2015 Cave Spring Estate Bottled Chardonnay Musqué – Vintages 246579 – $16.95 – **** – It’s always nice to see this bottle make an appearance on the vintages shelves. There is a lot of apple, lemon and peach on the nose and on the palate. There is a signature note of white flower in the bottle, but it’s well buried under all the fruit. The crisp acidity makes this great to match with Indian cuisine, Asian cuisine or roast chicken.
2013 Weather Report Red – Vintages 552604 – $29.20 – ****+ – This new line from Stratus offers something in between their top offerings and the Wildass line that is frequently seen at vintages. This is an unconventional blend with Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Merlot at it’s core, but there is some Syrah, Viognier and Tempranillo in the mix as well. Tasting this wine I am less concerned with the blend and more with the full bodied ripe fruit coming out of my glass. The thing that really makes this wine stand out, is that even though this is clearly from Stratus, this is meant to be enjoyed now without remorse or needing to spend hours decanting. While this may age over the next 7-10 years there really is no need to wait, enjoy this wine now.
