Chateau Montelena Winery Napa Valley Chardonnay 2013, California

This is a wonderful Chardonnay from the very famous Chateau Montelena. Exactly 40 vintages later, I could see how it won the Judgment of Paris wine competition, with it’s 1973 vintage.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity.

Showing lemons, apples, pears, melons, light tropical fruits, herbs, cedar, light vanilla, spices, light earth and black pepper.

Long finish with limes and light almonds.

This 9 year old still feels very young, with lots of complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years. Has potential to become a 95+ point wine.

Good right out of the bottle, and a great sipping wine. Showing great balance, so there is no need for food here.

Elegant and rich. Fruit forward, powerful and exciting.

I paired it with a Caesar salad with blackened Mahi. Great lunch.

Aged in (10% new) French Oak barrels for 10 months.

13.8% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$65.

Zwebner Estate Vineyard Judean Mountains 24.19 2019, Bethlehem

Pale yellow in color with a golden tint.

Sweet nose of honeydew, citrus, lemons, honey, spices, apples, herbs, light earth and minerals.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Very dry on the palate with green apples, limes, spices, light earth, herbs, light vegetables and white pepper.

Tangy finish with grapefruits and light almonds.

This is a very nice white Bordeaux blend from israel. Nicely balanced with nice complexity and a crisp mouthfeel.

This 3-year-old is drinking very nicely now and better than a year ago.

Peaking now, but would be interesting to try it again in a couple of years.

Feels like a Bordeaux white with a Vouvrey twist. Loved the nose here.

Good right out of the bottle and good by itself or with food.

A blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented and aged separately in French oak barrels, on its lees. Kosher and not Mevushal.

13% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$30.

Moet Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne Non Vintage, France

This is a tasty and easy drinking Champagne.

Dark yellow in color with a golden hue.

Medium plus in body with high acidity, and medium sized bubbles.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing citrus, green apples, light grapefruits, herbs, yeast, brioche, sea salt, spices, vegetables and minerals.

Nice finish with limes and bitter herbs.

Tangy and good by itself or with food.

Really enjoyed the nose, even more than the palate. Better after 30 minutes of airtime. 

Wine Enthusiasts 90 points. Wine Spectator 90 points.

A great choice to pair with fresh seafood.

12% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$43.

BellaVista Vigna Convento Santissima Annunciata 2016, Italy

This is a very interesting Chardonnay from Lombardi, Italy.

Strong fruity nose, and dry on the palate. Loved the nose here.

Showing yellow apples, butter, oak, light vanilla, wild flowers, spices and white pepper.

Nicely balanced with nice complexity. Easy drinking with a nice mouthfeel.

This 6 year old Chardonnay will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine, smooth and elegant.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged in Oak barrels for 4 years.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$40.

Chalk Hill Estate Winery Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay 2019, California

This is a tasty oaky Chardonnay from Chalk Hill in Russian River Valley.

Dry on the palate with mild complexity.

Showing oak, vanilla, lemons, apples, pears and light spices.

Spicy finish with almonds.

A good quality wine. Easy drinking, elegant and bold.

Still young and has good potential to be better in a few years.

A nice food wine, and good for parties, too.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged in (40% new) French Oak barrels for 11 months. Unfiltered.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$30.

Grand Napa Vineyards Los Carneros Chardonnay 2020, California

Pale lemon in color with a yellow/ golden tint.

Fruity nose of tropical fruits, lemons, yellow apples, light pineapples, grapefruits and peaches.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with lemons, citrus, green and red apples, light herbs, earth, limes and white pepper.

Tangy finish with limes and spices.

This is a delicious Chardonnay from Carneros. Easy drinking right out of the bottle with nice complexity.

Nicely balanced, neither tart nor bitter. Gets a little creamier after 20 minutes of airtime. A great sipping wine.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years, and see how it evolved.

100% Chardonnay grapes. A limited release.

13.7% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$75.

Juliusspital Iphofer Julius-Echter Berg Scheurebe Kabinett 1983, Germany

This 39 year old is drinking very nicely now, with nice acidity and mouthfeel.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with citrus, apples, light honey, lemons, light spices and minerals.

Nice finish with light almonds.

This is a nice and easy drinking Scheurebe from Germany. My first time trying this grape variety.

Simpler than I expected it to be for the age. Nonetheless, still very enjoyable, even by itself.

I enjoyed it very much by itself, and then with the Escargot.

10.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

Castello di Amorosa Anderson Valley Gewürztraminer 2019, California

Pale lemon in color.

Pretty nose of white flowers, honey, lemons, spices, tropical fruits, red apples, honeysuckle, guava and white pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry to off dry on the palate with citrus, apples, pears, honeydew, black pepper, bitter herbs, light vegetables and spices.

Spicy finish with light almonds and black pepper.

This is a very tasty Gewürztraminer from Anderson Valley. Elegant and rich. Fruit forward and spicy.

Showing nice complexity with a smooth mouthfeel. Easy drinking and good for parties.

Nicely balanced with enough acidity to balance the sugars, and good by itself as a sipping wine.

Way too easy to drink this, so you better watch out, as the high alcohol will creep up on you really quickly.

I paired it with beautiful view.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30.

Château de Chamirey Mercurey Rouge 1998, Burgundy, France

A very pretty brick color with a wide orange rim.

Medium bodied with high acidity.

Dry on the palate and unbalanced.

Showing red plums, cherries, earth, raspberries, tobacco leaf, forest floor and iron.

Short finish with fine grained tannins and pomegranates.

This 24 year old Pinot Noir is over the hill by now, but still drinkable.

I loved the nose and the color, but the palate was not there. I did like that it still showed some tannins, though.

Needed an hour to open up properly, but not much was left at that point.

Paired wonderfully with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

12% alcohol by volume.

86 points.

Flora Springs Family Estate Soliloquy 2021, Napa Valley, California

Light golden in color with a yellow tint.

Strong nose of gooseberry, limes, grapefruits, light earth, green apples, spices, grass and light sea salt.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, citrus, green apples, bitter herbs, light vegetables, light tropical fruits, spices, earth and white pepper.

Long finish with light almonds and spices.

This is a delicious Sauvignon Blanc based blend from Napa Valley.

Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Has a light creamy feel, which is very enjoyable.

Nicely balanced and tangy, with a soft mouthfeel.

Showing nice complexity, which you don’t usually see at this young age. I can see it getting even better in the next 3 years.

I had it all by itself by the pool.

A blend of 73% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Chardonnay and 13% Malvasia. Aged for 7 months in used French oak barrels. A small production of 600 cases.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60.