During the cold weather, I tend to drink more red wines than white. Tonight, in celebration of Punxsutawney Phil not seeing his shadow (and hence, an indication of an end to winter), I decided to open a bottle of white.
I chose a bottle of Angeline Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2009 ($13), a wine I've always enjoyed in the past. Well, the 2009 vintage is different; very light color and nose, with just a hint of pear and musk. On the palate, bits of pear and pineapple, and lacking the creaminess I've come to expect from Angeline. Really rather odd tasting, and not in a good way. It improved slightly as it warmed up, but not enough to enjoy drinking it.
So I opened a second bottle, this time River Road Reserve Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($15), again from 2009. I had tasted the regular bottling from River Road late last year, and was quite impressed with the 2009 vintage, so I had high hopes for this as well.
Thankfully, I was not let down for the second time in a night. The Reserve is quite rich, on the borderline of being full bodied, with pear, magnolia blossom, and a hint of minerality on the nose; and apple, peach, and a little lemon on the palate. Fairly dry, but with enough fruit to make it very pleasant, it works well on it's own, but should also do very well with foods like roast chicken. Also would be a great wine for a cocktail party, as it would work with most hors d'oeuvres.
Overall, I recommend the River Road Reserve. As for the Angeline, not recommended; spend the extra buck or two for the River Road.
No comments:
Post a Comment