A pretty, pale gold color. Light floral scents. Pear blossom or hawthorne perhaps. Not a sweet smell at all, but floral in character. Although this is unoaked, something about the nose suggests wood. Scents of bread or yeast, toasted grain. Later suggestions of white peach, putting me in mind of Viognier. A bit low in acid with a generous, fruity, sweet mid-palate (sweet in the sense of ripe fruit rather than residual sugar, although the wine isn't bone dry either). Packs a punch. Plenty of alcohol--a bit too much perhaps, but offset by a persistent, peachy sweetness on the finish. Again, very reminiscent of a Viognier-based wine on the palate. I think this is likely to disappoint anyone looking for a typical new-world Chardonnay, as it doesn't have typical Chardonnay characteristics, but it's an attractive (if simple) wine quite suitable for everyday occasions. Very attractively priced at my local Grocery Outlet for only $3.99 a bottle (or $3.59 if you buy it by the case).
Plummy medium red--none of the bright, purple-red of a very young wine. On the nose, hints of chocolate and tobacco (especially tobacco). Not very fruity on the nose, but attractive enough. Creamy attack on the palate makes it seem soft and round at first but then it suddenly develops a tannic bite followed by some good fruit tending toward black cherries. Cocoa on a moderately long finish. Like the Chardonnay, not greatly nuanced, but an easy, tasty, everyday wine bargain priced at $3.99 a bottle ($3.59 a bottle by the case) at Santa Rosa Grocery Outlet.
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