2006 Chalone Vineyard Monterey Cabernet Sauvignon

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






2006 Chalone Vineyard Monterey Cabernet Sauvignon
#nb-07-11


There is nothing better than football, steaks on the grill, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Last week was even better, since the game was the Super Bowl, the fillet mignon was two inches thick, and a perfect medium rare, and the wine was a delicious Cabernet from Monterey.

The wine was the 2006 Chalone Vineyard Monterey County Cabernet Sauvignon, and the winery is one which underwent something of a "re-do" about a decade ago. The winery is famous for its mountain estate grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. But in 1998 the winery turned to its lower vineyards in the Salinas Valley to re-plant and begin to produce Cabernet Sauvignon and other varieties which still benefit from the cool Pacific Ocean breezes coming in at night from the Monterey Bay area.

The result is an enjoyable and accessible Cabernet with both finesse and drinkability. The 2006 Cabernet opens with a nice nose of jammy berry scents, followed by bold flavors of blackberry and currants. There is also a slight nuance of black cherry which melts into a mild toasty vanilla finish, which lingers on the palate until the next sip. The wine is nicely balanced with complex flavors that blend well together to form a wonderful food wine.

It was great for our Super Bowl steak, and would pair well with any grilled meat or hearty stew. Norm's score is an 89.


Price - $10 - $15
Score - 89

Norm

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

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:

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2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay

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





2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay
#nb-06-11

Columbia Crest Winery, owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington State, has been making good wine at a good price for more than twenty five years now. Their 2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay is no exception. We have been enjoying this Columbia Valley Chardonnay for many years now, and the last four or five vintages have had scores from the high eighties to the low nineties each year. That is consistency, with a wine priced in the ten dollar range, which the winery should be very proud of.

The other night we opened a bottle of the 2008 CC Grand Estates Chardonnay to pair with a meal of broiled flounder. It was a good match! The wine has a lot of complexity for a ten dollar bottle of wine. It starts with big fruit flavors of green apples and pears, with a nice creamy feel, and proceeds into mild vanilla and oak. The finish is clean and crisp with a slight lemon zest flair, and enough acidity to produce a complex and lingering finish. Make no mistake though, the wine while sturdy, did not over power the mild flavor of the flounder.

I can tell you that it is difficult to find a Chardonnay with big fruit, a creamy texture, and a mild oak finish for under fifteen dollars, but this certainly is one! The wine would be great with almost any fish or fowl dish, other than something which is very spicy or buttery. For those type dishes, I like just a touch more oak and acidity, but try this one with either grilled salmon, or grouper. Norm's score is an 88.

Price - $10 - $14
Score - 88

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 or
pineisland-eagle.com

2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay

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






2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay
#nb-05-11

My wife Mary, "The Chardonnay Queen", almost always cooks from recipes, while I usually just " whip something up". However I wanted to prepare Chicken Florentine the other night, and having never done it before, I looked up the Paula Deen recipe online, which I knew would be good. It was not only good, it was great!

We enjoyed this repast with a bottle of 2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay, which was an excellent accompaniment to our meal. We have had this Napa stalwart many times in the past, but this was our first sampling of the 2008 vintage. The 2008 Napa Chardonnay is as fresh as spring to the nose, and backs up its abundant bouquet with swirling flavors of pear and pineapple. The finish is fresh and clean with a slight citrus note. The wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation and was barrel-aged for nine months. This 100% Chardonnay is 14.4% alcohol.

The result is a clean and crisp wine, which is a wonderful partner to foods ranging from fowl to seafood. We really enjoyed Paula Deen's recipe for the Chicken Florentine, and the Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay along with it. Look up the recipe online and enjoy this dinner yourself!

Norm's score is an 87.

Price - $14 - $19
Score - 87

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 or
pineisland-eagle.com

2008 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret

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





2008 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret
#nb-04-11

Hundreds of years ago the British were the number one fans of French Clarets, so much so, that they coined the term "Claret" to refer to the wonderful blended wines of Bordeaux. The word came from the French "clairet" which originally referred to a dark hued rose. In this country it is used by some winemakers to describe blends of Bordeaux grapes in the style of the great Chateaus of Bordeaux. Another term for these blended wines is "Meritage".

The 2008 Coppola Claret is true in style and taste to those great wines of Bordeaux. The makeup is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Verdot, 5% Malbec, 3% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Winemakers vary the percentage of varieties each year to obtain the balance of flavors which make a really good "Claret". This one is right on the money!

The 2008 Coppola Claret has big rich flavors of cherries and dark berries, but it also possesses the earthy undertones of the Malbec and Cabernet Franc. This is a complex, but easy to drink red wine, with layers of fruit cascading into mellow tannins, and a lingering finish. The wine has spent sixteen months in French oak and comes in at 13.5% alcohol. It is elegant, yet simple, and most of all, very enjoyable.

It will pair well with beef or veal, and would also be a great accompaniment to most pasta dishes. Norm's score is an 88.

Price - $15 - $19
Score - 88

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 or
pineisland-eagle.com

2008 Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon

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





2008 Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon
#nb-03-11

In my younger years, a simple meal with a bottle of "Dago Red" was all it took to have an enjoyable evening. To me "Dago Red" always meant an inexpensive bottle of red wine, many times a cheap Chianti. Last night we enjoyed a simple meal of grilled pork chops and a bottle of "Dago Red" from Chile. My apologies to Italy.

The 2008 Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon is as good as any bottle of wine you are likely to find in its price range, and better than most. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Central Valley of Chile, and comes in at 13.7 % alcohol. The flavor is typical for Cabernet Sauvignon and swirls with cherry and dark berries. It is complex with a lot of fruit and finishes with a little touch of olive, and mellow tannins. It lingers on the palate and suggests another sip, with or without the food.

I used to say that the best characteristic in an inexpensive wine "was an absence of bad characteristics'. The Santa Rita goes far beyond that, and would stand up well against many Cabernets in the ten to fifteen dollar range. Chile may be the best place to look for that "Dago Red"!

This was an excellent match for our grilled pork chops, and would pair well with any grilled meat or red sauced pasta. Norm's score is an 86.


Price - $7 - $10
Score - 86

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 or
pineisland-eagle.com

2007 B Side Cabernet Sauvignon

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





2007 B Side Cabernet Sauvignon
#nb-02-11


Once again this year we enjoyed our traditional Christmas dinner of Chateaubriand, fresh asparagus, and roasted new potatoes. The secret to Chateaubriand, as in most French cooking , is in the sauce. Or, as we say in this country, the gravey. The tenderloin is cooked medimum rare, and is smothered in a rich meaty gravey, which takes much more time to prepare than the meat.

If you are going to spend four to six hours to prepare a meal, then you should choose a really good bottle of wine to accompany the feast. We chose the 2007 B Side Cabernet Sauvignon, from Don Sabastiani and Sons. The big, full-bodied Cab is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Petite Sirah. It was a great choice for our Christmas dinner.

This Napa Cab was aged in French oak for two years and comes in at 13.8% alcohol. It has tons of flavor, and gobs of fruit concealed in its complex layers of cherries and dark berries, which finish with sturdy tannins, offering a long lifespan. The "Wine Enthusiast" had this to say; "Holds its own in a tasting of Napa Cabs that cost, three, four, even five times as much. Made with a drop of Petite Sirah, it is dry, firmly tannic and complex, with black currant, beef jerky, miso, pepper spice and smoky oak flavors. - 91"

The wine was named B Side to recall the days of the 45 rpm record, which had the hit on the A side, and another song on the B, or flip side, which sometimes became a bigger hit than the A side. Coming from the eastern side of Napa, while a majority of big Cabs come from the western side of the valley, makes this B Side a big hit! Pair it with steaks or chops, or hearty stews, it stands up well to any meat dish, but was perfect with our Chateaubriand. Norm's score is an 89.


Price - $20 - $25
Score - 89


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 or
pineisland-eagle.com

2008 Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc

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




2008 Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc
#nb-01-11

We are back from our Christmas holiday at our little cottage by the sea in Matlacha, Florida, just in time to wish each and every one of you a . . .

Happy New Year!

I promised you a fishing and wine report from our trip, and here it is. The fishing was poor, but the wine was great! We have a cousin who is an outdoorsman, and he had bagged a few pheasants on a recent hunting trip. Much to our pleasant surprise, we were treated to a fabulous pheasant dinner!

The wine we enjoyed with this dinner was the 2008 Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc from Sonoma County, California. Year after year this is a wonderful bottle of wine, and a great choice for pheasant. The nose is aromatic with suggestions of apple and citrus, which continues into a crisp and clean finish, backed by the orange and lemon zest citrus notes at the end.

Robert Parker scored this an 87, and "The Wine Spectator" gave it an 88, with the comment, "Intense smoke and honeysuckle aromatics mingle well together, leading to a crisp and refreshing lemon, tangerine and yellow apple flavors on a medium body, with good acidity." This wine would pair as well with seafood as it did with the fowl, and I would also suggest it with steamed mussels or clams. Norm's score is a 90.


Price - $14 - $18

Score - 90

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 or
pineisland-eagle.com