Rob's "Wine of the Week" Archives
So here is my wine review for the week of June 23rd...
CAKEBREAD CHARDONNAY NAPA VALLEY CARNEROS RESERVE 2005
Description: For most wine drinkers, warmer weather and summer time brings out the desire to enjoy cool chardonnay. This week, I show my age by reviewing one of Napa Valley’s giants from the 90’s, Cakebread, long known for their tremendous and large Chardonnays and Cabs
How and when I drank it: Saturday afternoon, June 14th at my house.
How to get it: The winery website still has it at the time of this writing and Bevmo often carries it as well.
How Much: The winery sells it for $54
My Thoughts: There are generally two types of Chardonnay that come out of Napa; the most common today is the oaky/nutty/toasty version, while the other version is more fruity and semi-sweet. Rombauer, of course, cornered the market years ago on the buttery Napa Chardonnay and even those who claim to duplicate it rarely do. Cakebread has seemingly introduced a fourth variety with this wine the spicy chardonnay. While the majority of the wine is fruity with very pleasant and not overly sweet flavors of apples and apricots, the finish to this wine resembles that of spice cake. If I had to pin it down, I would say nutmeg/cardamom. A refreshing change.
Overall Score: This is a nice wine for a special day. The flavors are unique but can wear on you after a while. At $554 per bottle, this is clearly meant to be a special wine for a special occasion, although I am not sure it lives up to such a hefty price tag for a Chardonnay. Given the price, it’s average. 3 vines
CAKEBREAD CHARDONNAY NAPA VALLEY CARNEROS RESERVE 2005
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