Took a client to dinner last night and because I am so nice (and he is a
good client hence the dinner), let him choose the wine. We were all
having fish dishes so we went with a Chardonnay. I knew in advance that
he would order California just as anyone who knows me would know that I
would go French (especialy on Bastille Day!) unless I succumbed to my
desire for a NZ SB for my Scallops. At any rate I did let him know that
I was oak averse and he felt that under the circumstances Cakebread
would be "always a safe bet". I was impressed that it was not overly
oaked, but felt that it lacked the acidity and zip that I was hoping
for, no lemon or minerality to this wine. (Yes I should have ordered the
Chablis and let chips fall . . . ) I was also a bit put off by the soft
buttery feel (despite the vinters notes that say

only a fraction of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, to
preserve its fresh, vibrant fruit character, while 100% aged eight
months on the yeast lees in barrel, with periodic stirring, to promote
even greater richness and complexity

All in all I was whelmed at best. B, it was good but . . . This one
doesn't go home to show mom.

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

On Jul 15, 12:48 pm, Joseph Coulter wrote:

[...]
only a fraction of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, [...]

I don't know whether that is a quote, but "a fraction" doesn't mean
much. One half is a fraction, so is 99/100.

Andy

AyTee wrote in news:4fdadd95-d0d2-4c20-9ee8-8845b290b779
@d77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com:

On Jul 15, 12:48 pm, Joseph Coulter wrote:

[...]
only a fraction of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, [...]

I don't know whether that is a quote, but "a fraction" doesn't mean
much. One half is a fraction, so is 99/100.

Andy



it was a quote from their website. I think it menas if you like
malolactic we have it , if not it isn't that much. Though I found the
wine a bit flabby for the effort.
--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

On Jul 15, 2:48*pm, Joseph Coulter wrote:
Took a client to dinner last night and because I am so nice (and he is a
good client hence the dinner), let him choose the wine. We were all
having fish dishes so we went with a Chardonnay. I knew in advance that
he would order California just as anyone who knows me would know that I
would go French (especialy on Bastille Day!) unless I succumbed to my
desire for a NZ SB for my Scallops. At any rate I did let him know that
I was oak averse and he felt that under the circumstances Cakebread
would be "always a safe bet". I was *impressed that it was not overly
oaked, but felt that it lacked the acidity and zip that I was hoping
for, no lemon or minerality to this wine. (Yes I should have ordered the
Chablis and let chips fall . . . ) I was also a bit put off by the soft
buttery feel (despite the vinters notes that say

only a fraction of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, to
preserve its fresh, vibrant fruit character, while 100% aged eight
months on the yeast lees in barrel, with periodic stirring, to promote
even greater richness and complexity

All in all I was whelmed at best. B, it was good but . . . This one
doesn't go home to show mom.

It was interesting to read your notes about the Cakebread Chardonnay.
Cakebread has been around a long time, and the best remember, I last
had their Chardonnay in the mid 1970s. Anyway, it was a long time ago.
Back then the wine was somewhat in the middle of the road for the
time, but many Chardonnays then were very large and had much oak and
alcohol. David Bruce made one of the monster types of Chardonnay back
then.