Host: Andrea at the lake house
Served: Buffalo turkey burgers, salad, brownies
Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay 2011 (Mendocino County, CA, USA) 13.9% alcohol, $10 at Otto's Andrea says (16): I really liked the image on this wine bottle. It reminded me of the illustrations from "The Wind and the Willows" book that I had when I was a kid. The wine was a pale lime color and very clear. The smell was of tart, green apple, with musty, mineral scents. The taste was tart, high in acid, but I liked it.
Christine says (16): Very light pale lemon color with green hints. Good, strong and distinct bouquet: I smelled grassiness, peaches and minerals. Tasted like peaches and minerals, with some creaminess from the lees (or so I'd guess). Medium body and finish. Kinda lacking mid-palate, and it stung the tip of my tongue. Still, I liked the wine and would definitely buy it.
Kim says (14): Not the rich, warm color of a Chardonnay- more like a cool, pale Sauvignon Blanc. But like Christine said... this one is unoaked. Almost a greenish cast and smelled vaguely of honey. Slightly on the thin side for body and I docked it half a point for high acid.
Andrea says (20): I LOVED this wine! I'm usually not the one to give a wine a shockingly different score from Kim and Christine, but I could find no faults! Nice ruby, fushia color. The smell was fantastic! I could smell chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, cherry, brown sugar and pomegranite. It was like drinking berry pie! Raspberry, strawberry and chocolate flavors. Very jammy. Reminded me a lot of the Honey Badger. Delicious.
Christine says (12): Burgundy color, but translucent. Smelled like vanilla and cream soda. Kim picked up on brown sugar in the bouquet, which I think was spot-on. Taste was thin, with a light body. Short finish. Just OK to me.
Kim says (13): Aroma of chalk and vinegar at first but after swirling, brown sugar. Taste? Meh. Thin body, slightly off on balance, finish was all tannins. I felt ambivalent about this wine and scored it average overall.
Andrea says: Tons of fun. A great weekend away with friends! A super way to celebrate our 50th Wine Club!
Christine says: Awesome lake house. Beautiful surroundings. Fabulous cocktails. Peace and quiet! Incredible dinner. Fun games. Tasty breakfast. Hot sauna. Delightful getaway!
Kim says: First order of business upon arrival? Gin and tonics, of course!
Andrea gets settled in and fires up the grill... amazing turkey burgers with bleu cheese, shredded carrots and buffalo sauce on biscuits. Yum!
Um. Well, I have to admit that it is possible (likely, in fact) that the (four?) giant gin & tonics may have affected my palate, which would explain the 7-point discrepancy between Andrea and me on the Apothic. Plus, she loves the sweet in a wine, and I am the opposite...
ReplyDeleteHey, do you guys remember- that sauna hit, what... 136°F? I don't remember the number. All I can remember is that we realized it was the temperature for a medium rare steak. And only my kneecaps were sweating. Maybe I need to ask my doctor about that...
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