Wine Reviews – Whites
Mike’s Bottom Line Wine Reviews
Mike has tasted each of these wines. Each review contains the appearance; the smell; the taste; and a bottom line evaluation of the quality.
The quality is rated on a scale of:
Poor – don’t recommend (run!)
Acceptable – okay (close your eyes and hope)
Good – high quality (I think)
Outstanding – among the best (The best of what? That’s another question.)
Listed by Variety and Price from Lowest to Highest
CHARDONNAY
2006 Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay (Southeastern Australia) (Chardonnay Grape) $5.99 – pale to medium gold color; light smell of pear, green apple and oak; medium taste of pear, green apple and oak; Acceptable to Good Australian Chardonnay (Pale and Australian seem to go hand in hand)
2007 Hogue Chardonnay (Columbia Valley Washington USA) (Chardonnay Grape) $7.99 – pale lemon color; medium smell of apricot, pear and apple; medium body taste of apricot, pear and green apple; Good Washington Chardonnay (Washington does have the best apples, don’t they?)
2006 Firestone Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County USA) (Chardonnay Grape) $12.99 – light lemon color; medium smell of green apple, apricot and honey; light to medium taste green apple, citrus and lemon; Acceptable to Good Santa Barbara Chardonnay (Look, Mom, California Chardonnay and no oak!)
2004 Chateau De Messey Chardonnay (Macon, Burgundy, France) (Chardonnay Grape) $16.99 – light gold color; medium smell of oak and butter; medium taste of oak and butter; Good Macon Chardonnay (Spread some butter on your toast and throw it in an oak barrel)
2006 Hess Su’Skol (Napa California USA) (Chardonnay Grape) (Barrel Fermented) $22.99 – pale lemon color; light bland hay smell; light hay taste; Poor, Flawed Barrique Fermented Chardonnay (Look, Mom, California Chardonnay and bad oak!)
2004 Benoit Droin Chablis Vaillons Premier Cru (France) (Chardonnay Grape) $32.99 – pale lemon color; medium smell of honey and yogurt; medium taste of lemon and apple; Acceptable But Not Classic Chablis (Have you ever smelled yogurt before?)
SAUVIGNON BLANC
2008 Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough New Zealand) (Sauvignon Blanc Grape) $15.99 – pale lemon color; pronounced smell of honey and grapefruit; light to medium body taste of honey and grapefruit; Good Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (You don’t light this Marlborough)
2008 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand) (Sauvignon Blanc Grape) $16.99 – light gold color; medium to heavy smell of apricot, perfume and pear; medium taste of apricot, perfume, pear and floral; Good Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (It could pass for a Gewurtz or a Viognier…never tasted a Sauvignon Blanc like it)
2002 Chateau de Launay Bordeaux Blanc (Bordeaux France) (Mainly Sauvignon Blanc Grape with some Semillon) $21.99 – medium gold color; medium smell of oak; medium body taste of oak with long length; Acceptable Dry Oaked White Wine (Long length is usually good…??)
2006 Domaine Cherrier Sancerre (Loire Valley France) (Sauvignon Blanc Grape) $23.99 – pale lemon color; light smell of pear, apple and perfume; light body taste of lemon and grass; Good Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Spray some perfume on that pear and we’re good to go)
2007 Roger Moreux Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, Loire Valley, France) (Sauvignon Blanc Grape) $25.00 – light gold color; medium smell of pear, grass, peach and melon; medium taste of pear, grass and melon; Good Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc (You can pear it with a lot of different dishes…I know, corny)
RIESLING
2007 Schloss Vollrads Riesling Kabinett (Rheingau Germany) (Riesling Grape) $19.99 – pale lemon color; light smell of pear and perfume; light body taste of pear, perfume and stonefruit; Good to Outstanding Pleasant Rheingau Riesling (And then there was light…I don’t know what that means)
2007 Henschke Riesling “Julius” (Eden Valley Australia) (Riesling Grape) $26.99 – pale lemon to gold color; light to medium smell of mineral and petrol; medium body taste of lemon and citrus; Good Australian Riesling (Julius Erving was my favorite basketball player of all time so this stuff must be good)
2004 Guy Bocard Meursault 1 er Cru Le Charmes (France) (Meursault Grape) $39.99 – pale to medium gold; medium smell of honey, apricot and oak; medium taste of peach; Acceptable Classic White Burgundy (Say it pronouncing from the back of the throat “Guy” GEEE)
GEWURZTRAMINER
2005 Hugel Gewurztraminer, (Alsace France) (Gewurztraminer Grape) $18.99 – medium gold color; pronounced smell of lychee, elderflower and spice; medium body taste of lychee, elderflower and spice; Good Aromatic White Wine (You could almost spray this stuff on before a night on the town)
BOTRYITISED OR VIN DOUX NATUREL (VARIATIONS OF SWEET)
2005 Domaine Jo Pithon Coteaux du Layon “Les 4 Villages (Loire Valley France) (Botrytised Chenin Blanc Grape) $14.99 – medium gold color; light smell of elderflower, apricot, marmalade orange and peach; light body taste of apricot, marmalade orange and peach; Good and Classic Botrytised Loire Chenin Blanc (How sweet it is!)
2005 Chateau Filhot (Bordeaux France) (Sauternes Grape) $129.99 – medium lemon color; medium smell of orange blossom and orange marmalade; medium body, medium sweet taste of orange marmalade and honey; Acceptable Classic Botrytised Sweet White Wine (Ahh, fungus…how much??)
2006 Jaboulet Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Vin doux Naturel (Rhone France) (Muscat Blanc Grape) $16.99 – light lemon color; medium smell of pear, peach and apricot; light to medium body taste of pear and peach; Acceptable Rhone White Wine (When in Rhone, do what the Rhone-ans do)
OTHER FRENCH WHITES
2008 Cave de Pomerols Mineral Wine (Coteaux du Languedoc France) (Picpoul—de-Pinet Grape) $8.99 - pale to medium green color; smells like pear, apple and mineral; light to medium body taste of mineral, pear and apple; acceptable Languedoc Mineral Wine (“change the oil please and check the air in the tires”)
2007 Terre des Papes (Cotes du Rhone France) (Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Slairette Grapes) $12.99 – medium yellow color; medium smell of pear and flower; medium body taste of honey, pear and citrus; Acceptable Cotes du Rhone White Wine (Honey, is it just me or do you smell pear and flower?)
2006 Blanc de Morget et de la Salle, Vallee D’Aosta (France) (Rayo Grape) $13.99 – pale lemon color; medium intensity smell of citrus, grapefruit and floral aromas; light body taste of lemon and grapefruit; Acceptable to Good Neutral White Wine (Hey, grapefruit is healthy)
2006 Muscadet de la Lovetrie Muscadet Sevre et Main Sur Lie (Loire Valley France) (Muscadet Grape) $16.99 – pale lemon color; light smell of pear; light taste of pear and lime; Acceptable Light Muscadet White Wine (And then their was light)
PINOT GRIGIO (ITALY)
2007 Sant’ Elena Klodic Pinot Grigio (Veneza Italy) (Pinot Grigio Grape) $18.99 – pale gold color; medium smell of pear and apricot; light body taste of apple and apricot; Acceptable Fruity and Floral Italian Pinot Grigio (But it’s from Venice, it has to be good, doesn’t it?)
SPAIN
2008 Bodegas Pedro Escudero Rueda (Castilla y Leon Spain) (Verdejo Grape) $15.99 – pale yellow color; smells like pineapple with some pear and citrus; medium body taste of pineapple with a little tropic, maybe mango…and did I mention pineapple; Acceptable to Good Spanish Verdejo; (Dole would be proud)
MANY DIFFERENT GRAPES (USA)
2006 Sokol Blosser “Evolution” American (USA) (Many Different Grapes) $13.99 – pale lemon color; medium taste of apricot; medium body taste of apricot; Good Multiple Varietal White Wine (Hey, just keep adding different grapes until it tastes good)
