2003 Domaine Serene Chardonnay Cote Sud Vineyard

This Oregon Chard is one of our favorites that I have been saving for a couple of years. Not for anything in particular, but we burned through about 10 bottles in two years, and I wanted to see how it would age, considering it is oft compared to a Grand Cru Burgundy.

Court recognized the bottle when I pulled it out and got excited. I cracked the top, poured a little sip and was disappointed. Either it was a cooked bottle or the wine was past its prime. I'm hanging onto the hope that it was just an off bottle. I down played my disappointment, but Court recognized right away it wasn't what she expected and almost spit it out.

Cry cry, wah wah. I think we drank half of it anyway before opening something else.

2005 Ramey Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

New vintage of the Ramey Chard we sell at BONDA. I couldn't find a post of the 2004, but it is one of the few Cali Chards that I really like, and one of Court's favorite all time wines that is under $50.

Sweet like candy corn on the nose, with a slight alcoholic edge. On the palate, definite oak, but mellow, and not the first taste. Soft floral notes with hints of blanched almonds. An easy wine, but not as good as the 2004. Perhaps it is too young? Or an off bottle?

06.02.08 /2005 Baileyana Chardonnay Firebreak Vineyard

So we had this Cali Chard at the Cooper's the other night. I love Edna Valley wines, and wanted to try a Chard from the Firebreak Vineyard, but I did not really like it.

Here are my notes that I typed on my iPhone: touches of oak with mellow mild vanilla. Hints of Kraft caramels, ocean breeze on the nose. Could be better, sweet like a Carneros chard.

Here is Jamie and Jim enjoying a glass waiting for the steaks to cook. Jim liked the wine a lot, and chided me for my snobery, while Jamie went back and forth, but eventually sided with me that it was too over blown without the structure needed to support that faux vanilla /carmel flavors.

03.12.08 /2002 Nickel and Nickel John's Creek Vineyard Chardonnay

Sam brought in this wine for us to try. It was pretty subdued for a Napa Chard. I always thought Nickel and Nickel would be overdone. I have had a few, and I have found them all to be quite delightful. At first, there was a little rubbing alcohol on the nose, with hints of candy corn. Not too much oak, but soft and subtle.

Everyone agreed it was a great wine. It could have probably gone another 2 years or so, but it was good to drink that night.

02.21.08 / Barnett Tasting

We are doing a wine tasting with Barnett Family Vineyards in April at BONDA, so our distributor brought the wines by for us to try. We were familiar with their Chards, but we also tried a single vineyard Pinot Noir, single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and a reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

I have the list, but forgot at the restaurant.

They were all delish, and will provide detailed tasting notes with our food thoughts soon.

02.14.08 / 2004 Williams Selyem Allen Vineyard Chardonnay

Valentine's Day is a good excuse to drink good wine. Courtenay has been feeling run down and in a bad mood so I let her choose a wine for us to drink. Of course she chose her favorite, Williams Selyem, and our last bottle of Chard.

It was premature to open it, but delish. Flavors of ripe pineapple, vanilla, oak. It needed some time to mellow out, but it really rocked after a bit. I made chicken under a brick with a pea, gruyere and asparagus risotto. She dug it and we had a great night!

2006 Barnett Vineyards Sangiacomo Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay

Nothing like Cali Chard. Carneros is cooler than Napa, I think, and produces Chard and Pinots that don't have all the heavy fruit, butter, oak. At least in my opinion.

I bought the 2005 vintage of this wine for BONDA, after trying it at the Wine Thief with Coleman and Noah. They thought it was totally overdone, but I thought it had a nice balance with a lot of big fruit - that our customers want - without too much oak.

The 2006 is a little leaner, to my tasting, but still is young and I am drinking it way too cold. I picked up a bottle from BONDA and put it in the freezer while I made a piece of cod and cous cous.

I did not realize, but CT only gets a few cases of the 480 made from Barnett - and it goes quick. We have been sitting on the '06 for a few months, and it is almost time to premier it on the list.

There is an interesting spiciness that is developing, almost like a mild clove or cardamom, hints of cinnamon. The nose is floral, but not over pronounced with nothing terribly sweet, more of a tarragon and lily of the valley. Not too viscous on the tongue, but with some weight. Touches of oak and smoke - if someone likes their wines unoaked, then this is not for them - but it is not overwrought or fake. I can see how someone with a bias against Cali Chard would not like this wine. I probably would not have liked it three years ago as well.

But it is great in my humble opinion, and I really do like it now. I can think of a Rombaer (sp?) or Silver Oak (do they make a Chard?) with big fleshy, oaky, seemingly unnatural flavors. Barnett is not cheap - $58 or so on our list - but it can satisfy a Cali Chard lover, and someone who occationally wants that taste in a refined wine.

I thought Court would give me a killer quote, but she just called the wine bitter and one dimensional. Oh well, to each their own!

2006 Ken Wright Cellars Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay

I have only tried a handful of Ken Wright wines, but I have loved every one of them. Pinot Noir from the Carter and Canary Hill Vineyards of 2001, Pinot Blanc from 2004 - all from Oregon. This Chardonnay is from Washington State from grapes grown in shot soil on Underwood Mountain, a sleeping volcano. I do not think I have ever had a Washington State Chard - Buty makes a Semillon/Sav Blanc blend which is pretty awesome, but no Chards.

This wine is pretty great. On the tongue a little bitter, with great balance of acidity and little friut, notes of pine nuts, and something sweet - possibly a bit of fried calamari? I defrosted a fennel pomodoro sauce and cooked up some Capellini, so not the best combo for a flavor profile. A touch of burnt rubbing alcohol on the nose, with stale candy corn possibly? No oak whatsoever although the label says barrel fermented - maybe steel barrel? It is reminicent of a Patty Green Chardonnay, in that it tastes like the Northwest, but has a dash of Burgundy in there. If I knew more about the region, I could tell you from where exactly - a region where the soil is rocky with wonderful airation (SP?. Nothing like Dom. Serene's Chards which are hailed as Burgundian and I also love.

Mike (from FH) has come down hard on Ken Wright for his religious views and his belief that he has saved the Oregon wine industry. It is unfortunate, since Mike used to import them back in the day. Now, very little Ken Wright wine comes into CT and it is all white.

I probably should not be drinking it now as it just arrived in state, but I couldn't wait. See my future Ken Wright posts to see why. I got a case of the Chard for the restaurant blind, and I am not disappointed. This wine will be great in the spring of 2008. The Pinot Blanc took about 8 months to come around as well, and it was super tasty!

2006 J. Christopher Cuvee Lunatique

This 100% unoaked, no malo, Oregon Chardonnay from the Willamette Valley is OK in my book. It is clean and pure much like a Chablis and has a secondary layer of spice. The nose is a little moldy apple, with some guava notes. The mouthfeel is moderate and steely - would go nicely with an asian shrimp dish, but nothing too rich as it still is a chardonnay.

The guys from the Fountainhead have been importing J. Sommers line for a few years, and I have never truly been a huge fan of his whites, but I will drink them over most other American wines any day.

3 of 5 glasses

10.25 2005 Nickel and Nickel Truchard Vineyard

I ordered this by mistake. It sounded familiar and it is the same bottle we had in Nantucket over the summer and on our last trip. It is still a very delish Chard but might be better when it is served to me in the basement of the Boarding House. I made a nice piece of cod with wild brown rice and peas. The peas were not a good match as they were too earthy for the wine, but the lemon on the cod hit the high notes and the wild rice gripped the tannins.

2005 Nickel and Nickel Searby Vineyard Chardonnay

For those of you who know, I love the 2005 N&N Truchard Vineyard. So I ordered a couple of sample bottles from our distributor. Very disappointed with the Searby Vineyard. Bottle description gives it floral aromas with flavors of Muscat and passion fruit. This is true. Also sweet oak and fruit follow through. This is truw as well. I just don't like it.

10.21 2003 Lieb Chardonnay

I am really behind on my updates, so I will go from most recent to a month previous. On Saturday, Kevin and Rebecca came over for dinner. I was running very late, so we cracked a bottle of 2003 Lieb Vineyards Chardonnay from the North Fork of Long Island. A surprisingly very good wine.

Jamie had read about Lieb, and mentioned the winery to me. When Courtenay and I were in Bridgehampton in 2006, we went for a little wine tour of the North Fork and made a point of stopping at Lieb. At the time, I thought the wines were ok, a little flabby with little structure. BUT, when we opened this wine on Saturday, it was fantastic.

Little oak, but full bodied and crisp. Very minerally for a Chard, but it was refreshing, with notes of vanilla, cardamom and pine. I wish I had more bottles, as I only had one left, and I was saving it as a late night go to. Good thing I had it on a fresh palate!