White Blends Wine Reviews

I drank these 10 wines and tasted apple, apricot, aromatic, bright, creamy, floral, fruity, honey, pear, stone fruit. The wines are aged, cru, dessert wine, food friendly, food-friendly, small production, sur lies and came from a variety of sources, including wine clubs, wineries, and wine stores.

Wine reviews by: Jessyca Frederick

Château Laville Sauternes

2019 Château Laville Château Laville Sauternes

From the moment we opened this bottle containing orange-colored and even orange-smelling wine (not the same as the “orange wine” fad), I knew we were in for something different.

Tasting notes: creamy, marmalade, butterscotch, honey

Patelin de Tablas Blanc

2021 Tablas Creek Vineyards Patelin de Tablas Blanc

I smelled white fruit and enjoyed an appley mid-palate (the Grenache Blanc), a hint of Meyer lemon, and a nice minerality supported by mild acidity.

Tasting notes: apple, low acid, mineral

Oveja

2018 Lone Madrone Oveja

I enjoyed: white fruit cocktail, banana, lychee, something like Petrol (from the Picpoul), and mandarin. Still food-friendly, after all those years.

Tasting notes: bright, stone fruit

Lapola

2019 Dominio do Bibei Lapola

What an interesting wine! Initial impressions of stone fruit and floral notes on the nose. The honeyed character made me think of Viognier, but it was different... “waxiness.”

Tasting notes: stone fruit, floral, aromatic, citrus, bright

Premium Cuvée Brut

2019 Jansz Tasmania Premium Cuvée Brut

Wines, like this one, matured sur lie (on the lees) are always the most interesting to drink — aromatic, complex fruit combinations, strong floral notes, with incredibly long and creamy finishes.

Tasting notes: aromatic, floral, creamy

Crozes-Hermitage Blanc

2021 Michelas St Jemms Crozes-Hermitage Blanc

Especially waxy when I drank it, this blend was noticeably less viscous and fruity than California versions of Rhône whites.

Tasting notes: waxy, apricot, pear

Villae (Branco)

2021 Taboadella 1255 Villae (Branco)

A food-friendly white wine (branco is white in Portuguese) was light and refreshing with flavors of stone fruit and minerality.

Tasting notes: bright, stone fruit, apricot, peach, minerality

“Special Club” White Wine Blend

2021 Martelloto Wines “Special Club” White Wine Blend

The drier, lemony flavors of the Sauvignon Blanc sort of pushed and pulled on the fruitier, more aromatic Riesling and Chenin Blanc. Lacked expected brightness.

Tasting notes: lemon, fruity

Chaleur Blanc

2020 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc

What I liked was that the Semillon added a bit of a honeyed, bitterish note to counteract the Sauv Blanc’s acidic fruitiness. It reminded me of a bright Viognier or a Viognier/Roussanne blend.

Tasting notes: honey, bitter, fruity, bright

Pinot Gris Yakima Valley

2021 Camaraderie Cellars Pinot Gris Yakima Valley

This is an example of a wine that wasn’t especially distinctive, but was exactly as advertised, “Fresh, bright acidity matches aromatics of apple and pear.” Food-friendly, indeed.

Tasting notes: apple, pear, bright

Notice: I hold no formal wine credentials. I am a wine geek who has consumed 1000+ of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs and 1000s more bottles that didn’t come from those wine clubs. I do not accept payment for wine reviews, and I do not accept payments to influence my opinions. I happily accept free wine (and I buy wine).

Why read my wine reviews: Wine taste is subjective. What I like may not be what you like. I try to leave room for you to form your own opinions, so I don’t provide a score or a rating. I do point out wines that are an incredible value or truly not worth the money. I note flaws, wines that don’t have typicity (because this matters if you are buying wine without having tasted it yourself), when wines are out of balance, and when wines lack appropriate body.

I don’t like wasting money (or anything for that matter). I’m careful about where I spend my money and my mindset as a reviewer is to be careful about where you spend yours. I don’t believe a high price tag equals quality and I know for sure there are wines of very good quality that are also a great value.

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