St. Francis RED and Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay

Friday's tasting was on St. Francis Winery's RED, 2006 and Robert Mondavi's Private Selection Chardonnay, 2009. The former met with mixed reviews and the later was not a favorite.

St. Francis Winery's 2006 RED is a blend of 48% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 3% Zinfandel, and 6% Mixed blacks (Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Alicante, and Malbec).  It has quite the grape variety.  RED had an inviting cherry aroma.  The flavor was spice with mild tannins and acidity.  There was no fruit on my palate, but a few customers did mention they thought it had a nice fruit flavor and aroma.

RED is worth a try and it will pair nicely with food.  However, there are so many red blends out there that I think are better - like Coppola Rosso and Apothic Red.  I'll blog about those another time.

Winemaker's Notes:  Red, ripe and robust fruit flavors with spicy aromas make this a wine that pairs well with a variety of food.  Great with grilled foods and pizza or pasta dishes with red sauce.  The perfect wine to serve at a cocktail party or backyard barbecue.

NOTE:  With the  2007 vintage the label will read RED Splash.


Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2009 Chardonnay is a composition of 96% Chardonnay, 2% Gewurztraminer, and 2% White Riesling.  It is aged in French/American oak for 10 months.  I found that it had an initial flavor of apple which was quickly overshadowed with a long acidic finish.  The acidity was too much for me and my palate shut down.  Customers were not a big fan of this Chardonnay.

Winemaker's Notes (on the bottle): Crisp apple, tropical fruit, and spice notes with subtle oak nuances integrated into a crisp finish.

Winemaker's Notes (on their website): The nose reveals lemon cream, orange zest, and  peach aromas with smoky oak nuances and enticing vanilla/brown sugar scents.  The creamy, mouthfilling palate creates a lush impression and is balanced by a long, crisp finish.  Enjoy this delicious wine with rich seafood, poultry and pork dishes, white-sauce pastas - like fettuccine Alfredo, or flavorful, soft-ripening cheese.