Wine By Nine

White Wine by Morey-Blanc from Burgundy, France - regions. Spice-coated nuts are found in the expressive nose of the 2003 Meursault (white). Revealing excellent depth of fruit, this medium-bodied wine unveils a buttered hazelnut-flavored personality. Supple, toasty, and persistent in the finish. Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 88 Points

White Wine by Craggy Range Winery from Martinborough, New Zealand. Craggy Range Les Beaux Cailloux is pale straw in color with complex aromas of ripe stone fruit, apples and lemon offset by notes of roasted hazelnut. Initial impressions on the palate are of lush, intense fruitiness in the New Zealand style with flavors of stone fruit, apple, fresh grain and vanilla. These lead into a lean, cleanly structured texture supported by finely balanced acidity and sweet fruit notes on the finish.

White Wine by HdV from Carneros, California. In its early stages, this wine exhibits intense mineral aromas of pear and apricot immersed in rich spicy notes. The mouth offers layers of stone fruit and floral notes followed by an elegant backbone of acid, carrying the wine to a long finish. Similar to the 2000 Chardonnay, we expect this wine to age beautifully as it builds exponentially from year to year in the bottle. A blend of our oldest blocks, this wine was aged for 11 months in French oak on the lees. The 2005 HdV Chardonnay will be a special wine to cellar. Forty-five percent new French oak has been used for this vintage, bottled without fining or filtration. The 2005 HdV Chardonnay currently favors decanting an hour before serving. It should continue to improve for another six to ten years.

White Wine by Sonoma Coast Vineyards from Sonoma County, California. The taste profile offers a creme brulee richness in the framework of a fresh, silky acid matrix. The fruit content replicates zesty lemon and fresh pear with a center core of tropical fruit. Malolactic fermentation sur lies results in a graceful and well-structured palate. The aging potential for this wine should be exceptional given the bright acidity and the subtle integration of oak with the wine's complex fruit profile. This wine will evolve dramatically for the next 3 years and will continue to evolve at a more subtle rate for 4-6 years.

White Wine by Joseph Drouhin from Burgundy, France - regions. Meursault is situated a few miles South of Beaune. It is a close neighbour of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. The three villages together make up the famous Cote des Blancs in Burgundy. The origin of the name Meursault is somewhat controversial. Some people believe it is derived from the Latin Muris Saltus translated as jump of a mouse. More probably, it comes from an old Celtic root, mare, meaning swamp: the lower part of the village is actually on very flat land. Fortunately, the real appellation area is on chalky soil of a light brown colour, with many broken stones that reflect the sun during the day. It is a dry, poor soil, perfect to grow Chardonnay, the only variety used in this appellation. Meursault is a wine with a luminous gold colour, intense fragrance and refined flavours. It is full bodied without being heavy, with a long lasting finish. Meursault can be served alone as an aperitif with smoked salmon. At dinner, Meursault is recommended with delicate fish dishes, lobster, foie gras or even poultry, as well as fresh goat cheese.

White Wine by Beringer from Napa Valley, California. The Sbragia Limited Release Chardonnay represents the selection of the selection. The vineyards Ed Sbragia customarily chooses to use in his Private Reserve Chardonnay are located around the town of Yountville where daytime temperatures slowly climb as the cooling morning fog recedes south to the San Pablo Bay. This significant diurnal shift allows the grapes to maintain their acidity, which is essential to balancing the ripe, rich flavors they develop during warm afternoons. One of these vineyards, Gamble Ranch, consistently provides flavors that Winemaster Ed Sbragia calls unctuous, and in 2005, he decided that this fruit would be ideal for his 2005 Sbragia Limited Release Chardonnay. The wine has a pretty yellow gemstone color, luscious aromas of brown spice, lemon peel, tarte tatin, butterscotch and brown spice that lead into a rich and creamy mouthfeel showcasing grilled pineapple, brown spice, crisp apples and citrus peel flavors. With a wine with my name on it you know that its got to be my signature style, big, with more and more aromas and flavors that invite you back. In the 2005 vintage, gorgeous aromas of citrus and butterscotch greet the nose as rich flavors of lemon, creme br?lee and spice fill the mouth and linger throughout a long and saturated finish. Enjoy! -Winemaster, Ed Sbragia

White Wine by Rochioli from Russian River, California. Color: Straw yellow. Aroma: Aromas of ripe apple, tropical fruit and a touch of spice. Taste: Rich apple flavors and a crisp acidity.

White Wine by Louis Jadot from Burgundy, France - regions. The wines of Puligny-Montrachet are generally characterized by greater firmness and depth than those of Meursault, and by greater refinement and delicacy than those of Chassagne. Maison Louis Jadot vinifies the production of several growers in the commune with which its holds purchase agreements based on the quality of the fruit from harvest to harvest. A traditional vinification in oak casks, the age and origin of which are determined according to the qualities of the vintage, is carried out to enhance the full-fruited depth and seductive bouquet, marked by distinct notes of ripe peaches, for which Puligny-Montrachet is famous. The wine's harmonious elegance persists in the lasting finish.

White Wine by Joseph Drouhin from Burgundy, France - regions. The central part of the Cote de Beaune comprises an area predestined to produce great white wines, and Puligny-Montrachet is certainly one of its most glorious examples. The clay and chalky soil, which is very stony, has good drainage and warms through easily. The Chardonnay is the unique grape variety used to produce these great white wines. The House of Joseph Drouhin brings to the making of these wines its utmost care, in the respect of tradition. The wines of Puligny possess a whole range of very distinguished and distinctive aromas: almond paste, fern, exotic fruits, amber and white flowers. Their acidity on the palate is rather subtle, allowing the intense smoothness and impressive lingering taste to come through. Although the wines are very pleasant when young, they can usually be kept for a long time, 6 to 8 years in a normal vintage, up to 15 years for a great vintage. Due to the refinement of their bouquet and the elegance of their flavours, these great white wines are unquestionably destined to accompany haute cuisine: shellfish cooked in a light wine sauce (court-bouillon) or any delicate fish (such as Dover sole) prepared grilled or poached. The wine should be served no colder than 13?C (57?F). An elegant floral and green fruit nose nuanced by hints of stone and ripe peach dissolves into delicious, harmonious and beautifully pure flavors that are refined and silky, all wrapped in a nicely vibrant and balanced finish. This is a really lovely villages and well worth a look. Burghound 89 Points Recalcitrant aromas of lemon, apple and minerals. Flavors of lime blossom and nuts are somewhat more expressive and full than announced by the nose. Very citrusy close emphasizes the wine's need of time to soften. -Wine News

White Wine by Silver from Central Coast, California. For the winemaking team that brings you Caymus, Mer Soleil, and and Belle Glos! This second vintage follows last year's successful debut of Silver, an effort to unite the crisp mineral essence of classic Chablis style with the tropical elements found in Chardonnay of the Pacific coastline. Using Chardonnay grown in special blocks of the Mer Soleil Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County, we harvested the grapes when just fully ripe, their gold color hued with green, expressing clean aromas of Chardonnay fruit and firm acidity. The result is our latest presentation of a Chardonnay we consider as sleek and cool as Silver. -Charlie Wagner II, Winemaker This unoaked Chardonnay is a light gold color with a pale green tint. Clean, lively aromas of honeydew melon and green apple carry over to delicate tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and papaya, balanced with crisp mineral.

White Wine by Cakebread from Napa Valley, California. Cakebread Cellars' Napa Valley Chardonnay is light straw in color with a glint of gold. Its aromas are reminiscent of green apples and the faint scent of apricots with a clean scent of mineral suggestive of flint. These impressions are repeated on the palate with a very slight buttery finish and a subtle hint of French oak vanillin in the background. Good depth with an ideal balance of fruit and crisp acidity lead into a fresh, silky finish.

White Wine by Franciscan from Carneros, California. Crisp and full bodied with a rich, creamy texture. An abundance of pear, sweet vanilla and hints of minerals round out the supple notes of toast, leading to a long, rich finish.