2012 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay
We first opened this wine a year and a half ago and our initial thought was “ABC” (Anything But Chardonnay) drinkers be damned! It is a big new world Chardonnay out of Washington that shows how an “oaky” chardonnay can be powerful but simultaneously balanced so as not to be overpowering. Gold in colour with a medium plus body, the first whiff revealed vanilla, butterscotch and caramel. The first sip had similar notes backed with lemon, honey and citrus. Terrific body and complexity to this wine with a lovely long finish. Fast forward to last night and it has evolved in more. A little more subtle yet still very complex, it is drinking beautifully right now but still has a few years of optimum drinking left.
Excellent+
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Douglas at the Estates Wine Room
A good friend of ours in the wine industry suggested we meet for a drink at one of the Pacific Northwest’s newest, and hippest, tasting rooms during a recent visit to Seattle. We had been hearing the favourable buzz and were keen to try it ourselves and see what the Estates Wine Room was all about.
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2007 Brewer-Clifton Mount Carmel Pinot Noir
Dark red in colour, the nose reveals lots of red fruits and baking spices. Medium in body with a nice smooth mouthfeel, the secondary notes of earth and herbs do a great job balancing out the fruit. This is a big, new world Pinot that isn’t overpowering because it so well structured. At 11 years old, it’s drinking beautifully now and likely won’t get better with more time. If you have some put away, drink it, you won’t be disappointed!
Excellent
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2004 Mitolo Savitar Shiraz
Still deep violet in colour. Lots of dark berry fruit here: blackberry, blueberry and plum with supporting notes of baking spices and whiffs of vanilla. Thick, plush and quite powerful, this manages to maintain balance despite its size. However we found it to lack complexity and be a bit one dimensional. The materials are there, but they somehow avoid coming together in a way that ordinarily we would find more impressive. Not a complaint, but not something to go wow over either.
Very Good+
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Champagne and truffles
With Valentine’s Day here, people are now thinking about how they will celebrate that special day and that means for many buying and or opening a bottle of Champagne. So we thought that now would be a good time to present a brief overview of Champagne and what is behind that most celebratory of wines.
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2012 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay
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