Wine Splash!

A hot summer night in Michigan and our mood has changed to white wines tonight. So we opened up the Martin Ray Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2008 to quench our proverbial thirst! No cork in this bottle since it is a twist off cap; even the more elite, upscale wineries have to follow the trends sometimes. So corkscrew aside, we opened up my bottle and poured. Nice and clear with a good straw color. On the nose, lots of citrus, orange peel, ripe apricot, rustic oak, and a hint of vanilla. OK, we have teased our palates enough so now let’s have a taste. The consistency is very rich, even oily, and it is definitely creamy. Flavors of tropical fruit, apricot, and a little hint of floral. Lots of oak and vanilla from the french oak barrels it was aged in. This wine is very pleasing and we did enjoy it. The balance of flavors is very nice and the structure is good. The acid level is low but that could be because it is a 4-year-old Chardonnay. The finish is long, but not too lingering so the acid level must be low. A good wine for someone wanting to get into a good, heavy Chardonnay without the big bite on the finish. The flavors are all good, they are all there, but this Chardonnay is not as bright as we like them; we prefer a Chardonnay that is a bit edgier with a much longer, lingering finish. If you have a 2008, we recommend that drink this before the end of 2012. So on our SiNoTas scale, we would give this Chardonnay an 86. It’s a good, pleasing Chardonnay and we would like to try a newer vintage from Martin Ray soon! WineSplashing!

Learn more about their wines at www.MartinRay-Winery.com.