2014 La Crema Lose Carneros Pinot Noir – Vintages 58024 – $45.95 – **** – Compared to the North Coast Pinot Noir that I recently tasted this makes no apologies about being from California. Aromas of very ripe cherry and plum with allspice and nutmeg let you know this is a heavy Pinot Noir. The flavours on the wine are very ripe cherry, strawberry with slight hints of earthiness over the spice from the nose. In spite of the heavier more extracted Pinot Noir this wine has nice acidity that leaves the spice finish on this wine to linger for a while. I did really enjoy this Pinot Noir, maybe I’m slowly but surely coming around on California Pinot.
2014 La Crema Monterey Chardonnay – Vintages 158683 – $26.95 – **** – This Chardonnay is a little flabby, but that’s okay. I think everyone needs a little flabby Californian chardonnay in their life from time to time. The nose explodes out of the glass like a bomb of vanilla, butterscotch and buried underneath there are hints of cooked peach and pineapple. The flavours are rich and buttery. This wine is definitely about texture with butterscotch flavours that reach all the way back of your mouth before a long finish rises up leaving you with your mouth tasting like vanilla. The acidity is low on this wine which lets the finish linger. This is what many people will picture as textbook Californian chardonnay, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While the flavours on this wine are definitely driven by the barrel it isn’t over oaked the flavours are all well integrated and balanced.
