You got to be kidding me! Another Argentine Chardonnay!

Wait a minutes! Paul Hobbs makes it of Paul Hobbs Wines! http://www.paulhobbs.com/
Hey no wonder it taste like a California Chardonnay. A really good California Chardonnay.

This is my style of Chardonnay. A balance of Butter and tropical fruit with just a bit of oak. The wine has a luscious mouth feel. Hints of coffee on the finish. This was an interesting wine that a fellow wine geek opened for a few of us last night. It is a trio of winemakers Andrea Marchiori, Luis Barraud and Paul Hobbs. They produce some world class Mendoza Wines from there Vina Cobos line of wines. I am not sure if these are even available here in the States for purchase. It is the first time I have ever heard of them. I was told that this wine in particular can only be purchased if you are on Paul Hobbs mailing list and it is a 2 bottle maximum. It was a special treat from a very special wine friend. Thanx for sharing Ken! Oh! and the rest of the wines we tasted last night were not bad either.

Check under this website http://www.paulhobbsimports.com/ for more wines produced and distributed under Paul Hobbs import company!

Cheers!

"Home Sweet Home"

Wine Merchants are there to teach you something new about wine every time you visit.

Wine Merchants are there to have you explore wine and explain new flavors from the bottles they bring into there store.

Wine Merchants are there to share there knowledge of bottles that have been tasted in the pass and the history surrounding them.

But these VINATERO's have become more than just business owners and merchants but true friends and lovers of wine just like myself. In the time that I have gotten to know both Ernie and Lisa Ceja, we have tasted hundreds of wines together. We have shared dozens of bottles together. We have visited each others homes for dinners and parties. We have travelled to wineries to speak hands on with the owners themselves.

This little wine shop in the town of Whittier California has become my home away from home. I first met the Ceja's on the day that there little shop opened in 2007. 3 years before I sat around with my Big Brother and my best friend thinking why don't we open a wine bar in Whittier. I great idea in theory but no way would I or my friends and family could of pulled it off to the style that Ernie and Lisa have. Having a place to come and sample wine so close to my home has given me a bigger love and understanding for this little fruit that I love so much. Your education and understanding grows as you taste wines over and over. I can't thank the Ceja's enough for giving me that chance. My knowledge of varietals, regions and history have created a passion in me that puts me here now in front of my Computer to write about it. The more and more that I continue to write about wines that I have tasted and enjoyed the more reasons I have to thank the people that have got me there. My older brother Michael is the person that started it all back in 1996, but the Ceja's have also been very pivotal in that training, understanding and love of wine. I continue to think that someday I may just have in one form or another, a career in the wine industry someday.

I just wont ever forget the friends that I have made along the way.

www.vinaterowineshop.com

Cheers

What!!!!! A Chardonnay from Argentina

I just don't like Chardonnay!!!

If I plan a dinner party. Usually it will be 3 courses. A starter of fish or salad. A main Course of meat and a dessert. For me Chardonnay is a hard grape varietal to pair a starter with. My preference is a Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino or Viognier. They just go so much better with shell fish or a salad with a homemade vinaigrette. Sometimes I think the reason is because I was just so spoiled early on tasting white Burgundy's. The French have a way of getting perfect balance in there white wines especially white burgundy. That being said, I have to continue to look in the mirror and say!!

"I AM A WINO" "I AM A WINO"

I must taste more Chardonnay. My preferential Chardonnay leans more toward the butter scale then the mineral scale. I feel if the wine has to much Oak it starts to taste to much like a Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier. BUT!! If the wine is a true "BUTTER BOMB" it becomes un-drinkable. It's a balance game! Oh yeah! This is why I don't like this varietal. In California the style usually is over oak the wines. Lots of new oak will hide the imperfections of the wine. There are some good California Chardonnays out there, don't get me wrong, but prepare to pay threw the nose.

So my quest is to seek out other alternatives that won't break my bank account. But Argentina??? Huh? Well I am not gonna say it is the best Chardonnay you will ever have, but when I tasted this wine I was pleasantly surprised at just how good and balanced it was. Argentina is not an area I usually think of for white wines. Hell! I am barely starting to try more Malbec wines from the area.

The 2007 Catena Chardonnay is harvested from 3 distinct vineyards on the property. They each have different altitudes. The Catena family explains that in blending from the 3 the wine gains a balance of tropical fruit, citrus and minerality. This wine does exactly that. I was very pleased with the balance of both butter and mineral on this wine. The wine does see 35% new french oak, but does not come off showing to much of the wood components. Overall it was a good fine and a wine that I wouldn't mind pairing a roast chicken with.

The best part was the price. $18.99 per is a solid deal for this wine. I purchased it at my favorite wine shop. Vinatero Wine Shop in Whittier California. http://www.vinaterowineshop.com/

The wines importer is Winebow, Inc. in New Jersey!

Give it a try!

Cheers