Aaron: This had a nice nose which wasn’t too bright and featured mostly dull melon. I liked the vanilla flavors mixed with some light bark and white berries. Overall the taste sat well on the palate. 90 points
Teri: This was a smooth, easy to drink Chardonnay. The nose smelled of vanilla lemon and cantaloupe cream while the body of the wine carried flavors of warm creamy butter with lemon, toasted almond and balanced out with mineral tastes on the finish. 89 points
Purchased from Lot 18, $14.99/bottle
Aaron: While not as blatant as Teri’s assessment, I have to agree this was a good bottle. There was tons of tropical mango and pineapple with nectarine on the nose along with white sand and mushrooms. This was really full for a pinot but the flavor evaporated quickly. A very easy drinking white, I noticed wheat undertones and a bit of airiness. I think this is a perfect bottle to keep handy as it will please most palates. 91 points
Teri: YUMM! Full mouth flavors of creamy lemon custard with orange and other citrus flavors! This wine carries an abundance of body for a white wine and is delectable with its beautiful long finish and smooth acidity. This wine would be great with salads, creamy dishes, fish, or just on its own. 92 points
Aaron: The nose on this pinot was pretty heavily weighted towards strawberries. Flavors of bright berries and peach were a little watery at first but built over time. In general this has a light body, even for a pinot with lots of vanilla and friendly fruits. There are really no earth notes at all, just fruitiness making this very easy drinking and a nice contrast to spicy foods. 88 points for complexity 91 points for drinkability.
Teri: I’m a harsh pinot noir critic and this one did not make the cut. Easy to drink, but watery, with light flavors of strawberry and cranberry with round mouth feel of oak at the finish. The flavors tasted underripe and young with no body or fullness. 82 points
Lot 18/The Tasting Room, $14.99
Aaron: This was GREAT!. Super tropical smell with mango, guava, and pineapple. The flavor is unexpectedly full and buttery – very rich and not “light”. This is one of the best blends I’ve had in a long time (and I don’t like blends). 92 points
Teri: Trying out a new wine club, Lot 18, this was our 2nd bottle we tried and significantly better than our first (Trident Red Blend). A light lemon nose doesn’t overpower anything but the flavors of buttery cantaloupe with a hint of honey is easy and delicious to drink. The long legs on the wine indicate that this wine if fuller bodies but still not overly complex. Great flavor but still easy and smooth to drink. 90 points
Aaron: The nose is a bit oaky with some mild fruits and the flavor definitely tastes like a blend. This is very smooth and drinkable but a little on the sweet side. There are tons of cherry and strawberry so it gets a 90 for dinkability but only an 86 for complexity.
Teri: There is a unique cinnamon clove-berry smell on this blended red. Overall a light feel but I could taste thick, semi-unstructured, tannins. This wine could use another year in the bottle to mellow out on the ‘chunky’ feel of the tannins. It carries flavors of blueberry, clove, and young cherry but the final flavor I am left with is the harsh ending of the tannins. 86 points
World Market, $14.99
