Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2008

a little side trip out of south africa for this exquisite chardonnay from napa valley. if you know anything about wine history or recent wine oriented movies, then this winery is no stranger to you. chateau montelena was the winery featured in the film 'bottle shock' about the judgement of paris where the u.s. made a huge statement in the world wine industry. montelena's chardonnay was voted the top white wine in a blind tasting in 1976. i must admit to not being a huge fan of overly oaked california chardonnay, but this one completely knocked my socks off. some of the wine spent some aging time in stainless in this vintage and it really makes the fruit flavor pop. the nose had white peach, pear, some apple and nice floral aromas. i don't normally mention color but this one was very intense gold. the palate was more of the peach flavor, along with pears, citrus, spice and some orange blossom in the finish. very full mouth feel and the finish lingered for quite some time. be prepared to drop a few dollars on this as it sells for about $50. you can shop around a bit and find it cheaper. pick one up and lay it down for a couple years. excellent for a special occasion.

Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne 2009

another white wine worthy of your attention, this time from the state of ohio. the red wine loving world is going to think i have abandoned them. but fear not, red wines will return to the blog page soon. this white blend from ohio river valley producer kinkead ridge is 79% viognier and 21% roussanne. kinkead ridge produces some excellent wines in both red and white varietals. this one sells for about $15 and can be difficult to find as this was a poor year for the ohio wineries due to heavy rains during the october harvest. the nose is loaded with orange blossom notes, along with nice tropical fruit aromas too. the palate is more of the orange blossom, along with guava and i got a little honeysuckle in the finish as the wine opened up. nice finish that was crisp and acidic. fish, chicken or shellfish are great pairings with this wine.

Yellow Tail Riesling 2009

more summer time white wine for a nice price of about $8. this aussie riesling went very well with the italian dish that was served at a recent picnic. the nose had lots of citrus aromas, mostly lemon and a little lime. nice floral aromas of orange blossom also. the palate had more of the citrus and some slightly spicy notes. there was some of the orange blossom on the finish. nice, easy drinking, food friendly wine, that is perfect for all your summer time foods.