Mer Soleil, Silver Unoaked Chardonnay, Monterey County

This is a humdinger, celebrating the 30th anniversary of these vineyards.

2013 vintage

I like this a lot. Light, crisp - like a chardonnay should be - without the oaky coating so many winemakers add.

2014 vintage

NYEve with Steve & Lucie (Knickerbocker) : Ordered with first course. PnP. This wine is freshly acidic from start to finish. The nose yields mineral and citrus. The palate yields solid minerality and lemon citrus, along with some grapefruit and lime. the wine has a medium to plus mouthfeel, with a medium finish. A reasonable QPR at about $18 -- cost $45 at restaurant.

2014 vintage

nice mineral structure

2014 vintage

This one disappointed a bit. Okay, but not worth the money. Too acidic in my view, poor balance. Bought it on sale.

2014 vintage

Nose: light in aroma- lemon Palate: Crisp, fresh, clean, flavors of apple and stone fruit. The wine looks light gold colored.The body is light/medium. The wine has bright texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. Lovely and easily drinkable.

2014 vintage

Wine is past it's prime. No fault to the producer, just really need to drink this within 2-3 years at latest. Strange bamboo flavor prevails otherwise (have drank this wine a bunch and well aware of this issue). this wine is still worth drinking if young; love the cement aging process. Hope the producer continues to do this.

2014 vintage

Very impressive pure fruit with no oak. But, I'm not a fan of too much oak, so this is really for those that like zero.

2014 vintage

Nice chardonnay for those who want a bit of both old world and California style. Just enough minerality to satisfy those who prefer that style and the sue lie aging provided the creaminess for those who like that style. Fruit and acidity present but neither were over the top.

2013 vintage

I like this chard as I believe it is balanced with fruit, acidity, oak, and a hint of minerality. I do not consider this a butter bomb at all. Just a pleasant drinking wine that actually gets better as it warms in the glass.

2013 vintage

A welcome present from our host in Manhattan Beach. Good, appealing, well-balanced. Much better integrated than the Qupe we had after it. Would buy again quite happily.

2014 vintage

Oaky, nice fruit.

2013 vintage

Taste Wines from Joe & Chuck Wagner (San Diego Wine Co.) : N: Pungent lemony, buttery aromas P: MF body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt braced by a mid-P harshness that, if anything, intensifies through the surprisingly LONG finish. While @ best not my style, the harshness totally DQs it for me. :( Tasted @ $15.95. 14.2% ABV; 90 pts WS & 89 winealign.com . [As of late May '20, wine-searcher still shows 1 source @ $11.79].

2014 vintage

Big California Chardonnay. Buttery fruity wine with plenty of acidity. Not a style for everyone but very good if this style is to your liking.

2013 vintage

This straw-colored, unoaked Chardonnay offers aromas and flavors of tropical and stone fruits. Unlike its 2013 sibling, the alcohol (listed as 14.2%) is acceptably integrated. Unfortunately, the wine lacks acidity, thins in the middle and has a terse finish. Not memorable, but without technical flaws. Drink now-2019.

2014 vintage

Pale gold color. Apple, caramel scents. Vanilla and citrus flavors.

2014 vintage

Dry and flavorful. Nice oak with no excess butter. Perfect with creamy chicken or just cheese and crackers

2013 vintage

Very flavorful oak taste without the excess butter. One of the best few Chards we enjoy

2013 vintage

The wine looks light gold colored. It smells like apple, lemon and walnut. It tastes like pear, alcohol/hot and honeysuckle. The wine finishes long andhas medium acidity.

2014 vintage

Very decent unoaked Chard. Fairly clean and bright. Nice fruit.

2014 vintage

Among my favorites due tomdistinguishable flavor of slate and hint of roundness yet not buttery

2013 vintage

Delicious!

2013 vintage

A little heavy on the oak on opening, but it balances out with some uncorked time. Likely still has a few years to go.

2013 vintage

Color: traditional green/pale gold wheat. No oak so more on the green side. Nose: prominently young bamboo shoots. Flavor: on the front, slight green apple, and heavy on the earthy elements - again, that young bamboo shoot flavor really stands out, with some floral notes finishing the ensemble off. The middle is crisp and a bit of acidity stands out. Finish is crisp but a tad bit muted otherwise. Linger is about a minute. Medium bodied and dry. Very different …

2013 vintage

Cool clay bottle. That's about it.

2013 vintage

Delicious. Consistently great chard. Butter flavor with citrus on finish.

2013 vintage

Full on, in your face, Wagner-Style Chard. Kate, Jesse and I loved it.

2013 vintage

Bright nose of floral and almonds. Crisp, clean, nice acidity, tastes a little like a dryer Gewurz. One thing that amazed me was the heat on this - 15% - but it doesn't beat you over the head with it.

2013 vintage

Porch Pounders (Jim's house) : A small pour at a tasting. Slight creaminess and golden fruit makes me think of chardonnay. Unfortunately, the taste is a boozy cheap white wine flavor. Hard to enjoy this.

2014 vintage

Another Wagner Wonder.

2013 vintage

Bountiful, bold, and bodacious. California Chardonnay the Wagner Way. The aim for impact, not subtlety. Works for me!

2013 vintage

I had this at the virtual Wagner Family of wines tasting at Total Wine in Towson, MD on Saturday, July 16, 2016. Heavily influenced by Pacific Ocean 12 or so miles away. Unoaked. Nice but I think Chardonnay needs a little oak.

2014 vintage

Wow, its been a long time since I've tasted this! Big and tropical on the front both on the nose and palate, a touch more personality on the back with acidity. Ok, at $20 I can kinda see it.

2014 vintage

Newest bottle turned. Have had this before and very much enjoy. So a word of warning: if this bottle is in your cellar, drink now or risk having your bottle turn as well. Will stick with 2014 vintage from now on. Too bad; love the '13 vintage the most. Note: the likelihood is that the bottle itself is the major contributor to early oxidation. Bottle is essentially cement and therefore is not nearly as air tight as a regular glass …

2013 vintage

Clean, crisp, notes of peach and pineapple, modest oak adds some depth. Let it warm a bit for the flavors to come out.

2013 vintage

Good closeout. Not worth the original price. Big Cali chard, a little out of balance. Should improve.

2013 vintage

Strangely i almost taste oak treatment, but probably more of a secondary fermentation fooling me win a butter characteristic. Not bad and seems to get some mineral character from the cement fermenters but it's not the best balance.

2014 vintage

Was looking for a more buttery finish, but still good.

2013 vintage

A clean Chardonnay. Enjoyable to drink.

2013 vintage

Positive.

2013 vintage

Color: light gold hues. Nose: fresh green apple and buttered croissants. Flavor: critus heavy - pineapple, star fruit, kiwi - up front with a bit of butter and vanilla. Flavors follow thorough the middle and the acid picks up. The finish is slightly crisp with a somewhat short finish. Light and refreshing but prefer the '13 vintage. Prefer to hold for a year if possible.

2014 vintage

At this point I'm giving an 89. Agree with all notes below. Slightly bitter on finish which I'm blaming on the tannins right now. May be the alcohol, 14.6 on the label. On the other hand, good fruit, vanilla, tropical, and spicy from the oak. Needs to integrate a bit, then we'll see.

2013 vintage

Super ripe nose, palate is a bit of a hot mess, it's green, but super ripe and sweet, acidic (in a fake way), somewhat metallic on the finish.

2014 vintage

Nice nose, peaches and almonds, crisp acidity.

2013 vintage

Color: gold - think dried staw. Slightest tinge of light green. Nose: green apple, hay, and lime zest. Flavor: green apple, apricot, minerality and citrus on the front. Much more crisp relative to an oaked Chard. The middle carries on with the acid tones of lemon and lime into a creamy finish the lingers for half a minute or more. The creaminess of the middle and finish is very reminiscent of the classic buttery of an oaked Chard, suggesting that …

2013 vintage

Clean, crisp, enjoyable!

2013 vintage

Excellent Chardonnay. Golden color, perfect acidity, slightly oaky (even though I think it's supposed to be oak neutral...). Approx. 1000 cases.

2013 vintage

Quite possibly the best Silver I've ever had. The Lychee and flowery nose are if the hook. In the mouth it's high acid and mineral with mild citrus toward the end. Alcohol seem to be much higher than it needs to be. Cement fermentation isn't exactly mainstream and for Chardonnay and it's virtually unheard of in CA. This is the type of wine that Jordan and Cake Bread lovers will hate but if you want a delicious and interesting Chardonnay …

2013 vintage

Really funky wine upon opening - seemed totally off. Let it sit a day - literally - and it was fine, really opened up and improved. One bottle left so we'll see with the next one.

2013 vintage

I cannot imagine a more boring, nondescript, forgettable bottle of "fine" white wine. No flavor, no acidity. Like drinking soft water. Some producers can pull off un-oaked Chardonnay (e,g., Louis Michel Chablis), but generally there's a reason why winemakers age Chardonnay in wood.

2013 vintage

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Mer Soleil, Silver Unoaked Chardonnay, Monterey County

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