Not a lot of interest here, to be honest. I did find things to like about the Sancerre Rouge--the first one that I have tried and I liked the Mâcon-Fuissé, though perhaps it is not my preferred style. Some of the others I might enjoy a glass of, but not much more, and some I would clearly avoid . . .
2006 Acacia Carneros Chardonnay (Carneros, Napa Valley, northern California, USA) 14.4% - appears pale gold, reflective, smell sharp candied pineapple, very strong forward nose, mouthfeel slightly viscous, taste strong element of spiced pineapple upfront, tangerine underneath, edges toward very hot, finish is turnoff for me, bit of concrete, lots of hotness, lingering unpleasant notes, easy to find things I don’t like about this wine, hard to find things to appreciate, pass
From producer: 100 percent Chardonnay. 86% Los Carneros, 12% Santa Maria Valley, 2% Napa Valley. 75% French Oak, 15% American Oak, 10% European Oak, 24% New Oak, fermented in oak barrels, use of native yeast naturally occurring on the grape skins,75% of the wine completed malolactic fermentation, nine months of sur lie barrel aging. Wine Acidity - 5.8 g/L, Wine pH - 3.58
2005 Frei Brothers Russian River Valley Chardonnay Reserve (Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, northern California, USA) 13.9% - appears medium reflective gold, smell overpowering vanilla and that’s about it, mouthfeel with good flow, spiciness upfront, sweet, but tiny hint of tangy tart notes in background, which I liked, bit of woodsy/rocks feel on finish, bit warm, overall a gripping unpleasant tropical feel to it, if not for the finish, I could find some things to like about the wine, but it tires out my tongue without much reward
From producer: 98 percent Chardonnay. Whole cluster pressed, cold settled and racked before fermentation. 100% barrel fermented and oak aged, and temperature was monitored not to exceed 65°F, sur lie aging for five months and 100% malolactic fermentation.Titratable Acidity: 0.53, Residual Sugar: 0.41g/100ml, pH: 3.45, Alcohol Level: 13.1
2006 Ferrari-Carano Sonoma County Fumé Blanc (Sonoma County, northern California, USA) 13.9% - appears pale gold, smell sweet grapefruit juice, very simple nose, mouthfeel thicker without being too viscous, taste spicyness lurking within, bland grapefruit flavors, lots of spice, bit of heat on finish, and finish of cheap vodka, very hot wine, feels like there is very little holding it together
From producer: 100% Sauvignon Blanc. 65% Stainless Steel; 35% older French oak, wines in barrels are sur lie aged and stirred every two weeks for four months, while the wines in stainless steel remain undisturbed
2005 Lucien Crochet Sancerre [Sauvignon Blanc] (Sancerre, upper Loire Valley, western France) 13% - imported to USA by Rosenthal wine merchant - appears pale gold, smell cheese and grapefruit rind, quite nice, good nose with some texture, mouthfeel had good unevenness and excellent flow, taste lots of fresh fruit upfront, mainly berries and citrus, spice comes rushing in, faint hints of textured cheeses on finish, definite citrus rind grip on finish, harsh on the finish, which was a bit much for me, I found this wine far too harsh, did not care for it
From importer: Grapes crushed in a pneumatic press; juice is racked off the heavy lees 18 to 24 hours after crushing; fermentation proceeds under controlled conditions at low temperatures. The wines remain on the lees in stainless steel until March of the following year. The wines are lightly fined and filtered and bottled just prior to the next year's harvest. Malolactic fermentation never occurs.
2005 F&F Bachelier Chablis [Chardonnay] (Chablis AOC, Burgundy, France) 12.5% - imported to USA by Simon “N” Cellars – appears light reflective gold, smell bit of mustiness, bit of sweaty sock, very nice rounded fruit, very nice nose, mouthfeel light, bit watery, moves great, taste muted tropical fruits, interesting multidimensional spice element I found quite intriguing, good dollop of tangy lime juice in background, bit harsh rocky/woody finish, bit lackluster there, edges toward hot and unpleasant on the finish, but this had dissipated by day two into a simpler tangy approach, still nothing memorable here
2005 Cordier Père & Fils Mâcon-Fuissé [Chardonnay] (Mâcon-Fuissé, Mâconnais, Burgundy, France) 13.5% - imported to USA by Robert Kacher selections – appears medium gold, smell good lively pine, bit of honey, rounded but lively, nice, taste spicy vanilla, tangerine, coconut, bit overwhelming at first, nice richness, interesting integrated flavors, wonderful coolness in initial entry, some savory but lot of sweet and spicy elements, likable, still open for business on day three, a bit sweeter than I needed, but comfortable and quaffable throughout, everything is well-integrated here and it presents a very impressive structured package, I liked it
2006 Castle Rock Sonoma County Pinot Noir [80 percent Pinot Noir, 20 percent Syrah] (Sonoma County, northern California, USA) 13.8% - appears light black see thru cranberry color, smell dense fruit, bare cherries, lots of stems, taste sweet on entry, bit of lively spice and acidity, good fruit flavor, one-dimensional drying finish, spicy, lively, drying, acceptable wine, but it did not grow on me. From producer: Total acidity - .55 gr/100 ml, 564,000 bottles produced
2005 Gaston & Pierre Ravaut Ladoix [Pinot Noir] (Ladoix AOC, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France) 13% - imported to USA by Simon ‘N’ Cellars - appears dark cranberry, smell nice library books and jam, slight herbs, soft, taste sweet intro, lots of cranberries, spicyness comes in slowly, lively vibrant presence, tangy, tart, bit of rustic nature, good dose of elements I associate with VA, spikyness, can either overtake the wine at times or provide it with some movement, I can deal with this, not an exciting wine for me, but I did like it paired with food, lamb chops did pretty well
2005 Daniel Crochet Sancerre Rouge [Pinot Noir] (Sancerre AOC, upper Loire Valley, France) 13.5% - imported to USA by J Cambier Imports - appears bit hazy purple, smell bit of high octane, then some low-lying fruit, taste very well-rounded fruit, sweet at moments tart at others, great fresh cranberries, lively interesting, rounded yet had edges that are quite interesting, this is the type of wine I like to drink to explore, everything has not come together, but the contrasts and rough edges tell a quite interesting story
2005 Moon Mountain Vineyard Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon [91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Zinfandel] (Sonoma County, northern California, USA) 13.9% - appears darkish black purple, barely see thru, smell dark concentrated chocolate, simple but quite nice, taste lively black cherry upfront, good deal of spice, bit of meatiness in background, well bound and good flow together, finish a bit dry and a bit simple, but refreshing along the way, juicy fruity and spicy, quite a bit of spices, good tang, good changing qualities, very approachable wine
From producer: 32% Knights Valley, 23% Chalk Hill, 21% Dry Creek Valley, 15% Russian River Valley, 7% Alexander Valley, 2% Sonoma Valley, aged in barrel for 18 months, 100% American Oak, 30% New Oak
2005 Sebastiani Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County, northern California, USA) 13.5% - appears dark black purple, smell leather and book odors, quite nice inviting aroma, taste smooth entry, nicely bound spice and recessed fruit, good simple wine, it does not reach too far but does nicely in its spicy/fruity realm, but, frankly, wears less well as sweetness becomes the prevalent aspect, no strong objections, in moderate doses this is okay, but not a whole bottle
From producer: fermented in stainless steel tanks for 7-15 days, aged ten months in a combination of new and one-year-old American oak, with a small percentage of two- and three-year-old Hungarian and French oak in barrel, blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Petite Sirah
2003 Château Haut-Surget Lalande de Pomerol [70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon] (Lalande de Pomerol AOC, Libournais, Bordeaux, France) 13% - imported to USA by Nicolas - appears dark orange crimson, slight halo, smell mushrooms and books, slight dark cherry which is very nice, taste very recessed fruit, smooth, slight tannins work their way in, good grip, fruity yet muted, simple but nice, some raisin aspects in background, pretty one-dimensional stuff