White Wines We've Tasted

Finias Scores Classic + Outstanding    Very Good Good -  but not worth buying again Not to our tastes - Could be to someone else's We poured it out

Champagne

"In victory you deserve champagne, in defeat you need it!"

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Gruet Brut	NV	+	13.99	We first heard about this on the food channel.  Bought a bottle and did a tasting up against our Veuve Clicquot  and the Pierre Jouet, it was a hit with everyone.
Veuve Clicquot	NV	+	34.00	I love this stuff.  Only problem is we've reached the point of price resistance.  I've stopped buying it by the case and now keep only a couple of bottle on hand.  It's been replaced by the Gruet
Elk Cove Vineyard	1999	+	20.00	we visited the winery on our vacation last year and really liked this.  It would be our top pick for a moderately expensive sparkling wine
Tattinger	NV	Our rating WS rating of 89	24.95	A Champagne that doesn't pulls it all together: There was definitely a vivid flavor that we didn't like and the long finish seemed to curl our taste buds. We poured out the bottle.
Bollinger Brut Champagne Special Cuvee	NV	WS 90	34.99	Too much "mellow toast and vanilla" and not enough fruit.   Not bad but not the taste bud tingling effect I want for $35
Perrier-Jouet Brut Champagne Grand Brut	NV	+ WS 89	21.00 case price on sale	This zesty, full-flavored brut is something special. Rich in fruit flavor, crisp in balance, with an underlying tangy quality that begs for another sip
Moet & Chandon White Star	NV	WS N/R	24.00	Decent champagne. Very smooth and silky, with delicate nutty and dry fruit flavors. We had this with our Christmas Brunch at the Harbor Warf. and it was the second bottle at our Feb Wine tasting.

 

Whites

Chardonnay

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Kestrel estate chardonnay	2001		15.00	Ok we're not batting a 1,000 here.  This wine had much of the same taste as the old vine that we poured out but not quite so overwhelming.  I completely missed any hint of the  ripe pears, butterscotch, a touch of honeysuckle the wine was attempting to convey
Kestrel old vine Chardonnay	2001		15.00	I can't believe this.  We have loved all of their wines and in fact belong to the wine club.  This wine was awful.  According to the wine maker the wine was suppose to lead with a lychee fruit, pineapple, tropical fruits taste, and he's probably right but I don't WANT my chardonnay to taste of lychee nuts.  The wood after taste seemed chemically and it tasted like rubbing alcohol smells
Boggle			6.99	This is our everyday good chardonnay - found the review of it in the wall street journal and it was definitely a best value
Beringer Napa Valley	1996	Our rating + Good dinner party wine - case buy WS 89	11.99	Hints of smoky, toasty oak show through on the finish, where it turns complex. Even though the label says "intensely flavored" no one would ever mistake it for a David Bruce but I liked the flavor.
Forest Glen	1995	WS 82	9.99	Full bodied, with a nice amount of oak with hints of honey, pear and butterscotch.
BV- Carneros	1995	WS 86	13.00	Fans of openly fruity Chardonnay will find this especially appealing. This was a good bottle, but at $13 it's not a bargain.
St Francis	1995	82	9.99	This bottle had a somewhat strange taste,  we really couldn't quite classify (an attempt at spicy according to WS)

Gewurztraminer

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Thomas Fogarty	1996		12.99	Bone dry Gewurtz.  John loves fruity wines and Donna can't stand them so we tried this as a compromise

 

Pinot Blanc

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Mirrasou	1995	++ WS 82	10.99	A spicy character tints its ripe pear, apple and melon flavors.  We enjoyed this wine but felt the price was a little high to justify a major buy.

 

Pouilly Fuisee

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Bacheroy-Josselin	1991		Gift	We enjoyed this bottle.  Good fruit, crisp and clean

 

Sauternes

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Chateau Lafaurie- Peyraguey	1990	W.S. 90	28.00	Gorgeous, classy, appealing creamy texture, lemon, honey and dried apricot flavors, medium body and sweetness and a long finish.

Savignon Blanc

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Chateau Ste. Michelle - Horse Heaven		+	13.99	This has become our wine of choice.  Well balanced and seems to fit between the grassy savignons that John likes and the chardonnay style that Donna likes.
Sterling Ventana Vineyard	1996	+ 1/2 case buy W.S 85	9.99	Here's a mouthful of Sauvignon Blanc, its blend of melon, grapefruit and hazelnut qualities sitting broadly on the palate, supported by a steely counterpoint.
Markam	1996	+ WS 90 1/2 case buy	8.99	Bright and zippy, this white sings harmoniously with lemon-lime high notes and an herbal, minerally bass. It's not afraid of making a strong varietal statement and does so with elegance and enthusiasm.
Robert Mondavi Stags Leap	1996	+	17.99	A little more full bodied and complex than the Sterling.  Based on the wine alone probably it's a tad better, based on price, buy the Sterling
Markham	1997		8.99	Seemed to have a little less sparkle than the '96.   Definitely more in the herbaceous style of SVs but it wasn't over powering.  A good drinkable wine
Chateau Ste. Michelle	1997		10.00	Bright and refreshing for its mineral-scented apple flavors that linger softly.
Rosemont	1996		14.00	Crisp, clean with an herbaceous undertone.  If you like grassy SB you'll love this.  If you like Chardonnay style SBs give this a pass.
Cain	1996	WS 90	18.99	An interesting wine.  Very complex with a heavy dose of papaya.   Stood up well to the Stilton cheese but most people found its taste simply too peculiar to be pleasant
Phelps	1995	+ W.S. 88	10.99	Balanced for smoothness, and offers well-integrated melon, grapefruit and grapefruit-rind flavors that finish with richness and zing. Ready to drink.
Geyser Peak	1997		9.99	In comparison to everything else we tasted at our party this wine was awful. On an absolute basis its probably not that bad but given the Sterling at the same price it's a DO NOT BUY
Phelps	1994	W. S. 78	10.99	Crisp, light and not enough flavor to make either of us happy.  For the price a real disappointment

Notes from our November 1998 Tasting party

Viognier

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Kestrel	2001	+		This wine turned out to be terrific.  We belong to the wine so it simply showed up on our door step one day.  We weren't sure we even cared for Viognier, but I can say after tasting this wine the answer is YES.  It was bright and flavorful with the right balance of sweet to fruit (I'm not a fan of sweet wines).
Hogue - Genesis		()	13.99	I had this in a restaurant and thought it was a good wine. Then we opened a bottle and tasted it side by side with the Kestrel -  it went from good to undrinkable.  A day later I tried it again with the leftovers from the previous nights dinner party and it was fine.