Cruse, Rorick Chardonnay, Sierra Foothills

Pale gold colour that is a bit cloudy. Medium and developing nose with ripe yellow apples, ripe peach, ripe lemon, charred wood, roasted hazelnuts, butter, wet chalk and wet stones. Medium taste of ripe yellow apples, ripe peach, ripe lemon, charred wood, butter, roasted hazelnuts, wet chalk and wet stone. Long and dry finish. High acidity. Medium body. A very good Sierra Foothills Chardonnay with great minerality. Needed 15 min in the glass to integrate. Drink now. Goes well with …

Strange, cloudy, unfamiliar (wouldn't have guessed chardonnay blind). Not bad and definitely had some interest/intrigue for the first couple sips, but very light (lacking in structure) and a little too "crafty" for me.

This is a little all over the place. Initially it read like a really generic example of new school CA, lightly reductive, partial malo, low oak, Chardonnay. With time, the basic yellow / green apple & citrus profile expands to bright orange zest, orange blossom and wet stone minerality vibe. There are moments where it becomes really interesting, but it slides mack into a "medium" wine. Medium acid, body, intensity, complexity. It's a little frustrating because it drinks like you're …

This is a fantastic QPR Chardonnay that comes in typically $30 or less a lot of places. Made to drink young in my opinion. Great golden color and a really hybrid between new world buttery creaminess and salty salinity. Wish I’d tried it with popcorn! All that said it's not my favorite style Chardonnay. I tend to enjoy more minerally versions.

Small glass, brief note. Slightly tropical aromas, a bit more extravagant than I'd prefer. More balanced and restrained flavors are less tropical, showing mostly orchard fruit with good weight and balance.

Smakt på Stavanger Vinforum vinmesse 2019 345 NOK

Full lemon colour. Medium (+) and developing nose with yellow apples, ripe lemon, toast, walnuts, brioche, charred wood and wet stone. Medium (+) taste of yellow apples, ripe lemon, charred wood, toast, brioche, walnuts and wet stone. Long and dry finish. High acidity. Medium body. A very good Californian Chardonnay that is well balanced. Needed half and hour to open. Drink now or over the next couple of years. Goes well with cheeses, fish or shellfish.

Much different wine than our last bottle. Makes me wonder if previous bottle was somehow flawed, or just significant variation. Pretty gold. Chardonnay fruit takes center stage. Prefer a little more acidity however.

Short note - yellow apples, flint, lemon, well structured, well balanced, very good wine, 88p

Pure expression of chardonnay fruit. Unoaked. White Burgundy lovers have been looking for a wine like this from California. Those expecting an oaky, heavily extracted, traditional California Chard will be justifiably disappointed. Good fruit on the palate and enough acidity to provide balance and a nice finish.

Sunday blinds (Chicago, IL) : Served double blind. There's a bit of almond on the nose, as well as some golden apples. It's clearly a bit animale and funky, and I pretty much went straight to Vouvray sec. There's a slight touch of sweetness here as well, which is kind of nice. On the other hand, I'd be a little confused if I opened this expecting chardonnay.

Not what I was expecting. Tasting this blind would never have guessed Chardonnay. Quite sweet and not very complex. Not a bad wine, but definitely not what I look for in Chardonnay.