2017 Hahn Monterey County Chardonnay

Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2017 Hahn Monterey County Chardonnay

#26-19

We had a delightful dinner at a small Italian Restaurant, which was new to us, and relatively new to the area.  We like seafood and pasta, and we enjoyed a very good dinner with a good bottle of wine.  The wine was the 2017 Hahn Chardonnay, and it fit the bill.

The wine opened with a fragrant nose of apple, pear and a bit of orange mist.  The flavors were Granny Smith apple, with ripe pear, and a bit of tangerine in the background.  The texture was creamy and the spine had good acidity, which balanced well against our garlic laced food.  The alcohol content is 14.5%, and Norm's score is 88.

The Chardonnay queen indulged in a salmon dish with artichoke and a creamy sauce accented with dried tomato.  I had a wonderful Shrimp Scampi with angel hair pasta, which, with the exception of the Chardonnay Queen's own Special Shrimp Scampi, may have been the best I have ever had.  The restaurant's name is Gusto Cucina Italiana in Cape Coral, Florida, and I would highly recommend it!

score: 88

price: $12 - $17

Norm

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www.normwine.blogspot.com/

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WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

The Chardonnay Queen

The Chardonnay Queen and The North Georgia Wine Advisor enjoy the first day of summer, 2019 with a feast of Shrimp and Scallops with Angel Hair Pasta, and Creamy Alfredo Sauce.

The wine of choice was the 2016 B'Side North Coast Chardonnay

I hope your summer is a good one, and also I hope you enjoy reading the articles as much as I enjoy writing them

Cheers................................................................................... Norm

             WINE: God's Proof of his Love for Humanity!

2016 B"Side North Coast Chardonnay

Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2016 B'Side North Coast Chardonnay

#25-19

It is the first day of summer, and of course, The Chardonnay Queen's thoughts turn to Chardonnay and seafood.  We chilled a bottle of B'Side North Coast Chardonnay and prepared our seafood feast to toast the arrival of the summer of 2019.  Ain't nothing like cold wine on a hot summer's night!

The B'Side opens with a pleasing aroma of apple and pear, with a slight floral effect.  The flavors swirl throughout the glass, with green apple and ripe pear being the boldest.  There is though, a hint of citrus, and a rich creamy texture, which backs the good balance between fruit and acidity.  The finish is clean and crisp, buts does not linger on the palate quite long enough.  The alcohol content is 13.5%, and Norm's score is 89.

Our seafood feast was shrimp and bay scallops, sauteed in butter and garlic, and combined with angle hair pasta and creamy Alfredo sauce.  A fresh avocado and tomato salad rounded out the bill of fare.

score: 89

price: $16 - $20

Norm

www.facebook.com/Norm'sTastingNotes

www.normwine.blogspot.com/

Available online at:

Pine Island Eagle.com

Cumming Home.com

Dawson Times.com

Also Available at AOL”s Dunwoody Patch:

Dunwoody, GA Patch

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

2019 Spanish Crianza Comparison

Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2015 Finca Las Cabras Crianza

2013 Campo Viejo Crianza

#24-19

Since I just wrote an article about a Spanish Red last week, I thought that I would offer a little taste comparison between two very similar reds from Spain, one which is new to me, and one which is an old favorite.  The Campo Viejo I have known for years, while the Finca Las Cabras is the one which is new to me.

The Finca is a touch bigger on the fruit, while the Campo seems to have a little more tannin.  Both feature blackberry, black plum, and a little cherry in their flavor spectrum.  Both have good color, and both finish well, with the Campo lingering a bit longer.  The wines are very close in flavor as well as quality.  If you prefer a little bigger fruit, choose the Finca.

Norm's score is 89 for the Finca Las Cabras, and 90 for the Campo Viejo, and the alcohol content for both is 13.5%, and both are in the same price range.

Both are great with grilled meat or a red-sauced pasta.  Anything you like with Chianti, Zinfandel or Merlot will pair well with these two good bottles of Crianza red wine. We enjoyed our Crianza tasting with a wonderful medium rare, grilled flank steak.

score: 89 and 90

price: $11 - $15

Norm

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Available online at:

www.pineisland-eagle.com/

www.cumminghome.com//

Also Available at AOL”s Dunwoody Patch:

Dunwoody, GA Patch

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

2015 Conde de Los Andes Tinto

Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

#23-19

2015 Conde de Los Andes Tinto 

The wines from Rioja, Spain have been special to me for quite sometime, as I have enjoyed many bottles over the years with a variety of foods, especially grilled meats.  The grape of choice from Rioja is Tempranillo, which means the "early one", since it ripens before most other varieties.  The younger wines are usually light and bright and many are found under the label "Crianza", some of my most favorites.  The 2015 Conde de Los Andes Tinto is a somewhat different breed being much more robust, along the lines of a big Cab.

The wine is a deep, beautiful cherry red with a fragrant nose suggesting black plum and a little spice.  The flavor is definitely black plum, with an undercurrent of raspberry, and mild tannin leading to a strong finish.  This is a full-bodied wine which is complex, and yet subtle at the same time.  It is big on fruit, long on taste, and lasting in the finish, until you get to the much anticipated next sip!  The alcohol content is 14.5%, and Norm's score is 92.

We had a special dinner with special friends to honor this magnificent wine.  We served medallions of pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon, and grilled to perfection, alongside fresh asparagus and roasted new potatoes.  It was a delightful evening made even better with a really good bottle of wine!

price : $40- $48

score:  92

Norm

https://www.facebook.com/NormsTastingNotes

http://normwine.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/normswine

Available online at:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

http://dawsontimes.com/

Also available at AOL's Dunwoody Patch:

Dunwoody, GA Patch

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity