California Dreaming

Just back from a friend and family visit to Southern California where I was honored and selected to be the sommelier for a great friends birthday party for over 100 people. Initially, my host gave me a budget of up to $100 a bottle which I told him was way too high. Understanding many wine experts from California would be at the party I emphasized that great wine does not have to cost that much. I have reviewed here for you along with professional writers the 5 wines served at the party all of which were well received and enjoyed along with the professional notes and price.  Most were rated right at 90 points by most professional writers.  A fair number of people came up to me and thanked me for the selection of the wines and many said they could not believe the inexpensive price of the wines.  There are plenty of great wines under $20 a bottle out there.

Chene Bleu Rose 2017 $26 Bt available from Hi-Times Orange County 

I consider this to be one of the best French Rose's in the world and I am biased. Clark and I spent a day at the vineyard a few years ago and loved the place. At the time it was the highest priced Rose in the World but the price is now down to reasonable levels. It is an interesting story. Years ago the family bought this broken down Medieval Castle on top of a mountain in the Southern Rhone Valley and renovated it at a cost of millions. It was surrounded by old dead vineyards and they decided to make wine. One problem. No one knew how to make wine. So they sent a brother to California at Davis to learn how to make wine and he came home after 4 years planted some vines and the rest is history. They didn't have a name but there was an old dead tree at the front of the property so they painted it bright blue and called the vineyard Chene Bleu or "blue tree". You can spend the night at the property they have 6 bedrooms and a full gourmet kitchen with a chef. We had a great lunch and tasting there. The wine is easily obtainable from Hi-Times Wine in Orange County, CA. I served it recently at a party at our house as well as the birthday party. Both times it was raved about and most bottles were consumed. It is a very light tasty smooth wine with no hard edges. Moderate acidity that goes well with food and very light oak that does not overpower. Just a lush elegant wine. 

Winemaker Notes 

Chêne Bleu means blue oak tree which forms the centerpiece of the label and which stands guard over the vines in real life (a centuries-old oak tree that died during a drought and has now been painted with Bordeaux Mixture and sculpted into a beautiful shape. The picture on the label surrounding it is filled with many of the elements that make the wine and the project unique.

Rich and fresh. Notes of citrus, small red fruit, and delicate touches of rose. Very fine hints of brioche.

Critical Acclaim JD91 Jeb Dunnuck RP91 WS91

The 2017 IGP Vaucluse Rosé is a Provençal beauty that offers fabulous notes of strawberries, spice, and salty minerality. It's clean, pure and elegant, with bright acidity.

Martín Códax 2016 Albariño (Rías Baixas) WE 89 JS93 D92 $14

This is a great wine for the Anything But Chardonnay(ABC) crowd.  It is a bright crisp acidy wine similar to a Sauvignon Blanc but is an entirely different grape.  Easy to drink and light goes well with shellfish and oysters.

Winemaker Notes

A refreshing food friendly white wine, Albariño is crisp, elegant and dry and has aromas and flavors of pear, passion fruit, and apple with bright acidity.

Critical Acclaim WW90 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com WE89 WS90

Since the late 1990s, I have enjoyed many bottles of the Martín Códax Albariños, and the wines have always been spot-on fresh, clean, and crisp. The 2017 vintage is just as I remembered it. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and alive. Its aromas and flavors of lime zest and mineral invite a pairing with simply prepared shellfish. (Tasted: December 10, 2018, San Francisco, CA)

Lemon and apple aromas are fresh and zippy on the nose. An alert, agile palate is citrusy but not sharp. Flavors of apple, nectarine and apricot finish with length, clarity, and brightness. Drink now. 

Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 WA87 $15

This has always been a great go-to Chardonnay that Clark and I have enjoyed over the years.  Lots of fruit flavors and moderate oak and balanced acidity.  Was received well at the party.

Winemaker Notes 

Ripe fruit, floral and spice aromas dominate the nose of the 2015 Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay. Pink grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, white peach, citrus blossom, and apple flavors are balanced by a bit of wet stone, subtle oak spice and bright acid 

Critical Acclaim WA87

The 2015 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard reveals an attractive nose of lemon rind, toast, and buttered apples. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh and open-knit, with less texture and weight than the considerably more expensive Signature Collection bottling, but marginally greater freshness.  William Kelley, April 27, 2018 

Louis Jadot Pinot Noir 2015 WS90 $15

I had a fair amount of discussion with my host as to what red wines to serve.  We "assumed" the crowd would be a California Cab crowd but after thought and discussion decided that most likely was incorrect and lighter "summer" wines might be more appropriate.  The party was held outside one of the art festivals in Laguna Beach and believe me the Laguna Beach crowd is a little artsier and laid back.  So with that in mind, I picked a light French Pinot Noir with a good pedigree.  The Jadot Pinot Noir is a light fruity red wine with lots of cherries and plums with moderate to low oak.  It drinks smooth and has a nice long finish.  Balanced with nothing out of balance.  Just a great lighter red wine for a summer day. Of interest, the wine was #68 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2018.

Winemaker's notes: 

This medium-bodied wine is harmonious, with forward, plump fruit and a silky texture balanced by gentle tannins and elegant structure. The very typical Pinot aromas and flavors of red cherries and wild strawberries are complemented by a delicious, lingering finish.  Pairs with red meats, roasts, pork tenderloin, and soft cheeses.

Critical Acclaim WS90

Infused with graphite and cherry aromas and flavors, this red is expressive and silky, with a good underlying structure for balance. Drink now through 2023.

Antinori Toscana 2015 JS93 D93 $15

Despite the reluctance to serve a too heavy red wine we still felt a bolder red would be appreciated by many of the guest, especially those who tell all the time "I never drink white wine".  Drinking white wine is like kissing your sister.  White wine is red wine that didn't make it.  I know I have heard all the jokes.  Forgive them as they don't know better.  We looked around for at least an hour and nothing inspired us until I found this wine.  Antinori always makes great wine and really usually nothing beats a great Sangiovese.  Besides a red wine rated 93 points at $15, how could we go wrong and boy were we right.  This is a tremendously balanced lush elegant wine with nothing off.  Perfect moderate acidity, mild tannins, and a soft long finish.  Just a great wine for the price.

Winemaker Notes 

Ruby red in color, this wine shows intense and complex aromas of ripe, red fruit, sweet spices and dried fruit and nuts. Firm bodied, it is round and supple with velvety tannins and a long, savory finish. 

Critical Acclaim 

JS93 James Suckling 

A focused nose that shows red cherries, red and dark plums, as well as cedar and nutmeg. The palate’s so lithe and elegant with firm tannins, tangy acidity, and a mineral finish. 

D92 Decanter 

With a wine history dating to 1385, Antinori has made this reliable Sangiovese and Bordeaux red blend since 1927, so its pedigree is not in question! Toasty oak melds into succulent cherry-berry fruit, with fine tannins and bright acidity to age well. Excellent value, even at the usual £15.99.