Tag Archives: unoaked chardonnay

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

Wine of the week: Toad Hollow Chardonnay 2009

The late Todd Williams always took pride in being just a little bit different. This was a Sonoma winemaker, after all, who had Missouri nortons in his wine cellar.

So, in 1993, when he made 3,000 cases of unoaked Toad Hollow chardonnay, the wine world probably chalked it up to his eccentricity. Who would make an unoaked chardonnay for $10 and expect to be taken seriously when California was famous for expensive, heavily oaked chardonnays?

This vintage of the chardonnay ($15, sample) continues the winery’s tradition of quality wine at a fair price. No, it’s not $10 any more, but it still has lots of green apple fruit, a long mineral finish, and not a hint of oaky or toasty. It’s a wine you can keep in the refrigerator during the holidays in case anyone drops by, and it will also work well with all sorts of holiday leftovers or Chinese takeout.

The winery has also gone to screwcaps (wonder what Todd, a cork man, would think of that?), so let this sit for 10 minutes or so after you take the top off. It will improve the flavor markedly.