Recommendation:Excellent, expensive California Chardonnay.
Winery/Producer: Paul Hobbs Winery; Sebastopol, California.
Grape Variety: Chardonnay.
Geographic Region, Appellation: Russian River Valley; Sonoma County, California.
Vintage: 2012
Price: $38.39 (with a 20% discount)
Purchased From: Total Wine; Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Paired With: Fennel salad, sun dried tomatoes and mint with pistachio oil vinaigrette.
Tasting:
He said: Served chilled. A tad foggy, light wheat straw color. Strong vanilla and oak aromas with ripe pear and a tad of citrus. CREAMY and SMOOTH mouth feel with hints of tropical fruit and citrus that goes into a medium-length finish. Very good California Chardonnay, but it comes with a pretty high price. However if you want “California Chardonnay Taste” this has it all…for me I like the more layered (and not so creamy vanilla) French Chardonnay better…especially at this price point. It’s about as good as it get for California Chardonnay, so even at this price it gets a good recommendation.
She said: The buttery oaked Chardonnay with vanilla flavor is typical of California and I love it. From the first sniff to the lovely medium long finish it was a delightful accompaniment to the salad. Smooth and velvety it complemented the dressing as well as the burst of flavor from the dried tomatoes. It’s price tag is its greatest flaw.
Comments:
Alcohol: 14.2%