Toad Hollow 2010 Francine's Selection (California)

Toad Hollow Vineyards was started up by friends Todd Williams and Rodney Strong. Their motto is "fine wine at a reasonable price" I think they lived up to it! The late Todd Williams "The Toad" and Sonoma winemaker, also the brother of Comedian Robin Williams and Rodney Strong saw that the future of chardonnay was unoaked back in 1993, when everyone else was making oak chip tea bags and going for new American barrels. The Mendocino County fruit that provides 90% of the grapes for this wine helps to keep it focused, and provides enough acidity to provide a good structure for the fruit. That's because the swings between warm days and cool nights in Mendocino County helps to keep the fruit from over-ripening. The remaining 10% of the juice comes from Sonoma County. Todd Williams always took pride in being just a little bit different, after all he had Missouri Nortons in his wine cellar.

The color of the wine in the glass is a light golden color, and on the nose are aromas of green apples, pears, honeydew melon, and minerality. On the palate the aromas are confirmed with the apple and pear being the primary flavors, followed by a slight hint of tropical, with the slate minerality on the finish. This is a lighter, unoaked Chardonnay, which definitely reflects the natural characteristics of the Chardonnay grape. It has a nice medium finish which lingers in the mouth. One to search out and buy.

In many ways this wine is a tribute to the famous children's book The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. It reminds me of Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel.

Schug Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2009 (California)

I enjoyed the Schug Cabernet Sauvignon so much I knew I was bound to love the Chardonnay as well. While it was good, it was not amazing! Perhaps I had my expectations a bit high, that happens sometimes but never the less it was good, not every wine has to be amazing I suppose, well maybe! Nah...that is not possible.

Brilliantly clear and pale golden yellow that lightens slightly at the edges to a more straw hue. When swirled this springy wine settles quickly and leaves widely clusters of slow fat legs along the side of the glass. Bright and aromatic, this Chardonnay is both fresh and complex with the layers of both tree and tropical fruit leading the way followed by toasted brioche (french pastry) and oak as well as vanilla hints, a bit creamy with spicy notes. The palate suffered a bit, which is what I am not crazy about this Chardonnay. Flavors of tart apple, white pear and a touch of sweet citrus and toasted nuts, not much depth but a bit complex, acidity was good but not a mind blowing Chard for me, I guess that is what I wanted this particular evening. The finish was there, a bit creamy but not long lasting.

Would I buy this again, probably not but it was great to try!

La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2010 (California)

Due to the various complexities attributed to a good pinot noir, tasting is no easy task. However, drinking an entire bottle of this heavenly liquid is. For less than $25 you are delivered one of the finest varietals in the mid-range Pinot Noir universe. The sophisticated and elegant Sonoma Coast red blesses the palate with numerous pleasing tastes and smells. I find downing copious amounts of La Crema Pinot Noir with breakfast, lunch and dinner perfectly acceptable although I usually wait till past 5pm.

Pinot Noir is somewhat lighter in color which some could mistake for lighter flavor but in this case, the opposite is true. On the nose it smells like Tango. For those of you who do not Tango......strawberry, leather, cedar, mushroom and vanilla and the slightest hint of sweet pipe tobacco. On the Palate more leather, chocolate, hints of vanilla, orange zest with smooth silky texture and a nice finish.

I served this wine with grilled pork chops and roasted sweet potatoes.

Kimmel Chardonnay 2007 (California)

As you may have read from my other blogs I am a Kimmel Wine fan! I have had this 2007 for awhile and decided what better time to open it than last night and so I did. Wow! What a power house of a Chardonnay! I had been craving a nice oaked Chardonnay for sometime and this wine really hit the spot.

The color was beautiful Chardonnay yellow. Aromas of buttery oak drifted from the glass with a faint smell of citrus. The palate was charged with intense flavors of citrus, buttery almond, grilled pineapple and smoked white cheddar cheese. This wine was complex, interesting, well rounded and absolutely delightful!

Conundrum White Wine Blend 2010 (California)

While not on the bottle I did a bit of research to find this wine is made up of five California white grape varietals: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Viognier and Semillon- sourced from Napa, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Tulare counties. The name Conundrum refers to the puzzling array of flavors and aromas bursting through. Each vintage contains a varied percentage of each grape allowing Mother Nature to determine which grape will steal the show in that particular vintage.

Since I was not sure of the blend before opening the bottle I did not know what to expect and I was a bit surprised. On the pour, golden yellow, the color of Semillon. Aromatic...let me re-phrase that! Intensely aromatic with a nose of gardenia, Jasmin and honeysuckle which I like, although this was a bit overdone. Since taste is ninety percent of smell I also tasted gardenia, roses and honeysuckle. The Viognier came forth with flavors of pineapple, melon and a touch of honey. It was like tasting flowers.
Full flavored and fruit forward with nice acidity. I think the Muscat overwhelmed the wine a bit with floral notes. I would dare say this is why they did not include the varietals on the label. Most true wine lovers are not fans of Muscat as it tends to be overly sweet.

Final thoughts: Would I purchase this wine again? Probably not although I was glad for the wine experience.  I do love Conundrum wines and many Wagner Family Wines. They are also the makers of Caymus, Mer Soleil, Meiomi and others, they’re a wine powerhouse. A true family affair.

This wine would pair well with several cheeses, spicy Asian foods, dessert or alone on a warm Sunday afternoon.

Plungerhead Old Vine Zin 2010 (California)

Cool label and a funky name, though certainly pushing the gimmicky angle. It has a Zork closure. This was my first encounter with a Zork (a revolutionary new wine closure with the convenience of a screw cap and the celebration of a cork.) Plungerhead is an unlikely name for a wine, but then the vintners, The Other Guys (an branch of the Sebastiani winery family) think wine should be fun. I have to agree!

This wine hales from the Lodi region of California coming from low yielding, head trained, old vines (30 – 60 years old) in Lodi. In fact, the selection for Plungerhead comes from only four select blocks in a specific vineyard, farmed for maximum Zinfandel flavor.

This wine is deep dark crimson red in color with an aggressive nose of creamy red berries, blueberry, black current and hints of sweet tobacco, molasses and nutmeg. On the palate this wine layers the big dark fruit sensation in every sip, it is a monster of a wine for a great price. Blueberry, raspberry with a touch of sweet cocoa powder, cedar and cinnamon. Big and full bodied like a good old vine zin should be with no harsh tannins, smooth and supple and easy to drink. The finish is nice, quite lengthy with a lingering bit of mocha, toasted marshmallow and dried cranberry. A great wine for a BBQ, beef, pork and brats.

  

Campo Viejo 2008 Crianza, Rioja (Spain)

When you ask most red wine lovers to name their favorite varietals, most would respond with Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah/Shiraz, or maybe Merlot. When I am asked this question, I respond "Tempranillo" I simply love a great red from Spain and as most of us wine lovers know Tempranillo is the most important grape grown in Spain.

Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word Temprana which means (early).  Tempranillo grapes ripen almost three weeks earlier than other grapes grown in Spain. It is a black grape, native to Spain and often blended with Grenache.

This wine hales from the Rioja region of Spain. This wine pours regal rust color, the aromas are plum, raisins, earth and black cherry. On the palate, more plum, leather, warm spices and the slightest hint of red pepper, again a bit of earth with a touch of maple wood. Good balance, not over tannic with a velvety smooth vanilla finish.

This wine would pair well with pork tenderloin, grilled tuna steaks and even a nice vanilla cigar, after dinner of course.

Located south of the Cantabrian Mountains along the Ebro river, La Rioja benefits from a Continental Climate. The mountains help to isolate the region which has a moderating effect on the climate. They also protect the vineyards from the fierce winds that are typical of northern Spain. Grapes grown in this region are Tempranillo, Garnacha, Viura, Graciano and Mazuelo.

Fess Parker Riesling 2010 (California)

I try not to be a Washington Riesling wine snob. So my first impression of this off-dry California Riesling was positive. It had a light yellow color, with pear petrol and floral on the nose, fresh and interesting with crisp apple on the palate. A bit sweeter that I had anticipated but not so sweet that I was disappointed, if you have read much of my blog you know I am not a fan of sweet wines.

Fess Parker is renowned, at least in the United States, for creating top-notch varietals, both white and red. Would you expect any less from Davy Crockett?Anyone my age will know that Fess Parker played the iconic roles of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on TV. As a kid I loved watching those shows. As an adult, I enjoy drinking his namesake wines.
This wine was a great match to the afternoon snack I made of sliced pear, white cheddar cheese and mixed nuts. With the pear, the acidity in the wine was bright, obvious and complimentary. The acidity of the wine was muted by the cheese and nuts, but with the cheese I noticed that the wine had a distinct apricot flavor, very pleasant. Well done. A balanced, delicious and easy to drink Riesling. I liked it!

This wine would pair well with spicy Asian dishes, sweet and sour chicken, stir fry and a wide variety of cheeses.

 “You ought to never consider retiring from work, because remaining engaged in some creative occupation makes life so much more full” - Fess Parker