Terroirist: A Daily Wine Blog » Terroirist Sample Roundup #4

Several weeks ago, I got together with some fellow Terroirist bloggers to formally taste several wines that had arrived as press samples over the previous few months. The wines were tasted in a single-blind format.

The biggest surprise? The Chardonnay from Joubert-Tradauw in South Africa. I received this wine as a sample while in South Africa for the 2011 Nederburg Auction and nearly forgot about it until the foil came off.

Details, wines, and tasting notes below the fold.

Review: 2010 Robert Oatley Chardonnay James Oatley TIC TOK
SRP: $15. Fermented in both tank and barrel; partial, secondary, malolactic fermentation. The nose is very neutral – hint of lemon drop and grass, with faint pineapple and other tropical fruits in the background. This wine goes down real easy, and would make for an excellent summertime Chardonnay. (88 pts.)

Review: 2009 Robert Oatley Chardonnay
SRP: $25. A small portion of the blend was fermented in stainless steel, the majority barrel fermented in mixture of new and one year old French oak. On the nose, honeydew melon, tropical mango, apricots and pineapple, with some reminds-me-of-Sauvignon-Blanc grass in the background. The oak is mild, but the malo comes across as burnt butter. A nice Chardonnay, but probably not worth the price. (86 pts.)

Review: 2009 Smith Madrone Chardonnay Estate Bottled
SRP: $30. 100% barrel fermented. On the nose, the wine is super interesting — eucalyptus, ripe, wild apples, some sour lemon, and a hint of sweet herbs. The oak – which comes across as smoky cedar – is in the background, and not at all overwhelming. Some petrol on the palate. It’d be fun to see how this wine ages, as it has a lot of stuffing. (89 pts.)

Review: 2010 Morro Bay Vineyards Chardonnay Split Oak Vineyard Central Coast
SRP: $10. Aged for six months on lees, with stirring every other week. On the nose and palate, tart lime, Green Apple Jolly Ranchers, and musty passion fruit, along with a strong note of vanilla. (88 pts.)

Review: 2010 Pali Wine Co. Chardonnay Charm Acres
$24.00. 25% new French oak; 25% stainless; 50% neutral oak; 10 months in barrel. Beautiful sea water and gray minerality on the nose, with ripe green apple, sweet pears, and citrus along for the ride. The mouthfeel is lush and round, with great acidity. (91 pts.)

Review: 2010 Joubert-Tradauw Chardonnay Barrel Fermented
SRP: $30. 100% barrel fermented. Wow – this wine is beautiful. Super ripe, fresh lemon on the nose, some grass and tart green apple, and a hint of tropical fruits. The lees comes across as lemon curd, and makes for a delightful, crisp-yet-creamy chardonnay. A fantastic, pure wine. (93 pts.)

Review: 2006 Truchard Pinot Noir
SRP: $37. 35% new French oak; 65% neutral; 10 months in barrel. Aromas of baked cherries, ripe strawberries and plum, with subtle notes of vanilla, fresh herbs, dried cranberries, pepper, and earthiness. On the palate, the wine is silky and juicy — this is a great example of Carneros Pinot Noir. (90 pts.)

Review: 2009 La Follette Pinot Noir DuNah Vineyard
SRP: $50. Again, an intensely powerful nose that’s proud to be ripe. Plums, blackberries, black cherries, and vanilla with violet, eucalyptus, cedar, cigar box, sweet rosemary playing a supporting role. This wine is amazingly complex, and silky on the palate – with bright acidity and soft, well-defined tannins. (92 pts.)

Review: 2009 La Follette Pinot Noir Van der Kamp
SRP: $40. This wine is incredibly aromatic – it’s proud to be a ripe Pinot Noir. Big dark cherries, blackberries, candied rasberries, baking spices like cinnamon and clove, and dark soil. On the palate, the wine isn’t remotely overripe – it’s juicy and hedonistic. (92 pts.)

Review: 2009 Pali Wine Co. Pinot Noir Riviera
SRP: $19. 20% new French oak; 10 months in barrel. On the nose, liquefied Ludens Wild Cherry Flavored Cough Drops, candied blackberries and cherries, with subtle hints of licorice, leather, cardamom, and coffee. A bit hot. (87 pts.)

Review: 2009 Pali Wine Co. Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard
SRP: $48. 50% new French oak; 16 months in barrel. The nose is intense — Purple Powerade, fresh blueberries, black raspberries, dried bing cherries, slate, and a hint of oak. It’s shier on the palate – with soft tannins and a plush, soft mouthfeel. The wine is tasty, but the ripeness of the fruit prevents the wine from tasting varietally pure. (88 pts.)

Review: 2009 David Family Pinot Noir
SRP: $90. This wine smells serious. Perfectly ripe strawberries and raspberries, sour cherries, stems and gray stones. On the palate, it’s juicy with present-yet-delicate tannins, and obviously well-made. A Pinot that would benefit from age. (93 pts.)

Review: 2009 Breggo Cellars Pinot Noir
SRP: $38. Aromas of red cherries, raspberries, and black tea – with toasted oak, tree sap, and baking spices playing a supporting role. There’s definitely a hint of brett – but it isn’t overwhelming. (90 pts.)

Wines Scoring Less Than 85 Points

Review: 2010 Craggy Range Chardonnay Single Vineyard Kidnappers Vineyard
SRP: $22. Fermented in both tank and barrel. On the nose, the wine doesn’t smell anything like — extremely green, with strong, awkward notes of old vegetables and spinach. The acid is off-the-charts and doesn’t seem natural.

Review: 2009 CalNaturale Chardonnay
SRP: $13 (per liter). Comes in a Tetra Pak. Poured into a bottle to avoid bias. An extremely ripe chardonnay, with super sweet melon, mango, and orange blossom on the nose. On the palate, sadly, the wine is a big disappointment – as it’s oily, alcoholic, and too sweet.