Wine From Everyone's Favorite Neighbor

My Favorite Neighbor is a winery run by Eric Jensen, owner of Booker Vineyard in Paso Robles. He and some of his Paso neighbors collaborate on a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay, which they make to exacting standards. Jensen puts the concept on the label - grapes which are "thoughtfully farmed with careful consideration for the land."

Jensen's Booker Vineyard is certified organic. The MFN grapes come from a variety of special vineyards. The name comes from one of his grape-growing neighbors, who would always identify himself on the phone as "your favorite neighbor." It's nice to know we are not limited to just one favorite neighbor.

MFN Blanc 2021 is full-throated Chardonnay, grown in San Luis Obispo County. The wine was aged for eight months in equal parts new and experienced oak barrels. Alcohol sits at 14.1% abv and the retail price is $50.

This wine sits golden in the glass and offers a beautiful nose of apricot, Meyer lemon and oak spice, with a nice dollop of salinity in the mix. That savory note explodes on the palate and brings all that lovely fruit along with it. The acidity is right on the mark - food friendly while maintaining the creamy mouthfeel. The oak treatment is noticeable, but not at all overdone, and it leaves a nearly buttery sensation on the lengthy finish. 

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A Sonoma Chardonnay From Sun And Wind

Located in Sonoma County's Carneros region, Anaba Wines boasts that they are "powered by the sun, sustained by the wind." It should come as no surprise that the winery draws extensively on solar and wind power to make their wines.

Just so you don't let it slip past you, they have named their flagship line "Turbine," after  the 45-foot Skystream windmill which powers their facility. I have been supplied with a Chardonnay from this line, and I am eagerly looking forward to their Picpoul, Rosé, Pinot Noir and carbonic Grenache, as well as a red and a white blend of Rhône varieties. The wines come packaged in lighter-weight glass and without a foil capsule over the cork.

The 2021 Anaba Turbine White, as the Chardonnay is known, is sourced from coastal Sonoma vineyards. Winemaker Katy Wilson ferments and ages the wine entirely in stainless steel. She says that allows the fruit flavors and natural acidity to shine. The wine's alcohol level clocks in at 12.3% abv and it sells for $34. Only 233 cases were produced.

This is one of those wines which show us why people like Chardonnay so much. It sits light yellow in the glass. It gives a very nice package of aromas - peaches, apricots, citrus, tropical fruit - which goes to demonstrate the all-steel vinification it went through. Those fruit flavors are abundant on the palate, and the acidity is fresh and zippy. The finish is fairly long and leans into the stone fruit notes after the sip. 

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White Wine From Northern Italy - It's Just Right

The Venezia Giulia IGT region is in the far northeastern corner of Italy, sharing borders with Austria and Slovenia. Northern Italy is known for its white wines, and the Venezia Giulia IGT is no exception. The soil in the region is a mix of clay and stones and is pretty much the perfect dirt in which to grow white wine grapes.

The Bastianich Winery was founded in 1997 by the Bastianich family. They are the folks who have brought so many fine Italian restaurants to so many corners of the world, and who are the driving force behind Eataly in Los Angeles, which is where I had this wine with lunch, I brought a bottle home as well.

The 2018 Vespa Bianco is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, grown in the hills of Premariacco and Cividale. The wine is fermented half in stainless steel tanks and half in oak casks. Aging in the bottle lasts a year before release. A good portion of the lees - the spent yeast cells - are left in the wine, which enhances and lends weight to the mouthfeel. Alcohol hits 14% abv and Vespa Bianco sells for around $27.

This beautiful wine carries a golden hue in the glass and has a nose which features salinity as well as fruit. The aromas range from pears to guava to beeswax to lanolin. On the palate, there is bountiful salinity and minerality to meet the tropical fruit flavors. Acidity is fresh and zingy, too, so food pairing is simple. 

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Russian River Bubbles, In Pink

The folks at Sonoma-Cutrer are celebrating 40 years of passion, imagination and pride in 2022.  They say their approach to winemaking "marries Burgundian traditions and California ingenuity." Their trophy case is brimming with awards their wines have won through the decades.

The winery says that the 2019 vintage featured rain, rain and more rain, plus a summer free of radical temperature extremes.  The harvest started a week later than usual and proceeded methodically - just the way a winemaker wants it. 

The grapes are 70% Owsley Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from the Vine Hill vineyard, both prime locations in the Russian River Valley. This pink sparkler was crafted by Sonoma-Cutrer's Pinot Noir Winemaker, Zidanelia Arcidiacono. The wine rested on the spent yeast cells for two and a half years before disgorging. Alcohol sits at 12% abv and it retails for $55.

This pink rosé has a light onionskin hue and a decent froth of bubbles which form on the pour. The nose has strawberry and cherry aromas mixed in with a toasty scent. The palate is busy with red fruit and minerality, while the acidity is razor sharp. It is the sort of sparkling wine which is thought to be a "special occasion" wine, but don't wait. Opening this bottle is the special occasion. 

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Great Bubbles From Mendocino County

Scharffenberger explains that they have been "pioneering super premium Mendocino California sparkling wine since 1981, with grapes sourced from Scharffenberger's own 120 acres of vineyards, as well as select vineyards belonging to trusted growers in Mendocino County." The estate is located in the Anderson Valley, where it was founded four decades ago.

The grapes in question are 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir. The wine spent two years aging on the spent yeast cells, then another six months in the bottle. The alcohol sits at 12.5% abv and the wine sells for around $29.

This wine pours up with a nice, white froth on top of the salmon pink juice. The nose comes forth with a healthy whiff of cherries. On the palate, the red berries come up alongside the nice yeasty bread flavor. It's a fizzy drink with a great acidity and a lovely finish. 

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What Bubbles The Future Holds

This California sparkling wine is named after a card from the tarot deck, the one symbolizing harmony, joy and contentment - perfect for a nice bottle of bubbly. Banshee Wines makes an assortment of wines in Healdsburg, where they can be nearer to the Sonoma County vineyards where they source the fruit.

This non-vintage brut was made in the Méthode Champenoise, with secondary fermentation happening in the bottle. It was aged on the yeast for two years or more.  The grapes involved are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, with alcohol sitting at 12.5% abv and a retail price of $30. 

This wine presents a thick, white froth upon pouring - and the fine bubbles stick around awhile. On the nose, green apples, pears and white flowers abound, with a healthy dose of minerals along for the sniffing. The palate also shows off a ton of the aforementioned fruit and some citrus minerality as well. The wonderful acidity will make this a sparkler that can do more than host a toast. You may want oysters or lobster with it. 

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Two Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnays

The folks at Sonoma-Cutrer are celebrating 40 years of passion, imagination and pride in 2022.  They say their approach to winemaking "marries Burgundian traditions and California ingenuity."  Head winemaker Mick Schroeter puts his signature on the label, showing the pride that leads to the boast that their Chardonnay is one of America's favorites. They are even putting it in cans, all the better for summertime sipping on the go.

Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2020

The 2020 vintage brought with it all the usual challenges that winemakers find - drought, hot weather, wildfires - plus the additional problem of COVID to work around. They did work around it and managed to produce a wine which is another in a long line of California classics. This wine was split between oak and tank aging - 85% oak for eight months. Alcohol sits at a moderate 13.9% abv and the bottle retails for $23.

The nose is bursting with the aroma of apricots and peaches, lemons, vanilla and butter. The palate is as rich as Chardonnay gets, with sweet stone fruit flavors and a zippy acidity. You will be able to pair this wine not only with salads'n'seafood, but chicken and pork as well. The finish leaves a buttery reminder of the wine's opulence.

Sonoma-Cutrer Les Pierres Chardonnay 2019

The Les Pierres estate vineyard features volcanic soil, loaded with minerality, baked in sunshine and cooled by the Pacific Ocean. Only six percent of their Sonoma Coast Chardonnay came from Les Pierres. 

The winemaker says the 2019 vintage was one for the ages - double the amount of rain that usually averages all year. Other than that, it was perfect California weather all season long. The wine was fermented in oak and aged there, too, for a full year with another six months in the bottle. Full malolactic fermentation was reached, lending a full and creamy mouthfeel to the sip. Alcohol clocks in at 14.2% abv and the wine retails for $46.

The wine is quite pale, mostly a very faint yellow with a hint of green at times. Its nose offers up more citrus than stone fruit, but both are well-represented. The fruit steals the show on the palate, too, although the acidity is quite racy and makes a case for itself as the lead. There are wonderful spice notes that come through in aromas and flavors. Oak is handled tastefully and the finish is long and supple.

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Santa Barbara County Chardonnay Via Paso Robles

Proprietors Georges and Daniel Daou, of Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles, credit their mountain home - Daou Mountain - with being able to "turn mere raindrops and roots into extraordinary wines—and into lasting relationships."

They say their terroir is a very rare soil, calcareous clay, the same type found in Saint-Émilion and the right bank of Bordeaux.  The limestone subsoil, they say, is perfect for growing Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varieties.  They boast that it was exactly the soil they were looking for more than a decade ago when they searched around the world for their dream vineyard.

Now known as DAOU Mountain, the land rises to an elevation of 2,200 feet in the hills of the Adelaida District, on the west side of the Paso Robles AVA.  Georges wants to make it clear that he and his brother did not buy a winery - they bought dirt and brought in the passion to unlock its potential.  Daniel is the winemaker sibling.  

The 2020 Bodyguard Chardonnay, however, comes from Santa Barbara County.  It is the newest addition to the Daou wine list.  The grapes were grown in the Santa Barbara appellation, a great source for Chardonnay grapes.  French and American oak barrels give the wine that classic California Chardonnay feel.  Alcohol hits 14.5% abv and the retail sticker reads $40.

One sniff and you know this golden juice is a California Chardonnay.  The peach, pear and lemon aromas are as upfront as you'd expect, and the whiff of buttery oak - not at all overdone - draws the drinker in like a magnet.  Amazing fruit drives the palate, too, with enough of that buttery feel to remind us why we love California.

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Great Sonoma Chardonnay

Petaluma based Adobe Road Winery owner Kevin Buckler is a real-life race car driver.  His winemaker, Garrett Martin, reportedly drives the speed limit and brakes fully at stop signs.  The Adobe Road Racing Series of wines includes Apex, Redline, The 24 and the latest release, SHIFT 2019.  Their less "racy" bottlings include the 2019 Famighetti Vineyard Viognier and the 2019 Adobe Road Chardonnay, Petaluma Gap, Sangiacomo Vineyards, Roberts Road.  

Information is a little scant for the latter wine, but previous vintages have been 100% Chardonnay, taken from the Sonoma side of the Carneros appellation and aged for ten months in a mixture of new and used French oak and stainless steel.  Malolactic fermentation was stopped at 30% and the wine rested on its lees - the spent yeast.  Alcohol kicks in at 14.3% abv and the wine sells for $52.

Martin says the "scrappy little organic vineyard … always surprises with its richness and intensity of detail."  The wine has a medium-rich golden tint and a nose that cries to be noticed.  The peach and nectarine aromas are lovely enough, but there are delicate touches of lemon and even a hint - just a hint - of butter.  The palate offers a custard-like flavor which seems to be at once sweet and savory.  The mouthfeel plays games, too - racy acidity, no, creamy and hefty.  This is really a great tasting Chardonnay, one of the better ones I have had from California.

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Two Nice Wines From Creston Highlands

The Highlands 41 wine label comes from Monterey County, but it is under the wine umbrella of the Los Angeles-based Riboli family and their San Antonio Winery.  You may also know of their wines by the names Stella Rosa, San Simeon, Maddalena or Opaque.  From L.A. to Paso Robles to Monterey to Italy, the Ribolis have vineyards in some of the best places on earth to grow grapes.

San Antonio Winery survived Prohibition and the Great Depression by making sacramental wines in the urban heart of Los Angeles.  While all the other wineries folded, the Riboli's winery flourished, thanks to the family's strong connection to the church.  At more than 100 years old, it is the oldest and largest producing winery in Los Angeles.

Highlands 41 Pinot Noir 2020

On the label, this brand promises the "thrill of exploration and the spirit of adventure."  To me, that just about sums up the promise contained in any bottle of wine.  The name, Highlands 41, comes from Highway 41 and the Creston Highlands.  Those highlands, by the way, used to be a seabed - providing the ground with plenty of limestone mineral deposits.  This wine is vinified to 14.5% abv and it retails for $15.

This Monterey County Pinot Noir is fairly dark and very fragrant in the glass.  Aromas of black cherry, black tea, licorice and cinnamon put together the kind of display that makes me think of the holidays.  Dark fruit dominates the palate, and a full set of tannins accompany the juicy sip.  The Riboli family recommends pairing their Highlands 41 Pinot with grilled sausage, pasta primavera, baked salmon or roasted duck.  I would toss in turkey and ham as excellent pairings.  I had mine with lemon and honey Wensleydale cheese, and it was beautiful.

The Highlands 41 Chardonnay 2019 has an alcohol content of 14.% abv and a retail price of $15.

This wine has a lovely golden tint in the glass.  The nose is loaded with sweet oak spice, which I normally wouldn't care for in a Chardonnay, but I go with it over the holidays.  It also shows aromas of tropical fruit and a hint of burnt caramel - also a nice holiday touch.  The palate plays up the fruit more than the oak - for which I am grateful - and gives a nice acidity to make it a good wine to pair with food.  The Ribolis say that the Highlands 41 Chardonnay goes best with baked halibut, wild mushroom risotto, fried chicken or grilled pork loin.  I will go along with all of those recommendations.  

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A Throwback Chardonnay From Sonoma-Cutrer

Sonoma-Cutrer is celebrating 40 years of marrying Burgundy with California.  They have a trophy case full of awards their wines have won over the past three decades.

Sonoma-Cutrer The Cutrer Chardonnay 2019

This Chardonnay cuvée from Sonoma-Cutrer is all Chardonnay.  The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation during its time in barrels, where it lay on the spent yeast cells for five months  Another eight months of aging took place in older barrels, and then there were three more months in the bottle.  Alcohol tips 14.1% abv and the retail price is $35.

This Chardonnay has a golden tint in the glass, and is quite clear, too.  The nose displays oak, imparted during the 13 months or so it spent in barrels.  Underneath the wood lies some beautiful fruit - pears, peaches, pineapples, lemons.  The mouthfeel is creamy - expected with full malolactic fermentation - and yet a racy acidity flows behind it.  There is definitely a buttery note on the sip, one that harkens back to a different time for California Chardonnay.

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Kosher Bubbles From The Russian River Valley

The Jewish High Holy Days are happening this month, which means you'll need some kosher wines.  You can always turn to Royal Wine Corporation for reliably high-quality kosher wines.  Royal is owned by the Herzog family, whose wine history dates back to the middle of the 19th century.  Royal imports and distributes kosher wines from all over the world, and they make their own at the Herzog winery in Southern California.

Herzog Special Reserve Russian River Valley Sparkling Wine

This sparkling Chardonnay is made from grapes grown in the cool-climate Russian River Valley.  The bubbles were produced through the Methode Champenoise, and the wine is kosher.  Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and I saw it selling online for more than $50.

This pale yellow wine produces a nice, white froth when poured.  The nose has yeasty notes of citrus and stone fruit, with an earthy element that is fabulous.  The toast and earth aspects are also present on the palate.  It's a dry wine, but there is a sweetness about it that has everything to do with the fruit.  This is one California sparkling wine I could easily recommend.

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Collio Wines Bring The Minerals

The Italian wine region known as Collio is located in the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region of Italy's northeast corner, between the Giulian Alps and the Adriatic Sea.  It offers its winemakers a mild microclimate and soil - called ponca - which is a remnant of a time when the ocean covered the land, consisting of marl and sandstone, with marine fossils abundant.  The land gives Collio wines their striking minerality.

Toros Pinot Bianco Collio 2019

Franco Toros is known for his wines which accentuate the minerality of Friuli, and especially Collio.  The 100% Pinot Bianco grapes were grown in the hillside vineyards and fermented in steel tanks, where the wine also aged.  Alcohol rings in at 14% abv and the wine sells for around $19.

The Toros Pinot Bianco Collia 2019 has a nice golden color in the glass. I get a muted nose with apricot aromas foremost and citrus minerals chasing. The palate shows stone fruit and minerals galore. Acidity is nice and fresh, even zippy.  The finish is medium long and carries the minerals back for a revisit. 

Borgo Conventi Pinot Grigio Collio 2019

The winery Borgo Conventi says its name comes from the legend concerning the commune of Farra d'Isonzo.  So the story goes, Count Strassoldo - il Rizzardo to the locals - donated a piece of land to Dominican friars who then built the first monastery in the area.

The Conventi Pinot Grigio Collio 2019 was fermented and aged in steel tanks, enhancing the minerality and freshness.  The alcohol number is 13.5% abv and the wine sells for around $20.

The yellow-tinted wine smells floral and tropical, with white flowers, apricot and mango coming through on the nose.  There is also a bit of citrus minerality, like a sidewalk after a rain.  The palate shows the stone fruit and tropical aspect, with a hefty slice of acidity to go along with it.  So fresh and racy is it that one can feel free to pair this Pinot Grigio with seafood rather than restrict it to salads. 

Ronco Blanchis Collio Friulano 2019

Ronco Blanchis is in the process of converting to organic farming, which they say will be complete sometime in 2021.  The operation is headed up by Giancarlo Palla and his sons Lorenzo and Alberto.  Winemaker Gianni Menotti was named Italian winemaker of the year in 2006.  

The winery refers to vintners as "poets of the land," a land which once belonged to the Greeks, then the Romans, Austria and Spain, a land influenced by its proximity to mountains and sea.

This wine was made of Tocai Friulano grapes, vinified and aged in steel.  Alcohol tips 14% abv and it retails for around $15.

This clear yellow wine pours up very slightly frizzante, with a small collection of tiny bubbles clinging to the glass.  On the nose there is a sweet apricot aroma mixed with a delicate blend of herbs and minerals.  Those minerals drive the palate, which is exquisitely citrus.  The acidity comes on strong, then softens through the sip into a gentle tingle.  It is an elegant white wine, offering a perfect balance of herbal notes, earthiness and freshness.

Vina Borut Blazič Malvasia Collio 2019

Blazič is actually located in Slovenia, right on the border with Italy.  Some of the Blazič vineyards are in Slovenia, some are in Italy's Collio region.

Their 100% Malvasia wine was aged for seven months in concrete and another couple of months in the bottle.  Alcohol is 14% abv

This wine has a yellow-green tint and a nose that is a bit closed, or maybe subtle is a better word.  Very light citrus notes give way to a mix of cantaloupe and honeydew.  The palate is anything but subtle.  Big toasted almond flavor elbows past Meyer lemon and tangerine to lead the way.  The acidity is fantastic - just enough but not too much.  The finish wraps up the sip with a beautiful salinity.  The more of Collio I taste, the more I love that region.

Conti Formentini Raiante Ribolla Gialla Collio 2019

The winery's U.S. importer indicates that the Formentini family has owned the castle on the tallest hill in Friuli since the 16th century.  The wine that was made there was reported, even way back then, as being "exquisite."  The name Raiante comes from the local word for "a ray of sunshine."

A little more than a third of the Ribolla Gialla grapes that make up the wine are set aside for a month to dry, then added to the fermenting wine.  The process is said to give more body to Raiante.  Alcohol is restrained at 13% abv and it can probably be found for less than $20.

This wine colors up a medium-pale yellow with green highlights.  The nose is earthy and mineral-driven, with mango, guava, apricot and citrus aromas.  The palate offers salinity and stone fruit, along with a decent acidity that refreshes.  The citrus flavor that plays through the strongest is lime.  This is a really great wine for crab cakes or shrimp dishes. 

Polje Fantazija Bianco Collio DOC  2019

The Polje winery was named after the geological depressions, or sinkholes, formed in limestone which has been eroded over time.  It is this limestone element of the soil which lends the incredible minerality to the wine.

Fantazija was made from Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay and Sauvignon grapes, fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks.  Alcohol hits 13.5% abv and the retail price is around $20.

The nose on this wine from Italy's Collio region is explosive enough to make an impression before the glass has been raised.  Floral, then herbal, then honeydew melon, then limes, then - of all things - smoke!  It's a showstopper.  The palate offers a mineral-driven flintiness, with citrus, melon and a fine acidity.  Pair it with oysters, shrimp, or a calamari and scungilli salad. 

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Angels & Cowboys Wine

Share a Splash Wine Company was founded in 2006 as Cannonball.  Yoav Gilat's idea was to make great wines and sell them for less than $20.  Today, Cannonball is joined by ELEVEN, Angels and Cowboys, Astrolabe Wines and High Dive Napa Valley as a full portfolio for the Healdsburg-based outfit.

Head winemaker Ondine Chattan is a female veteran in a business which has been dominated by males. Her time in the California wine industry has seen her getting purple hands at Cline, Ridge Vineyards and for 18 years at Geyser Peak prior to joining Share A Splash.  She is a California native who takes a hands-on approach to winemaking, educated at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Fresno State.  She is proud of her spring releases, and she says they show the bright fruit flavors for which her home state is famous.

Angels & Cowboys Brut Rosé NV

This all-California sparkler is made in the traditional method of secondary fermentation, using traditional Champagne grapes - 73% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 2% Pinot Meunier.  The fruit comes not, of course, from Burgundy but from Mendocino and Sonoma counties.  The non-vintage bubbly is in it first release, with 2,500 cases made, at 12% abv and a retail price of $24.

This wine shows a light tint in the glass and offers a nose of apples, cherries and fresh bread.  The palate comes on with a racy acidity, fine bubbles and an earthy take on raspberry and citrus.  The wine's finish is lengthy and quite enjoyable.

Angels & Cowboys Sonoma County Rosé 2020

This Grenache-based rosé was made in a traditional style called "œil de perdrix," meaning partridge's eye in French, a reference to the pale pink color of the dying bird's eye.  It is more commonly called Vin Gris - grey wine - and is made with very little skin contact for a more delicate style and hue.  Alcohol tips 12.5% abv and the retail sticker reads $16.

This wine is tinted a very pale pink in the glass, as one might expect from a rosé of Provence, not Sonoma.  The nose presents a beautiful basket of ripe cherries and strawberries, with a smokey hint just above the glass.  The acidity is nice and fresh, but not exactly razor-sharp.  On the palate, the red fruit dominates, and gets a little help from a lightly tart citrus effect.  The medium finish is pretty and fruity.

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Cannonball Wine Makes A Splash

Share a Splash Wine Company was founded in 2006 as Cannonball.  Yoav Gilat's idea was to make great wines and sell them for less than $20.  Today, Cannonball is joined by ELEVEN, Angels and Cowboys, Astrolabe Wines and High Dive Napa Valley as a full portfolio for the Healdsburg-based outfit.

Head winemaker Ondine Chattan is a female veteran in a business which has been dominated by males. Her time in the California wine industry has seen her getting purple hands at Cline, Ridge Vineyards and for 18 years at Geyser Peak prior to joining Share A Splash.  She is a California native who takes a hands-on approach to winemaking, educated at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Fresno State.  She is proud of her spring releases, and she says they show the bright fruit flavors for which her home state is famous.

While the Angels & Cowboys offerings were pretty good, I thought, the Cannonball bottlings troubled me.  First of all, they are billing the concept of the "cannonball" as a bold move when it is actually simple belligerence.  Anyone who has ever been in the vicinity of a pool when some asshole yelled "Cannonball!" and dropped their body into the water like a big sack of potatoes, knows that the move is that of an attention-hungry child who lacks the sense that God reportedly gave a goose.  "Heh heh, I got everybody wet," said Beavis to Butthead.

Further, the Cannonball wines relied very heavily upon oak.  In the Chardonnay that sat well with me, although I tired of the experience quickly.  In the Cabernet, I did not find the quality redeeming.

The Cannonball California Chardonnay 2019 was 70% fermented in French oak, with the remainder vinified in steel tanks.  The wine - blended from several sources - saw nine months in oak, altogether.  Alcohol clocks in at 12.5% abv and the retail price is $16.

This wine is made from grapes sourced in Monterey and Mendocino counties as well as Sonoma.  The nose shows apricot and lemon pie, with a healthy dollop of oak spice.  The oak comes through on the palate as well, in the form of some of the nicest "butter" I have tasted in a Chardonnay.  Meyer lemon, pear and cantaloupe flavors also turn up.  The acidity is quite nice and fresh, and the mouthfeel is full and rich.  

The Cannonball California Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a juicy, red which the winery says drinks like a Cab that sells for more than $15.  That may be true, but it is a rather low bar to tout.  It is the wine which started the company 15 vintages ago.  Alcohol checks in reasonably at 13.5% abv.

This wine has a dark ruby tint in the glass and a nose of ripe fruit and oak spice.  The palate confirms the oakiness of the wine - a bit too much for my taste.  The tannins are a bit too forceful, too.  The mouthfeel seems weak and watery, while the fruit flavors have an almost candied taste.  I have had $15 wines before which were outstanding.  This one, unfortunately, does not fall into that category.

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Foxglove Chardonnay

The Foxglove 2018 Central Coast Chardonnay was bottled by Varner Wines, in San Miguel, CA.  Jim and Bob Varner produce handmade wine from grapes grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Barbara and Paso Robles AVAs.  Winemaker Bob sources his Chardonnay grapes from Edna Valley, and employs a light touch throughout the vinification process.  Made and aged in steel, the wine is all fruit, with no intervention from oak and no malolactic fermentation.  Nevertheless, the wine feels full and creamy in the mouth, and shows enough spice that the lack of oak seems a mystery.  Alcohol sits at 13.6% abv while the wine generally sells for around $17.

I had the Foxglove Chardonnay at The Willows in Palm Springs, during their evening wine and cheese soirée by the waterfall wall.  It shows quite a yellow tint in the glass.  The nose displays tropical fruit along with citrus and salinity.  The palate brings Meyer lemon, and abundant minerals.  There is a nice acidity, yet a creamy mouthfeel. 

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Three Proseccos

Ca di Prata Prosecco makes Italian sparkling wines which are imported and distributed by Mack & Schühle, a German company with a U.S. base of operations in Miami.  I was provided with three different Proseccos for review, which are listed below.  

People sometimes don't think that wine importers are very important, that all they do is have crates of wine shipped in from who-knows-where to be peddled on the shelves in the lower reaches.  The best importers are those with a nose for wine, who can sniff out good stuff through endless trials, then bring the product to us.  Mack and Schühle are not only importers, they also produce wine in Italy and Spain and distribute other wines globally.

The Ca di Prata Prosecco DOC Brut is made from 85% Glera grapes and 15% Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay.  Alcohol stays low at 11% abv and the wine retails for $16.

This wine is fun in a bottle.  The apple aromas on the nose translate directly to apple flavors on the palate.  The bubbles are lively and festive, which is about all you can say about bubbles.  It's great as an aperitif, and it was great with some slightly peppery ginger cookies.  Enjoy!

The Ca di Prata Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry is also 85% Glera and 15% other varieties.  Still a low alcohol reading at 11% abv the retail is a bit higher, at $18.

Hints of apple, citrus and a floral note make the nose, while the bubbles are frothy and fairly quick to dissipate.  The palate shows more minerality than the DOC bottling, and a more complex flavor profile which features earth, spice and Meyer lemon.  The minerals stick around the longest after the sip.  I snacked with the wine, and it went well with pretzel bits stuffed with peanut butter, although it went better with some mixed olives.

The Ca di Prata Prosecco DOC Rosé Extra Dry Millesimato is also 85% Glera, but with the remaining 15% composed of Pinot Nero.  Millesimato also means that at least 85% of the grapes came from the same vintage, in this case 2019.  Alcohol remains at 11% abv, and the retail sticker splits the difference at $17.

This pink bubbly offers a ton of froth, which dissipates rather quickly.  The nose shows strawberries, cherries and red apples.  The palate is fruity and fun, and there is more than enough acidity to make this a refreshing sip or a nice wine to pair with a salad or seafood dish.  It’s also great with aperitif munchies or a cheese and salami plate.

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One Of America's Favorite California Chardonnays

The folks at Sonoma-Cutrer are celebrating 40 years of passion, imagination and pride.  They say their approach to winemaking "marries Burgundian traditions and California ingenuity."  Head winemaker Mick Schroeter puts his signature on the label, showing the pride that leads to the boast that their Chardonnay is one of America's favorites.

The winery says that the 2019 vintage featured rain, rain and more rain, plus a summer free of radical temperature extremes.  The harvest started a week later than usual and proceeded methodically - just the way a winemaker wants it.

The grapes - 100% Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast - were whole-cluster pressed and vinified in 15% steel and 85% oak, a mixture of new and neutral barrels, which is where the wine aged for eight months.  Alcohol hits 13.9% abv and the wine retails for $23.

The nose is beautiful, with notes of stone fruit and honeydew mixing with a touch of oak spice.  The oak is not at all overdone, and it hits the palate as cleanly as you wish it would.  The mouthfeel is full and creamy, the acidity is gently refreshing and the flavors of peach, pear, lemon and a bit of sweet oak make for a delicious sip.

Women In Wine

Sonoma-Cutrer says they are proud to have one of the only all-female winemaking production teams in the industry.  Argentina-raised, Pinot Noir Winemaker Zidanelia Arcidiacono also oversees the winery's sustainability initiatives.  Cara Morrison has served as Chardonnay Winemaker, and has mastered the variety that the brand is known for.   As Wine Production Manager, Venezuelan-born Mayra Hernandez oversees everything from grape intake to bottling.  Vineyard Operations Manager Shannon Donnell, born and raised in Sonoma County, manages the grape supply used to create the wines.

Sustainable Efforts

Sustainability is an integral part of life at Sonoma-Cutrer.  The "Certified Sustainable" stamp on the label reflects the winery's long-term commitment to adopting environmentally-friendly and efficient measures.  A few of the steps they have taken: 

• Organizing and recognizing a group of sustainability leaders across all departments, from landscaping to the tasting room, SET (Sustainability Environmental Team), who uphold and educate on the sustainability vision for the winery.
• Installing specially-made owl boxes across the vineyards, providing a home for the birds that serve as a natural defense against gophers and voles who eat vines.
• Planting pheromone lures that attract and confuse pests so they can’t mate, humanely limiting the growth of insects that harm the growing grapes.
• Harvesting grapes early in the morning so employees avoid extended time in the California heat. This also allows the grapes to come into the winery already cold, reducing the amount of energy used to chill them. 

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Israeli Wine: Chardonnay

This week, we are looking into two worthwhile wines made in Israel.  Both are kosher and both are very well made and tasty.

The Segal Wild Fermentation Chardonnay 2019 hails from Galilee, where native yeast was used to ferment it, which chief winemaker Ido Lewinsohn says brings forward "unique aromas and rich flavors."  Alcohol is quite restrained at 12% abv and the wine sells for around $20.  It is kosher.

This Galilee wine offers up some nice Chardonnay notes - Meyer lemon, orange peel, wet rocks, some French oak spice.  The palate follows suit.  The oak is not overdone, it is a welcome part of the flavor profile.  The acidity is fresh, but not zippy.

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RRV Chardonnay At $18

California wine négociant Cameron Hughes owns no vineyards and has no official winery.  He sniffs out good wine which has already been produced by established makers, then buys it on the down low with an agreement not to reveal the source.  He then sells the wine online through his wine club - he calls it a wineocracy - bringing top-shelf wines to lower-shelf wallets.  Hughes says he keeps prices low by removing the middleman, the distributor and retailer through which store-bought wines must pass.

Lot 718 Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2018

As usual, Hughes is tight-lipped about where this wine was grown and made, except to say that it came from "one of the region's storied estates, with almost a century of family history."  He goes on to praise the region, citing the Russian River Valley's cool ocean breezes and fog, which help the grapes mature well. "Anchored by a rare type of soil formed by an ancient sandstone seabed," he says, "there's just no place quite like it."  Hughes says Lot 718 is a "classic Russian River Valley Chard," only it sells for a mere $18.  Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv.

This Chardonnay is fairly lean, by old California standards.  There is a touch of oak on the nose, but the citrus and stone fruit stay in the spotlight.  The palate shows a bit more oak, but it does not overpower the profile.  Acidity is bright enough to make me order oysters on the half shell for takeout tonight.  The finish is long and vibrant, with pears and tangerine persisting.

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