2011 Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay

Norm's Tasting Notes
by:Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net




2011 Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay
#nb-08-13

I have raved about my wife's "Special Shrimp Scampi" on numerous occasions in the past, and will probably do so again in the future. The "Chardonnay Queen" loves to cook with garlic and butter, and what better wine to go with this dish than a good California Chardonnay. The 2011 Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay was a great choice to pair with one of my most favorite seafood dinners!

We had sampled the 2010 vintage recently and found it to be quite good, with scores from critics being as high as 92. When we got to our local retailer, they had already advanced to the 2011 vintage, so we picked up this bottle to sample and opened it to go with our Shrimp Scampi. It was delightful. The grapes are sourced from KJ vineyards in both Monterrey and Santa Barbara Counties, and the juice was barrel fermented in mostly new French oak, producing a mild oak finish to accompany its 13.5% alcohol. Malolactic fermentation was introduced to produce the big fruit and buttery taste adding to the wine's complexity, and the end result is quite nice.

The big fruit flavor suggests a bit of lemon and lime citrus to complete the taste of mango and tropical fruit layered with the scent of orange blossom and pear. The wine ends in a clean and crisp goodbye which calls you back for another sip. The KJ was excellent with the Chardonnay Queen's "Special Shrimp Scampi" and would pair well with most any seafood or fowl entree. Norm's score is 90.

Score: 90
Price: $14 - $18

Norm
Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog:
http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
dawsontimes.com
cumminghome.com
pineisland-eagle.com






WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity



   

2009 Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec

Norm's Tasting Notes
by:Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.nett






2009 Norton Reserva Malbec
#nb-07-13

Over the last decade I have looked forward to sampling Malbec wines from Argentina, This Bordeaux grape has become the signature red wine from Argentina, and it was with great relish that I opened a bottle of 2009 Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec the other night. I was not disappointed!

The grapes come from Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, where the vines are over thirty years old, and the wine is 100% Malbec. It was aged in new French oak barrels for twelve months, and the wine comes in at 14.5% alcohol. The color is a very dark red with purple tinges, and the nose explodes with scents of dark berries containing undertones of cassis and plum. The flavor is rich and full bodied with well-rounded accents of black raspberry, plum, and spice. The finish is bold and lingering, but not over-powering, with hints of vanilla oak and sweet tannins.

This Malbec is a perfect match for a two inch thick fillet mignon grilled medium rare, and would also pair well with an assortment of other grilled meats and hearty fare. It is excellent right now, and should improve for several more years. It will continue to be very drinkable well into the next decade. Mr. Parker and "The Wine Spectator" both rated this one at 89, but Norm's score is 90, and might possibly be higher in another year or two.

Score: 90
Price: $13 - $18

Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog:
http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available N>online at either:
dawsontimes.com
cumminghome.com
pineisland-eagle.com






WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2011 Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Norm's Tasting Notes
by:Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net





2010 Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
#nb-06-13

I must be slipping. This is my sixth article of 2013, and yet only my first review of a Cabernet Sauvignon. I have often confessed that Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite of all wines, and especially the Cabs from the Napa Valley. So it is only fitting that the first Cab reviewed this year should be a good one, and this is the case with the 2010 Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

This, like many Cabs today, is a blend featuring 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 3% Syrah, and a 1% pinch of Malbec. The color is a dark garnet red with a fragrant nose displaying plums and dark berries. The flavors abound with currant, blackberry, and a touch of cherry. The wine was aged for twenty months in oak, so the finish is accented by rich tannins which may need a little breathing time, so as not to over-power the lingering big fruit ending, which sails on into the night.

You cannot ask for a better wine with steak than the Franciscan, with its big, rich, full-bodied character asserting itself with any grilled meat. This is a good example of a quality Napa Cab in the under thirty dollar range, and it will rival many Cabernets costing more. While it is very good right now, it will be even better by 2015, if you can wait a couple of years.  Norm's score is 89.

Score: 89
Price: $19 - $27

Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog:
http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available N>online at either:
dawsontimes.com
cumminghome.com
pineisland-eagle.com







WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2010 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel

Norm's Tasting Notes
by:Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net





2010 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel

I sampled the 2009 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel last fall and enjoyed it quite a bit, so I was delighted to have an opportunity recently to taste the 2010 vintage. The vines in the Knotty Vines Vineyard in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County date back to the early 1900's. The folks at Rodney Strong combine these grapes with those from their vineyards in the Alexander Valley to produce an excellent Zinfandel, which pairs well with a variety of grilled meats, and other hearty fare.

I had read that the 2010 vintage took a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition recently, so I was eager to have a taste. The wine is a deep red purple in color with an explosive nose of dark fruit, which fills your senses with its presence. It has jammy flavors of blackberries, black raspberries, and dark cherries, with a hint of the pepper taste that I like so much in Zinfandel. The wine was aged for sixteen months in French and American oak so it has a firm backbone, with smooth tannins in the finish. The flavor lingers with a clean and smooth mouth-feel which belies the 15% alcohol content..

We enjoyed the Knotty Vines with grilled pork loin chops, roasted new potaoes and a fresh green garden salad. It was excellent. This wine would also be great with steak, or a hearty Italian pasta dish. Norm's score is 94.

Score: 94
Price: $15 - $19

Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog:
http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
dawsontimes.com
cumminghome.com
pineisland-eagle.com






WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity