Robert D — Empire Wine Community

"This is not a typical wine. It is nuanced and spicy and very entertaining, especially for this very reasonable price."

"This is an enjoyable wine, best served at a higher temperature than is typical for a Chardonnay. At 58 degrees it seems pleasant but unremarkable. As it warms it feels more nuanced. Too expensive."

"This is a very lovely wine, accessible, flavorful throughout. Just seems like a lot of money."

"For our wedding anniversary dinner, we had this lovely wine with hanger steak. Add cubed roasted potatoes. The wine is complex and not boring at all. Many fruity notes. Lots of structure and complexity."

"We are having a little experiment to see if we can taste the qualities that raise the price of a white wine above 28 dollars. The wine is creamy, nuanced, flinty, and has good structure. Peach, nectarine, other white stone fruits. Lingers on the palate. Well, maybe thats why it costs so much. We may buy another bottle in future. Intriguing that the notes suggest it will develop in the bottle for another 10 to 12 years. Not sure how that works."

"Nothing wrong with it as a casual wine, if it were inexpensive. But, where is the structure? No acidity. Flabby lemon pastry taste. Completely boring."

"We didn't remember the price and were pleased when we looked at the order and saw how inexpensive it is. Flavorful and acidic."

"A good price point for a Chardonnay of this quality. Nuanced."

"Not very interesting, but sweet, and for that reason might be easier for some."

"Not for people who want a page turner, but rather for those who are willing to read a classic like the Magic Mountain. The wine is not coming forward to you, neither is it shy, but you have to work at the relationship."

"Honestly until we looked back at the order we had no idea how much we had paid for this wine. ItIts rich and heady and absolutely delicious."

"We were drinking this and had no idea what the price was until we looked it up. Presents as a more expensive wine."

"This is not a California Chardonnay. Neither is it a typical French Chardonnay. Initially almost effervescent. It fillls the mouth well with citrus and an almost mineral taste. Would probably buy another bottle, but not multiple until we have a sense of how well it ages."

"We are enjoying drinking this, even more so once we learn how little we paid for it. It is rich and lush and perhaps not very sophisticated. But a very good value."

"We generally do not like sparkling wines, or anyone that has that sparkly sensation. This one has that. We are drinking it a little cold. As it warms up it has more roundness of flavor. I do like it very much, but the price point is a bit disturbing."

"Fruity, easy, and not naive."

"The price point is low, so the result should not be surprising. This might be very refreshing on a warm day. Or a very hot summer afternoon. A rainy evening in May, not really a good match."

"This is a lovely, lively, rather acidic white. We enjoy the fruit accents, and the minerality."

"With (or mainly before) Friday night pizza this is a smooth fruity and satisfying wine. Plan to reorder."

"Lots of fruit and honey notes in the aroma and in the mouth. Perhaps we are drinking it too cold. As it warms up it will reveal more. It was interesting to read the winemaker comments. The Santa Cruz mountains are not a place where I think of wine being made, yet I remember when driving there that we did pass vineyards. Above the fog. The winemaker think this one should not be drunk so young, and maybe we should wait until 2024 or even later. But in the time of coronavirus, who knows if we will make it to that point. Now thatThe winemaker thinks this wind should not be drunk so young, and maybe we should wait until 2024 or even later. But in the time of coronavirus, who knows if we will make it to that point. Now that a pessimistic note, but not about the wine. Only about the time."

"This is pretty interesting, for the price. It does have a taste of cocoa at the end and reminds me of having cherry flavored red wine with dark chocolate."

"This is a rich, subtle, somewhat acidic Chardonnay. Very pleasing. And would consider ordering more than one next time."

"We drank this without looking at the price. Good value. Lemony and not boring."

"Will definitely order this again. Fruity but not in an obnoxious way."

"This is a respectable Chardonnay with a pleasing assortment of fruit nuances. It could use more acidity. Maybe we will like the second bottle more."

"Interesting assortment of fruit aromas and flavors, with crisp acid background. Highly drinkable"

"This was surprising, as we opened it to have with cheese and flatbread. The pairing was perfect. The reviews are correct. The ratings seem accurate. But, it is quite sweet. Charming though!"

"We have mixed feelings about this one. It seemed not very interesting initially, and then later somewhat better, somewhat more complex. It may have to do with the food pairing."

"Initially seemed sweet and bland but after a while proves more complex. Will order one or two bottles sometime in the future."

"Perfect for a not so nice not so cold not so warm winter night in Brooklyn. Lots of fruit, and goes well alone or with food. Good value."

"For this price we were expecting more. Subtle, low in alcohol, pretty good with the pork dish we served, but not a wow."

"This is a moderate price for a wine with subtle flavors, not overwhelmingly buttery as many Chardonnays can be."

"Sadly, this appears to be unavailable. It was great. We drank the bottle with beef and pasta. We would love to buy more. Such sweet sorrow that we cannot."

"After drinking a number of Chardonnays that were on the buttery side, this is a refreshing change. Not too expensive, and works well with seafood and pasta."

"Most unusual, with mineral and grapefruit sensation on the tongue. We have no idea what a gooseberry tastes like, but now are curious. Very subtle wine opening up with many different aromas and sensations on the palate."

"We had this with a pasta and cheese dish, a casserole, and it was a wonderful complement, and pretty good to drink before the meal."

"Dull, uninspired."

"This seems to hit a sweet spot in our home. One of us likes buttery Chardonnay and the other one prefers more acidity. This seems to fit between and has a lot of pleasant nuances, and very well priced."

"Lovely to drink before dinner. Looking forward to having it with an Indian chicken dish."

"This is gutsy and raw and fine with pasta or pizza. Not a good wine for sipping pleasure."

"We found this opened but stoppered bottle in the fridge this morning. A guest had opened it. So glad he did. Totally fruit forward although initially a bit salty on the palate. We enjoyed it this evening, comparing (favorably) to a 2015 Poilly Fuisse."

"We saw all the rave reviews and thought maybe there was something here. But there’s not. This wine has nothing going on that’s interesting. Sharp citrus unmediated by anything else."

"Someone in this house is very fond of California Chardonnay. This is a line that could appeal to that person, as well as someone who wants less fruit forward. Balanced, fragrant, and very susceptible over a relatively long period of time. Also goes well with food, if you have any left after you’re finished sipping."

"Not your typical Pinot. At $26 this is so atypical that we feel compelled to say what’s different. It’s much more resinous than one would expect, pinewoods and turpentine and Rosemary. I see that Empire is no longer carrying this, and I wonder why. It would make a good tasting comparison with other pinots."

"Creamy mouth feel, not buttery, full of fruit whispers. It’s hot here in Brooklyn and this wine hits the spot."

"El enemigo de enemigo es mi amigo? Or, we have seen el enemigo and he/she/they is us? This wine is delightful especially after drinking a lot of California Chardonnays. It’s a refreshing change, but a little priced high. On the other hand it comes all the way from Argentina. Tango!"

"High in alcohol (15%) this is a bit heady in summer but goes well with meats. Very satisfying, complex, full palate."

"A lovely summertime complement to fish and lighter fare."

"Amazing price. This is very drinkable and not tired or flabby. That sounds like a review by elimination of negatives. But this is what sometimes happens with Chardonnays, the disappointing finish. In this case, this is a lively wine that would work well with many dishes. Good to serve with friends who are not particular wine connoisseurs."

"Very good for the price point."

"Fruit forward but complex and satisfying. One of the more expensive Riojas we have had."

"Great for drinking on its own. Complex and flowery. Hoping it pairs well with swordfish"

"Not especially complex but totally pleasant. Not a wrong note anywhere. Heavy on the alcohol at 15.5%."

"Thinking of getting a case."

"Lovely and full-bodied."

"Very balanced with a nice finish"

"Crisp, citrus, something a little smoky I think. Very nice."

"So delicious. Amazing price point. And the kind of wine that would appeal to lots of people who don’t drink wine. We love it and wish we had bought more."

"This is a beautiful wine. Fine alone. OK with chicken. But doesn’t need anything but itself."

"Different, citrusy and mineralic."

"Some people don’t like fruity Chardonnays. But this is a beautiful example to share with people who are Chardonnay haters. So much complexity, lingering satisfaction."

"The tasting notes are accurate. This is an extremely pleasant line with no hard edges and lots of lingering appeal."

"It’s the delicious wine, and the 375 mL size bottle encourages slow savoring. Lots of complexity and delightful to the finish. Wish that Empire had the 750 mL bottle as well."

"At first we couldn’t figure out what was going on. What is that taste? The label says herbs. And that’s exactly what it is. Not something that one generally encounters upfront in a wine. Overall very good. But might not be to everyone’s taste."

"We had to look up “free run juice“ but apparently this is the juice that comes from the grapes as they are stacked up and exert pressure on the ones below. Before any pressing is done. Whether this is true or not, this is a wine that has a very strong presence of pineapple, and other fruit notes. It is strong throughout the finish, and we like it a lot."

"$12.45? Not bad. Acidic, dry, good with cheese."

"Honeyed fruit in the initial mouth feel. Lots of complexity to keep you going. Pretty good for the price poinT."

"We think this one is worth $16. One never knows what the wine spectator ratings mean. Are they blind tested across all price points? In this case we think the 90 WS score is justified considering the low price. But it’s not a particularly intriguing wine, although it’s great for drinking especially with people who like sweeter wines."

"Dark fruit very heavy, nice finish, good mouthfeel. Lasting on the palate."

"OK, we have lower expectations for a wine that cost $14. That said, this is extremely refreshing, slightly acidic, and still the fruit comes through."

"For the price, this is very good. I find it a little one-dimensional, in that the fruitiness is what you left with even as the fruitiness is what you first encounter. We often have family visiting who will not drink a more sophisticated wine. This would be perfect for them."

"Not everyone likes these fruity California Chardonnays. But this is a good example, and not expensive. We like it very much."

"This one surprises from the first sniff and sip. The notes from wine spectator are spot on, but we didn’t get the singed almond. That’s an odd idea. Nonetheless, we will no doubt buy this again. After all, life is short, and wine is one of its great pleasures."

"For optimum flavors it really should be served closer to 45°. We put it outdoors and it’s 19 here and it was a little cold to begin with but it was still very tasty. For the price this is a really nice wine."

"This is quite expensive, and the citrus elements are very dominating. It would be tolerable at a much lower price point but it’s ridiculous at this price."

"This is a lush and fruity Chardonnay of the buttery variety, that would stack up well against much higher priced competitors."

"The price point for this wine is good. The label suggests pairing it with a cream-based dish or a subtle fish. These seem like good suggestions. Teasing aroma of green apple and some green herbaceous notes, and a strong buttery fullness."

"A surprise. Yes, oaky, but no cloying butter. We have no complaints, and price is right."

"Dark, textured, difficult perhaps. But deep."

"This wine takes a little studying. Not very obvious, but you can tease out subtle fragrances and flavors. Patience required. But worth it."

"Comes off with too much tannin at first, but rich and berry, chocolate, leather notes. We ordered a case and plan to save it for later."

"Not what we generally drink, so a very delightful first encounter! Enough acid for a hot day, and enough fruit and green tea notes for slow sipping."

"Extremely pleasant."

"Tasted against two other pinots this was the winner. Flavorful and not especially modest as many humdrum pinots can be, this was a pleasant surprise!"

"On its own has an unpleasant finish. We're not used to tomato leaf as a note of aroma or taste. Priced high for what it is. If priced maybe $3 lower it would be a good wine to keep around for summer parties. Better with food."

"Not a bad wine but not something we would go out of our way to find. A little disappointing given the reviews. Butter is strong throughout. But the acid is there. A little weak on other aspects. Maybe the floral notes are lost because we are competing with sweet autumn clematis and hydrangea from the garden. Just saying it might be different on another day. Very drinkable and ordinary wine, about 20% less in price would be right."

"Kind of acidic. Fruit not obvious"

"Not too buttery. well-finished and subtle. Citrus in the nose but also slightly floral. A tiny bit of orange. Very nice wine we would order again."

"So flat and just blah. Where did those tasting notes and ratings come from? Working hard to sense stone fruit or pine needles or citrus. Maybe vanilla, but unconvincing and boring."

"Pretty interesting for a Chardonnay, and even more so considering where it comes from. We are used to other whites from Argentina, and generally expect a lower price point. But this is a really well constructed wine that holds up and does not disappoint."

"This is a very pleasant wine. Fruity, balanced, and with a good finish. But, not extraordinary. Hard to justify the price."

"For those who are weary of buttery Chardonnays. Subtle and does not hit you over the head with fruit."

"Nice balance of tart and sweet. Almond and lime plus minerality."

"Immediate grapefruit and floral notes. Acidic and crisp. Stands up well against other wines at double the price. Perfect for summer."

"Full bodied and lasting on the palate."

"Price point is reasonable. Wine is fruity for a Chablis."