Tag Archives: Balletto

Expensive wine 150: Balletto Vineyards Chardonnay 2017

Balletto Vineyards Chardonnay 2017
Balletto Vineyards Chardonnay 2017/$22-$30

Balleto’s chardonnay is a reminder that California can make make some of the best wine the world

Yes, the Wine Curmudgeon knows that $25 isn’t considered expensive in today’s premiumized, gold-played, crappy wine costs $18 world. But the Balletto chardonnay is worth every penny of that $25, and probably quite a bit more.

Perhaps more importantly: I would gladly buy a bottle to share with the Big Guy the next time he comes over to taste wine.

So what do you get with the Baletto Chardonnay 2017 ($25, sample, 13.6%)?

This is a stellar and precise California chardonnay, in which each part of the wine contributes to the whole, and where the idea of balance is all. So if you’re looking for a tub of Land o’ Lakes, look elsewhere.

Instead, the green apple and soft lime fruit aren’t overwhelmed by the oak, which sits in the background and does exactly what oak is supposed to do – support the wine and not be its reason for being. The 2017 has remained fresh and lively – something I expect from Chablis and unoaked chardonnay, but not necessarily from California oaked chardonnay at this price.

Highly recommended. The wine would complement a Thanksgiving turkey or almost any other holiday meal that isn’t red meat. And it would make a fine gift, as well.

Mini-reviews 148: Abacela, Raeburn, Chronic Cellars, Rose All Day

wine closet
When the WC cleans out his wine closet, he really cleans out his wine closet.

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month. This month, cleaning out the wine closet.

• Abacela Malbec 2017 ($33, sample, 13.6%): Top-notch Oregon malbec, as odd as that may sound. It’s missing the sweet fruit of Argentine malbec, though the fruit is there (blackberries), along with some spice, and an almost velvety mouthfeel. There is a longish finish, with balance between the oak and the tannins.

• Raeburn Chardonnay 2019 ($20, sample, 14.5%): Good example of the hugely popular post-modern California style: A noticeably sweet finish, high alcohol, some oak, some butter, and more tropical fruit than green apple. 92 points!

• Chronic Cellars Spritz and Giggles NV ($17, sample, 11.5%): Unimpressive sparkling wine that tastes too sweet, is too flat, and has too much of an almost iodine flavor.

• Rose All Day NV ($30/3 liter box, sample, 12.5%): It has a famous cute name, it’s pink, it’s dry, it’s a touch fruity, and it’s mostly French. The finish is quite thin, and if you pay more than $7.50 a bottle (which is the suggested retail price, given four bottles to a box), you’ll be annoyed. Imported by Biagio Cru

Photo: “empty closet” by Studio Sarah Lou is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Mini-reviews 147: Lost Eden, Balletto, Rodney Strong, The Crossings

pourimg wine
“Which of the WC’s recommendations would you like to taste?”

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month. This month, three wines that cost more than the blog’s usual, and one that doesn’t.

• Lost Eden Red Blend 2018 ($17, sample, 13%): Georgian wine — from the country and not the U.S. state — is all the rage among wine geeks. This is a fruity red made with the native saperavi grape. It tastes more like an $18 merlot-based red Bordeaux than anything else, minus the earthiness. Lots of red fruit, very soft tannins, a touch of acidity. Imported by Lost Eden Wines

• Balletto Teresa’s Unoaked Chardonnay 2019 ($18, sample, 13.3%): Spot-on unoaked California chardonnay that tastes like chardonnay and not sauvignon blanc. So some apple fruit, a fresh but not too crisp finish, and a bit of stoniness. Highly recommended, even if I wasn’t a sucker for well-made unoaked chardonnay.

• Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Rose 2020 ($25, sample, 12%): Pricey California sweetish rose (not white zinfandel sweet, but sweet enough) from what used to be one of the state’s most dependable producers. To its credit, the wine doesn’t claim to be dry — just to have lots of strawberry fruit. Still, a hint that it was sweet would be nice.

• The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($12, purchased, 13.5%): Typical New Zealand supermarket sauvignon blanc — professional, lots and lots of grapefruit but not much else, and very clean. You just have to decide if it’s worth $12. Imported by Deutsch Family Wines & Spirits

Photo: Douglas Lopez via Unsplash

Mother’s Day wine 2021

mother's day 2021
“Remember — buy me what you think I’ll like, and not what you think I should drink.”

Four suggestions — white, sparkling, rose, and red — for Mother’s Day 2021

The blog’s 15th annual Mother’s Day wine post reminds me of a couple of things, but mostly that I always need to write about wines that my mom will enjoy (and won’t have too much trouble finding in a store near her).

So, as always, the emphasis is on valuer and quality, with the reminder that we should buy Mom something she will enjoy and not something we think she should drink. These Mother’s Day wine suggestions should get you started:

• Balletto Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($20, sample, 13.1%): This is classic California sauvignon blanc, which isn’t easy to find any more. That means a wonderful aroma of grassiness with a hint of melon, lemon fruit but not particularly tart, and a long, minerally finish. Highly recommended (and even worth doing a Zoom tasting to sample).

• Ackerman Marquis de la Tour Brut NV ($10, purchased, 11%): Terrific cheap bubbly from France’s Loire that’s made with chardonnay, chenin blanc, and – believe it or not – ugni blanc. It’s soft, a little sweet (honey?), with lemon and apple fruit. But the bubbles are tight, even though it’s charmat. Very nicely done. Imported by Palm Bay International

• Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare 2020 ($15, sample, 13.5%): This California pink, always one of my favorites, was a little less Doonish last vintage. But this is as it should be: Stony, almost austere, with a hint of barely ripe strawberry fruit to remind you it’s rose, as well as a very long and very clean finish. Highly recommended.

• Tinto Negro Malbec 2019 ($10, sample, 13.5%): I’ve probably tasted more Argentine malbecs during the pandemic than the past couple of years combined; the quality, as with this wine, has been much better than expected. It’s a bright, fresh and not too jammy red, with lots of blueberry fruit. But it’s not overdone and there is plenty of acidity and even a little spice to back it up. Very professional rendering of this style. Imported by Vineyard Brands

Photo: Thiago Cerqueira, via Unsplash

More about Mother’s Day wine:
• Mother’s Day wine 2020
• Mother’s Day wine 2019
• Mother’s Day wine 2018
• Expensive wine 140: WillaKenzie Estate Chardonnay 2018
• Wine of the week: Garofoli Macrina 2019