2012 Franciscan Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

normwine@bellsouth.net

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2012 Franciscan Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

#nb-16-15 

Want to know how to make Wednesdays a lot better?  Just grill a big thick steak out on the Barbie, throw in a fresh green salad, and add a quality bottle of Napa Cab, and you will forget that it is still the middle of the week!  A good choice for your mid-week feast would be a bottle of the 2012 Franciscan Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.  I reviewed the 2011 vintage, and this one, though a little different, is still a mighty tasty Cab.

 

The Franciscan is a dark purple in hue, with good clarity, and the nose features the strong aroma of black cherry, which leads to an abundance of rich dark fruit, supported by a good balance between fruit and acidity.  The fruit flavors showcase the black cherry, with a strong contrast of plum, and subtle hints of cassis and vanilla. The finish is long and lingering with a subtle background of mild oak.  The alcohol content is an almost perfect 13.5%.

 

We paired this Cab with a thick medium rare fillet, accompanied by planks of grilled zucchini, and a fresh avocado and tomato salad on a bed of baby spring mixed greens, which was the right combination to forget the hump-day blahs.  This is a solid Napa Cab, and would be great with an array of dishes ranging from linguine bolognaise to grilled venison.  Norm's score is 89. 

  

 

score: 89

price: $19 - $25

Norm

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Available online at:

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WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

2013 Ferrai-Carono Chardonnay

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley

North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

 

 

2013 Ferrai-Carono Chardonnay

Tasting Talker attached

#nb-15-15 

Best dinner in paradise so far, consisted of steamed Pine Island clams, shrimp, and fried calamari. with a bottle of 2013 Ferrai-Carono Chardonnay at Red's Fresh Seafood.  The "Chardonnay Queen" loves Pine Island Clams, and she loved the Ferrai-Carono Chardonnay which we enjoyed along with the clams.

The aroma bursts out of the glass and grabs you by the nose with the scents of apple and honeydew.  The flavor is complex, and yet simple, with the basic components of Chardonnay, which explode with apple and pear, with a little peach and a mild citrus breeze.  The balance is almost perfection, as the wine finishes with bold fruit and good acidity in a harmonious union of pleasure leading to a crisp and clean ending, which begs for another sip!  The wine is 100% Chardonnay from Sonoma, with an alcohol content of 14.2%.  Norm's score is 91.

Great with Pine Island clams, and shrimp, this Chardonnay would stand well with any seafood dish, and would also make an excellent companion for an array of cold salads to match against a hot summer evening.  My choice would be grilled chicken salad with Roquefort dressing.  

  

 

 

score: 91

price: $16 - $21

Norm

p.s. Best breakfast in Matlacha is the Weekend Brunch at the Blue Dog Bar and Grill (Crabcake Eggs Benedict)

 

 

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Available online at:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

2013 Rodney Strong Sonoma Chardonnay

Norm’s Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

normwine@bellsouth.net                        

                                               

 

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

#nb-14-15

2013 Rodney Strong Sonoma Chardonnay

 

We are back in paradise at the little cottage by the sea in Matlacha, Florida, where the fishing is good, the fresh seafood is great, and we have managed a few good wines as well.  The best so far is the 2013 Rodney Strong Sonoma Chardonnay.

 

I am starting to believe that 2013 was quite a good year for California Chardonnay, since most that I have tasted so far are excellent.  The Rodney Strong Sonoma has good balance, and a bright and fresh nose to accompany an abundant array of flavors.  Lots of apple and pear with a strong crisp finish, which begs for another sip.

 

Of course when you are in Florida you are enjoying a good Chardonnay like this with fresh shrimp or fish, but this one would also be great with a big plate of Fettuccine Alfredo, and a garden fresh salad.  But, that's all for now, as I have a date with a Speckled Sea Trout.

 

Norm's score is 89. 

 

 

score: 89

price: $12 - $15

Norm

https://www.facebook.com/NormsTastingNotes

http://normwine.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/normswine

Available online at:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

2012 Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc

 

 

The North Georgia Wine Advisor
#nb-13-15

2012 Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc

 

 When I was in retail, I used to tell my customers that the best characteristic of an inexpensive wine was an absence of bad characteristics.  A simple statement, but oh so true. Such is the case for the 2012 Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc.  It has no really good characteristics, but is not offensive in any way.  It is rather innocuous, but drinkable, and actually quite pleasant, which says a lot these days for an under nine dollar bottle of wine.

 

The wine opens with a faint scent of citrus.  The flavors contain mild references to both lemon and lime, and perhaps a hint of melon.  This is a light and clean wine with very little complexity, but it is balanced, and finishes with a touch of vanilla, which quickly fades away. The alcohol content is 13.5%.  This is a pleasant, but un-assuming wine, with no bad characteristics.

 

We served the Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc with sesame-ginger chicken and a fresh green salad.  The wine would be suitable for most foods, since it is non-competitive in taste.   Norm's score is 85. 

 

 

score: 85

price: $8 - $10

 

Norm

https://www.facebook.com/NormsTastingNotes

http://normwine.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/normswine

Available online at:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

 

2013 Starmont Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Norm’s Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

normwine@bellsouth.net                         

                                               

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

 

#nb-12-15

2013 Starmont Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

 

The Starmont Winery is located in the Carneros region of Napa Valley, and the grapes from this excellent Sauvignon Blanc are sourced from various vineyards throughout the area.  The composition for this wine is 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Semillon, which make it somewhat Bordeaux-like in character.  The wine was aged in a combination of stainless steel and oak, and the alcohol content is 13.5%.

 

The Starmont Sauvignon Blanc opens with an array of flowers in the nose, backed by the fragrance of melon, and a mild citrus breeze.  The flavors abound with the essence of melon framed by a touch of lime, lemon zest, and just a hint of apricot.  The finish is fresh and crisp, with very little aftertaste, and begs for another sip.   Norm's score is 90.

 

The Starmont would pair well with a variety of fish and fowl dishes, but for a special treat,  serve it with an assortment of soft cheeses and a platter of sliced red apples.  This wine is definitely a candidate for a "back porch sipper", so it would be wonderful on a warm summer night by itself.

 

 

score: 90

price: $14 - $18

Norm

https://www.facebook.com/NormsTastingNotes

http://normwine.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/normswine

Available online at:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

2013 Franciscan Napa Valley Chardonnay

                        

                                               

 

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

 

#nb-11-15

2013 Franciscan Napa Valley Chardonnay

 

I had lunch last week with an old friend who has been in the wholesale wine business for a long time, and he and I have known each other for most of that time.  He is one of the good guys, so I always enjoy seeing him again.  We had an excellent lunch at a local seafood restaurant, and of course I ordered a bottle of wine which is one of the ones which he sells, hoping it would be good enough to write about.  It was the 2013 Franciscan Napa Valley Chardonnay, and it was great with the shrimp we had for lunch.

 

The Franciscan is a beautiful pale yellow in color with a nose of fragrant apple and pear, underscored by a bright presence of lemon zest in the background.  The flavors abound with the taste of apple and pear which I love in Chardonnay, and are highlighted with the suggestion of vanilla and a somewhat mineral character toward the end.  The finish is crisp, with a creamy mouth-feel and just a touch of oak.  This a full-bodied Chardonnay and a classic California taste.  The "Chardonnay Queen" is jealous.

 

The Franciscan was great with shrimp, and would also make an excellent companion for crab, or lobster with lots of drawn butter.  Norm's score is 90. 

 

 

score: 90

price: $14 - $18

Norm

 

https://www.facebook.com/NormsTastingNotes

http://normwine.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/normswine

Available online at:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

2013 Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay

                                               

 

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

#nb-10-15

2013 Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay

 

 

Sometimes it is good to visit an old friend, and such was the case the other night when we opened a bottle of Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay, which happens to be one of the Chardonnay Queen's favorites.  I have not written about the Chalk Hill in three or four years, and the 2013 vintage is one of the best in a long time!  The wines from the chalky white soil in the region remind me of the great white burgundies from Montrachet, with their strong mineral character and crisp, and somewhat steely taste.

 

This is a classic Chardonnay for an everyday price.  The bouquet reminds one of a basket of apples fresh from the orchard, accompanied by a spray of wildflowers.  The flavors are abundant with apple being the most assertive, with a touch of tropical fruit, graced by a hint of citrus in the background.  This is a well rounded Chardonnay which has the mineral backdrop characteristic of the chalky soil, and has a creamy mouth-feel leading into a crisp, but lingering finish. The alcohol content is 14%.

 

Adding the Rodney Strong Chalk Hill to a plate of Shrimp Scampi and fresh asparagus was delightful.  This Chardonnay tastes like Chardonnay, which is not as common as it once was, and means that it would pair well with anything you enjoy with Chardonnay. Norm's score is 91. 

 

 

score: 91

price: $14 - $18

Norm

 

https://www.facebook.com/NormsTastingNotes

http://normwine.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/normswine

Available online at:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity