Winery - Château Julien
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A solid Cab for everyday purposes. Shows juicy flavors of blackberries, cherries and oak, wrapped into sturdy tannins, with a sweet, spicy finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Rich and sweetly crisp, this is the kind of Chardonnay millions of people love. It has opulent, creamy flavors of pineapples, pears, vanilla, buttered toast, cinnamon and smoky oak. Totally Californian, and a good buy.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Simple and clean, with sweet and sour orange and pineapple flavors. An inexpensive everyday wine to have by the glass with Chinese food.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The words “Zinfandel” and “Monterey” on a label raise eyebrows. The region is cold, and Zin requires heat. This wine aims high but can’t overcome its rugged, herbal nature. There are some ripe berry flavors side by side with vegetal ones. The giveaway price is only fair.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Opens with pretty aromas of tropical fruits and well-toasted oak, and then turns sturdily acidic in the mouth, with flavors of pineapples and apples. Finishes a bit lean, but it’s a nicely structured wine that’s versatile at the table.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
There are some plum and blackberry notes in this dry, rather soft wine. There are also numbing tannins, but they’re negotiable. It struggles to achieve richness because, after all, the vintage was lousy, and Monterey (outside Carmel Valley) has yet to make the case for Bordeaux reds.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Herculean efforts went into making this expensive wine rich and complex. They gave it their hearts, but the effort falls short. The vintage didn’t help. It’s partly ripe, partly unripe. It’s rugged in the mouth, with a simple nature, and the finish turns sharp. It’s not going anywhere.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A 50-50 blend of Merlot and Malbec, this is the most expensive wine the chateau has ever produced, a commemoration of their 25th anniversary. It commands attention for dryness and complexity. The usual Bordeaux flavors of blackberries, plums and mocha are weaved into earthier tastes of salty, cured-olive tapenade and sweet miso, enhanced with smoky new oak. This is a very important release from the winery, one worthy of follow up.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A blend of Zinfandel and Syrah, this wine is softly rich and jammy, with very ripe, forward black and red currant, chocolate, licorice and black pepper flavors. Fundamentally dry, though it leaves behind the impression of glyceriney sweetness.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Yes, the price is right, but it’s simple and thin, dry and soft, with modest cherry-berry flavors.
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