Bread & Butter Wines

Bread & Butter Wines

California Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Ncb
8.9

Super smooth, but pretty good — a month ago

Jam Cellars

Butter California Chardonnay

Oaky, big mouthful, — 2 months ago

Bread & Butter Wines

California Chardonnay 2021

Buttery with some sweetness. Very good. Bought at TAC for ¥4,000. — 4 months ago

Chateau Montelena

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2022

Really good Chardonnay, strong flavor of green apple and hints of lemon. Well balanced with oak. No butter flavor which leaves this very crisp. — 5 months ago

Kongsgaard

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019

Jan A
9.5

Rich, dense, tropical hints and a good dollop of butter — 13 days ago

Lisanne, Jeroen and 16 others liked this

Bread & Butter Wines

California Pinot Noir 2023

Jane had with Dad and Nancy. Solid, good, drinkable, meets expectations for a Pinot, but not magical. — 2 months ago

Marchesi Antinori

Castello della Sala Cervaro della Sala Umbria Chardonnay Grechetto 2022

Lemon tart (butter, pie crust, ripe lemon) backed by chalk. Outstanding Chard blended with Grachetto.

Critics rating this 98 points.
— 5 months ago

Paul, Raul and 3 others liked this

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2003

Rounded and plush. Hints of cherry, bread, stone. A little lacking in vivacity in the mid palate. Rounded. — 8 days ago

Douglas, Bob and 7 others liked this

Butter Knife

California Chardonnay 2021

Pretty good with fish — 3 months ago

Paul Bara

Grand Millésime Brut Grand Cru Champagne Blend 2018

Somm David T
9.2

Tasted from 1/2 bottle. They come in handy for dinner for two in many cases, but especially at a restaurant that allows corkage. Most do in California. It is even harder to find vintage champagne in 375ml’s.

The 2018 vintage was good to very good. You need to taste and or read up for its best offerings.

A note, I tasted at the Billecart-Salmon property in later October 2022 with Mathieu Roland-Billecart. As insightful as that was, he was asked other than Billecart Salmon champagnes, what was one of his favorite champagnes? His reply was surprisingly an older vintage Paul Bara he had recently. That’s a producer question that gets asked often. Normally generates a pause with some minor angst to answer.

The nose shows; lemon chiffon/meringue, bruised apple to slightly cider, bruised pear, yellow & white stone fruits, just ripe pineapple, orange citrus blend, lime pulp, tropical melons, whipped, white cream, white spice-ginger, yeasty bread dough, saline, crushed limestone pulp, crumbled chalk, sea fossils, white spring flowers set in yellow lilies.

The palate is round & soft. The mousse is delicate w/ micro oxidation. Ripe; lemon chiffon/meringue, white & yellow stone fruit, slightly bruised apple & Bosc pear, lime pulp, orange citrus rind, some tropical melons, cream, ginger white spice, yeasty bread dough, sea spray, saline, sea fossils, dry crumbled chalkiness, caramel notes, heather honey, warm perfectly toasted toast, graham cracker, nougat w/ nuts, yellow flowers set in a field of white spring flowers, excellent acidity with a nicely; balanced, structured, tensioned, polished finish that lasts a minute and falls on limestone laced with soft, dry, powdery chalkiness.

Photos of; the house of Paul Bara, chalky caves w/ riddling racks, old wood basket press & a vineyard picking party.
— 4 months ago

Shay, Scott@Mister and 13 others liked this