2020 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2020 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay

#44-2022

The Indian Wells Chardonnay was a good choice for the wonderful Seafood Newburg prepared by the Chardonnay Queen the other night!  We have enjoyed previous vintages from this Chateau Ste. Michelle vineyard, and this one was also a winner.

Tropical fruit and vanilla scents lead to a creamy texture, and flavors of pineapple, apricot and a hint of apple.  The fruit and acidity are in harmony, and the finish is crisp.  The alcohol content is 14%, and Norm's score is 88.

We enjoyed the wine with our dish of shellfish in Newburg Sauce, and would also like this one with grilled salmon.

score: 88

price: $15 - $19

Norm

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2020 Liberty School Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2020 Liberty School Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

#43-2022

Fifteen dollars for a bottle of California Cab is a very good price, even if the grapes are from Paso Robles, instead of Napa or Sonoma.  I might also add, the the wines produced in Paso Robles get better every year.  Besides that, the folks from Liberty School know how to make a good bottle of wine, and they have been at it for a number of decades now.  Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!

This Cab has a pretty ruby red color and a fragrant nose, which leads to flavors of black cherry, plum and black currants.  There is a small presence of mild tannin and a finish which lingers on the palate until the next sip.  The alcohol content is 13.5%, and Norm's score is 88.

The Liberty School Cabernet is a good choice for grilled meats, and would make a good companion for lasagna as well.

score: 88

price: $13 - $18

Norm

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Wine – God's Proof of His Love for Humanity

2021 Josh Cellars California Rose

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2021 Josh Cellars California Rose

#42-2022

A good choice for a variety of fare from seafood chowder to chilled seafood salad, the Josh Cellars Rose makes a good companion for lots more than just fried chicken in the picnic basket.  But of course, its good for that as well!

This is a pretty pink wine with a fragrant nose, and compelling flavors of strawberry, nectarine, and white grapes. with a pleasing dry and crisp finish containing a hint of citrus,  The alcohol content is 12.5%, and Norm's score is 87.

I do enjoy chilled Rose with cold fried chicken, but the Josh Rose was quite tasty with our seafood chowder, which contained cod, shrimp, and scallops, along with okra, tomato, and parsnips. and of course saffron.

score: 87

price: $11 - $15

Norm

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2017 Ramon Bilbao Crianza Rioja

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2017 Ramon Bilbao Crianza Rioja

#41-2022

We sampled another good Spanish wine the other night along with our plump, grilled center cut pork chop.  The Ramon Bilbao Crianza from Rioja, like most Tempranillo wines is a good choice for chicken or pork.

The wine has a nose full of violets and blackberries which opens into rich flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and spice.  It is medium red in color, and a medium body wine with good balance and a lingering finish.  The alcohol content is 14.5%, and Norm's score is 89.

Crianza makes a good companion for many different food choices, and would be quite good paired up with Cioppino, or Paella.

score: 89

price: $17 - $20

Norm

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Wine – God's Proof of His Love for Humanity

2019 Jean Louis Grand Reserve Cotes du Rhone

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2019 Jean Louis Grand Reserve Cotes du Rhone

#40-2022

I have always been partial to wine from the Rhone in France, and I liked this one enough to make it a "second sipper", meaning this is my second review, since I wrote the first one about seven or eight months ago.  This time we paired it with a medium rare fillet, and it was great!  What makes it even better, is that it is an under fifteen dollar quality bottle of wine!

Noted wine writer James Suckling scored this one a 91, but I am sticking to my original score, a solid 90!  The wine is compelling with black and dark red berry flavors which sing a song of enchantment next to a portion of well prepared beef.  The alcohol content is 15%, and as previously stated, Norm's score is 90.

Put this one on the table with Beef Wellington, or Chateaubriand and you will have scored a Hit!

score: 90

price: $10 - $15

Norm

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Wine – God's Proof of His Love for Humanity

2021 Cakebread Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2021 Cakebread Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

#39-2022

We just got back from an enjoyable week at the beach, where we saved the best restaurant for last.  Unfortunately the restaurant was "All Show, and No Go", with high prices and substandard cuisine.  It must be a place which preys on the tourists.  However, all was not lost, as we enjoyed a wonderful bottle of Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc, which almost made up for the poor fare.

The  Cakebread has a fragrant nose with the aromas of flowers, melon, and citrus.  The flavors are clean and  crisp, highlighting pear, melon, and stonefruit with a refreshing minerality in the finish, and also a slight touch of oak.  The alcohol content is 14.1%, and Norm's score is 90.

This Sauvignon Blanc would be an excellent choice for Italian Fruit de Mer, or Fettuccine Alfredo, or even Shrimp Scampi.

score: 90

price: $30 - $35

Norm

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Wine – God's Proof of His Love for Humanity

2019 Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

normwine@charter.net

2019 Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel

#38-2022

I read the following review a few days back and it reminded me of one I had written more than a decade ago about this same wine.

Critical Acclaim

WE91

Wine Enthusiast

retail = $14.99

Mint and cedar aromas give way to lively berry flavors and a good structure of moderate tannins and a full body. The wine is complex, interesting and also rich in fruit. Best Buy. (WE)

 

Below is what I wrote in 2010, and this wine has been a "Favorite" for years!  

nb

2008 Bogle Old Vines Zinfandel

#nb-16-10

Big, fat, and jammy, and so good! No, I am not talking about a jelly roll, I am talking about the 2008 Bogle Old Vines Zinfandel. Mary the "Chardonnay Queen" said that "it tasted like somebody dropped a big old glob of blackberry jam into the middle of the glass!" Now everybody does not like "jammy", but I sure do! This Zinfandel is intense and very bold, with lots of big dark berry flavors swirling through it.

The Bogle Vineyards are located in the Sacramento Delta near Clarksburg, California, and the vines used to make this wine are about 45 to 80 years old. This Zinfandel has been aged for ten months in American Oak, which puts some tannin in its finish, and the wine is a sturdy 14.8% alcohol.

Many of the Italian immigrants who moved to California in the late 19th, and early 20th centuries, loved Zinfandel almost as much with their pasta as Chianti, and they planted a lot of Zinfandel throughout Northern California. Speaking of pasta, we enjoyed this bottle of Bogle Old Vines with a big plate of spaghetti covered with Norm's famous meat sauce. Spaghetti is always one of my most favorite meals, and this Zinfandel made it almost perfect!

This intense wine would also be great with any hearty stew, game meat, or barbecue. You won't find a better old vine Zinfandel in this price range. Norm's score is a 91.

Price - $10 - $14
Score - 91

Norm

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Wine – God's Proof of His Love for Humanity