2005 Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon – $18

“We will sell no wine before its time.”

If you’re a geezer like me, you may remember that this was the slogan for Paul Mason wines when Orson Welles was their pitchman in the 1970s and early 80s. And what happened to Paul Mason wines? I don’t know for sure, but they must have fallen on hard times, because In 1986 Augustin Huneeus, a Chilean immigrant and then-president of Franciscan Vineyards, purchased the former Mason vineyard ranches near the Monterey town of Soledad on California’s Central Coast, and established them as the home of Estancia Winery.

The first replanting of the estate Pinnacles Vineyards was to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I first started drinking Estancia’s Cabernet Sauvignon in the late 80s. (The fruit must have been sourced from other local growers, because it wasn’t until 1999 that almost 700 acres in Paso Robles were purchased as the vineyard home for Estancia’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Red Meritage.)

For the last 20 years, Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon has been my most reliable daily wine. I always keep a case or two in the cellar. When I first started drinking it, it was a steal at $8 a bottle. Today, the normal retail has drifted towards the $16-18 range, but it can occasionally be had for as little as $12 per bottle by the case if you regularly search wine sites for sales. However, even at retail it remains an excellent value.

The color of this wine is classic deep purple. The nose is rather unassuming, and gives little prediction of what is to come. In the glass, the wine starts out quite fruit-forward, with plenty of dark black cherry and currant flavors. The fruit is aided and abetted by toasted sweet oak. Structure is provided by moderate and well-balanced tannins (which become more pronounced after an hour or so in the decanter), and just a hint of pepper and minerality.

These tasting notes are based on the 2005 which I’m currently drinking, but it hardly matters. They must make this stuff in huge tanks or barrels and reserve a large quantity each year for blending, because Estancia Cabernet is the very definition of an unerring house style. I have no idea whether or not this Cab cellars well; it never stays there long enough.

For all of my devotion to Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon, I don’t find the same magic in the rest of their portfolio, which includes all of the usual suspects. The Chardonnay is nice enough, but doesn’t stand out from other similarly priced Chards. The Pinot Noir is thin and unremarkable. The Meritage shows some finesse, but is a poor value at twice the price of the Cabernet. ”

By Stephen Hawk

2008 Napa Cellars Chardonnay

I’m starting to like my Chardonnays with a little oak, and this one has some nice toastiness to it. Golden straw color, melons and Granny Smith apples on the nose, apricot front-end with a nice caramel finish.

At $14.99, you can bring this to a BBQ and your fancy friends will wonder why they’re dishing out $40 for Cakebread (that’s an expensive Chardonnay).

Price: $15
Year: 2008
Place: USA, CA, Napa Valley
Booze: 14%
Aging: French & American oak
Grapes: Chardonnay

2007 Eve Chardonnay Charles Smith Wines

Picked up this Columbia Valley, Washington State Chardonnay for $11.99. The first thing that hits you is the smell of apples, it’s as if you are standing in an orchard.  The apples come through on the palate, crisp juicy fresh apples, not cider, also some pear and on the very end a touch of butter.

This is more fruit driven and less oaky than your typical California Chardonnay. If California Chards are not doing it for you or you just want a change of pace, seek the Eve Chardonnay out. This is winemaker makes wines worth looking for.

Concha Y Toro Chardonnay 2005

After trying the wonderful Concha y Toro cabernet I quickly became a fan of the vineyard and have been wanting to try their other wines. The grapes that make up this Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay were hand picked in March of Read more

Tin Roof Chardonnay – 2006

This chardonnay goes for around $12 in stores and I bought it because I liked the Tin Roof merlot. I thought I’d give their chardonnay a Read more

Columbia Crest Chardonnay 2006

I get a lot of golden butter on the nose but no fruit which makes the nose a little boring to me. In the mouth I tried hard to find some flavor but only found a bronzed butter taste that dominated my palate. If you can’t tell already, I didn’t like this wine.

I bought this wine because it was highly rated and cheaply priced. In fact I bought 3 bottles of this wine before I ever tasted it and learned an important lesson which is – don’t buy a bunch of highly rated wine before you know you like it!

Price: $9.95
Vintage: 2006
Varietal: Chardonnay
Country: USA – Washington
Cheap Wine Rating: 80

Buy it here:  Liquor Outlet

cheap wine reviews, white wine, Chardonnay

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Will you let me say a wine is seductive?  I don’t like to use words like that to describe wine but thats the first thing that came to my mind when Read more

Jefferson Chardonnay Reserve 2006

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