Cline Oakley four Whites

Chris Urban — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:51:18 +0000

We’ve been noticing how vineyards are assembling interesting blends of whites and reds. Just when you finally settled on a preference for a cabernet franc/shiraz blend over a cab sauvignon/pinot noir, now we see blends of multiple varietals, which in the whites has become really intruiging. Hmm.

The label on this particular bottle has a picture of a rope, the label itself is nicely diecut to exude something old-Westernish in appearance. What does this have to do with blending white wines?

Well, the label alleges that the “gnarly, ancient” [dude!] vines they grow without water and constant winds produce grapes of exceptional character. And, indeed it does. This is a really nice, cheap white table wine. There’s a hint of fruity sweetness, it’s off dry so it’s still crisp. The viognier brings a nice flavor, and there’s the buttery smoothness of the chardonnay. Overall, this is a really easy pair with seafood or chinese food.

We’d definitely pick a couple of these up next time we’re in Jersey…

The Crossings 2006 Unoaked Chardonnay

Chris Urban — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:52:14 +0000

This is a delightfully light and crisp New Zealand chardonnay. It starts with notes of pear and lemon, and develops into a nutty buttery almost olive-like finish.

This would probably pair well with some sharp or full-flavored cheeses. If you like your chardonnays to be more fruity and less oaky, this is probably a good choice to try. I wonder if this were oaked, how heavy and buttery it would have turned out?

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Cline Oakley four Whites

The Crossings 2006 Unoaked Chardonnay