2022 Simi Sonama Chardonnay

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2022 Simi Sonoma Chardonnay

Dos March - 2025

Sometimes we have the occasion to have a "Special" dinner at home during the middle of the week, as we did last Wednesday.  A special meal deserves a good bottle of wine, and we chose the Simi Sonoma Chardonnay as a companion for our Steamed Artichokes with Avocado-Cilantro dip, and our Shrimp and Avocado salad topped with Hot Chili Pepper Ranch dressing.  Wednesday night became a Saturday as soon as we uncorked the bottle!

The nose is fragrant with the scent of fruit fresh from the orchard, with a bit of floral undertone.  The flavors are mostly mellow apple and ripe pair, with some citrus freshening things up.  The wine is on the lighter side, but with good character and a pleasing finish, with mineral and light oak lingering until the next sip.  The alcohol content is 13.5%. and Norm's score is 90.

This pleasant Sonoma County offering will be a great choice for your springtime picnic basket, or that summer salad luncheon later on.

score: 90

price : $15- $18

Now, that's just the way I see it, and you can tell them I said so!

Here's looking at you Kid!

Norm

normwine@bellsouth.net

Facebook/Norm's Tasting Notes

normwine.blogspot.com

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

Pine Island Eagle.com

ALSO AVAILABLE at: Dunwoody Patch

Dunwoody, GA Patch

Wine - God's Proof of his Love for Humanity

2021 Predator Old Vine Zinfandel - Lodi

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2021 Predator Old Vine Zinfandel - Lodi

Uno March - 2025

We opened a bottle of 2021 Predator Zin to serve with our Saturday night steak dinner, and it was a real "winner"!  The Predator hails from Lodi, California, where they source the grapes from 50+ year old vines to produce a heavy hitter "Old Vine" Zinfandel.  This is a big jammy wine which keeps pace with your steak all the way to the finish line.

The nose bursts into a dark starry night with a bright shower of big dark fruits.  The flavors explode on your palate with Blackberry, Black Raspberry, and Black Plum marching all the way through to a finish of tannin and spice clamoring for attention.  The alcohol content is 14.5%. and Norm's score is 90.

This is a big wine with a velvety texture, which will stand up to any hearty dish you may care to serve, and a bargain at below twenty dollars a bottle!

score: 90

price : $16 - $19

Now, that's just the way I see it, and you can tell them I said so!

Here's looking at you Kid!

Norm

normwine@bellsouth.net

Facebook/Norm's Tasting Notes

normwine.blogspot.com

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

Pine Island Eagle.com

ALSO AVAILABLE at: Dunwoody Patch

Dunwoody, GA Patch

Wine - God's Proof of his Love for Humanity

2020 Marques de Caceres Rioja Crianza

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2020 Marques de Caceres Rioja Crianza

Dos February - 2025

For dinner we enjoyed Italian style Stuffed Bell Peppers with a Spanish Red Wine Favorite of ours for many years.  The 2020 Marques de Caceres Crianza was on par with previous vintages and our dinner was most enjoyable!

The nose has accents of plum and blueberry, while the flavors are more reminiscent of cherries and blackberries, with a little blueberry in the background.  This is a medium bodied, well rounded wine, with a lingering finish, and is a good companion for a wide variety of food.  The alcohol content is 14%. and Norm's score is 90.

Great with grilled meats and red sauced dishes, this wine is an especially good choice for Cioppino or Manhattan Clam Chowder.

score: 90

price : $15 - $19

Now, that's just the way I see it, and you can tell them I said so!

Here's looking at you Kid!

Norm

normwine@bellsouth.net

Facebook/Norm's Tasting Notes

normwine.blogspot.com

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

Pine Island Eagle.com

ALSO AVAILABLE at: Dunwoody Patch

Dunwoody, GA Patch

Wine - God's Proof of his Love for Humanity

2016 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2016 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Uno February - 2025

We had company for dinner last week, so of course, we broke out the "Good Stuff" to go with our steak dinner.  In this case it was a bottle of 2016 Beringer Knights Valley Cab, which is probably no longer in the marketplace with that vintage.  However, research shows that the 2020 vintage attained a score of 92.

The Knights Valley is near the county line in Sonoma County, close to Napa County, and the Chardonnay Queen and I visited there some years back.  It is a beautiful place, and I have enjoyed Cabs from there for over thirty years, with never a bad vintage.  The 2016 was one of the best, and it was simply delicious, and a great addition to our steak dinner!

This dark red Cab has a heady aroma, which grabs you by the nose as it leaps from the bottle.  The flavors range from cassis and blueberry, to dark cherry and black raspberry, which lead to a strong finish with lingering effects.  It is a true Claret, with 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot.  The alcohol content is 15%. and Norm's score is 94.

This is a serious Cab with the heritage and the taste to back it up, and it will make a great companion for anything you enjoy Cabs with!

score: 94

price : $42 - $47

Now, that's just the way I see it, and you can tell them I said so!

Here's looking at you Kid!

Norm

normwine@bellsouth.net

Facebook/Norm's Tasting Notes

normwine.blogspot.com

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

Pine Island Eagle.com

ALSO AVAILABLE at: Dunwoody Patch

Dunwoody, GA Patch

Wine - God's Proof of his Love for Humanity

2022 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2022 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc 

Dos January 2025

We had a wonderful dinner the other night, featuring a bottle of Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc from the California North Coast.  Next to it on the table was a Rigatoni Pasta in a creamy and cheesy mushroom sauce, topped with sautéed Scallops!  We also added a fresh garden salad topped with Gorgonzola Cheese crumbles.  Mama Mia what a delight!

This is a "Chardonnay Queen" favorite when she is not enjoying a Chardonnay.

The Ferrari-Carano opens with an aroma reminding one of a fresh breeze straight from the fruit orchard.  The flavors explode on your palate, with Golden Delicious Apple, Meyer Lemon, and tropical fruit.  The wine closes with a clean, polished finish, suggesting a little lemon zest. The alcohol content is 13.9%. and Norm's score is 91.

This is a great food wine which can be enjoyed with seafood, fowl, a multi-layered salad,

or on the back porch with just you, and the glass, at twilight time!  This is a second tasting for this vintage, since I reviewed this one about a year and a half ago.  The score is the same, but the wine is not quite the same, as it is more mature and the flavors come across in a slightly different light.

score: 91

price : $15 - $20

Now, that's just the way I see it, and you can tell them I said so!

Here's looking at you Kid!

Norm

normwine@bellsouth.net

Facebook/Norm's Tasting Notes

normwine.blogspot.com

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

Pine Island Eagle.com

ALSO AVAILABLE at: Dunwoody Patch

Dunwoody, GA Patch

Wine - God's Proof of his Love for Humanity

"Holiday Feasts"

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

Holiday Feasts

Uno January - 2025

The tradition at our house for the holidays is to serve Seafood on Christmas Eve, and Beef on Christmas Day.  So we had two great feasts, the first was a chilled seafood salad featuring lobster and shrimp, complemented by a wonderful white Burgundy. The second was a French entrée (Chateaubriand) with a Napa Cab!  The French Chardonnay was the 2018 Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Les Setilles, which was excellent with the cold shellfish.  The Cab was the 2019 Pina Napa Valley Cahoots Cabernet Sauvignon which was perfect for medium rare beef!

Opening the Olivier Leflaive Les Setilles broadcast a fragrant bouquet of citrus and floral scents across the dining table.  The flavors of apricot and pear were in the forefront, with a lemony mist in the background.  Good structure, and a solid backbone held the wine in constant harmony with the cold shellfish.  The alcohol content is 13%, and the wine "begs for another sip!"

The Pina Cab was a present from Christmas Past, and was exactly the right choice for our Chateaubriand, which, is of course, Beef Tenderloin with gravy, but the gravy makes the difference. This awesome Cab delivers with flavors of cherry, plum, and a heavy dose of raspberry, followed by smooth tannins, and a finish which sails off into the night!  The alcohol content is 14.7%, and the wine is a great choice for any beef entrée, but I would also suggest it for Rack of Lamb.

score:

French White Burgundy = 92 ($25)

Pina Cahoots Cabernet = 94  ($65)

Now, that's just the way I see it, and you can tell them I said so!

Here's looking at you Kid!

Norm

normwine@bellsouth.net

Facebook/Norm's Tasting Notes

normwine.blogspot.com

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

Pine Island Eagle.com

ALSO AVAILABLE at: Dunwoody Patch

Dunwoody, GA Patch

Wine - God's Proof of his Love for Humanity

2024 Top Twenty List

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2024 Top Twenty List

Dos December - 2024

Here's wishing Each and Everyone of You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Your present from me is this year's top twenty list of the best wine which I have sampled during 2024.  I hope you have a great 2025!

Top Twenty Wines of 2024

2019 Charles Krug Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon = 93

2020 Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Chardonnay = 91

2019 Marcelo Pelleritti Signature Malbec = 92

2020 Sterling Heritage Collection Napa Chardonnay = 90

2019 Clemente VII Rosso di Toscana Settimo = 91

2021 R. Stuart Big Fire Willamette Valley Pinot Gris = 90

2020 Toad Hollow Francine's Selection Chardonnay = 90

2021 Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged Pinot Noir = 90

2019 Hahn GSM California Red Blend = 91

2022 Maison Louis Latour Pouilly Fuisse = 92

2020 J Lohr Los Osos (Paso Robles) Merlot = 90

2022 Ferrari-Carano Dry Sangiovese Rose (Sonoma) = 91

2022 The Four Graces Willamette Valley Pinot Noir = 91

2018 Buoncristiani Napa Valley Chardonnay = 92

2018 B-Side North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon = 91

2020 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge = 91

2021 Villa Marchesi Antinori RossoToscana = 91

2020 Fleur de Mer Rose = 91

2019 Louis Latour Grand Ardeche Chardonnay = 92

2020 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro - Gold = 90

Norm's score is 90 and Up 

Now, that's just the way I see it, and you can tell them I said so!

Here's looking at you Kid!

Norm

normwine@bellsouth.net

Facebook/Norm's Tasting Notes

normwine.blogspot.com

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

Pine Island Eagle.com

ALSO AVAILABLE at: Dunwoody Patch

Dunwoody, GA Patch

Wine - God's Proof of his Love for Humanity