2019), 93 pts & Cellar Selection