Let's taste some Californian wines.
The Ramey 2009 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard has aged very well, but should be drunk now. The wine has floral notes, caramel, a hint of pancakes, butter, full body, extract, and is dense, long, balanced, mineral, and fresh. 18.3/20 points.
The Kongsgaard 2010 Chardonnay The Judge has lost much of its fruit and seems a little sparse, but the wine impresses with its structure, minerality, and inner density. The wine has floral notes, pineapple, nut, walnut, a hint of whiskey barrel with air, full body, and is long, oily, dense, and very mineral. It needs plenty of air in the decanter. 18.5/20 points.
The Au Bon Climat 2014 Hildegard seems much younger and tastes like a Californian Chardonnay, even though it is made from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Aligote. The wine has nut, blossom, dark caramel, full body and is dense, mineral and creamy. 18.3/20 points.
The Kongsgaard 2016 Chardonnay polarizes. It is restrained on the nose, but an archetypal Californian Chardonnay with full body, balance, and density. Nutty notes and burnt caramel dominate. 16-18.5/20 points.
The Kongsgaard 2010 Syrah is sensational with its complexity and density. The wine has blackberries, bacon, olives, blood, iron, sloe, herbs, full body, long finish, perfect balance, lots of extract and is perfectly ripe now. 19.8/20 points.
The Rochioli 2012 Pinot Noir Little Hill is an elegant Pinot Noir with a great structure. The wine has lots of sweet fruit, mainly strawberries and cherries, almost full-bodied, balanced, structured, and with a medium to long finish. This is a real treat for lovers of profound Pinot Noir. 19.3/20 points.
The Cliff Lede 2014 Songbook Cabernet Sauvignon is actually still too young, but has enormous potential. The wine consists of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine has incredible density and seems somewhat monolithic. It has toasted notes, cassis, blood, some earthy notes from the Cabernet Franc, full body, structure, high density, and a long finish. The alcohol content of 15.5% ABV is not noticeable. 19.3/20 points with potential for more.
