Variety: Chardonnay; Sauvignon Blanc; Viognier; Roussane
Region: Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino
Cost: $20 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Immediately, a nose of lemon zest, citrus, and a touch of honey lead to a bright and crisp entry complemented by an encompassing nectar mouth feel. A ripe stone fruit mid palate of apricots and peaches combine with an evolving creme custard coating. It finishes with a subtle minerality and a lychee texture, making this an ideal summertime wine.
My Review: Anything with Chardonnay is a bit of a hard sell in my house – my wife prefers stainless steel Chardonnay, though a lit bit of oaking isn’t totally off-putting. I sympathize. While I don’t mind a bit of oak on my whites, a little something to round the wine out and give it some character, I know the practice of over-oaking wines is common and ruins the grape for a lot of people.
So how does the CA4 white wine from Locations Wine fall in? Somewhere in the middle.
I’d hoped with the inclusion of Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, and Roussane that any oaking would be minimal. While the wine was barrel aged in 30% new French oak, it really shows through more than I thought it would, especially given the mix of grapes in the wine.
It’s not that the wine is bad, but it’s certainly a food wine versus just sipping on (which is what I did with it). It starts out with notes of citrus, but quickly moves into a rounder mouthfeel that I associate with oak.
With some herb grilled chicken it wouldn’t be bad, but I’d prefer that it be a bit crisper with this blend of grapes, especially as we move into warmer weather and crisper whites and rose’ wines become the de rigeur at my house.
In cooler weather I don’t know that I would have found it as meh, but here in North Carolina it’s already well into the 80s, so crisper wines are necessary. Hold out on this one for cooler weather and definitely pair it with food – Locations makes other whites that are good for afternoon warm weather sippers.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
