A MORE-ISH Bottle of Lighthall 2019 Chardonnay

I'm talking Chardonnay from the County; and it's another good one from 

Lighthall Vineyards and their 2019 Chardonnay

 

 

The Written Review ... Lighthall pulled way back on oak usage for the 2019. 60% of the wine sees steel, while the other 40% sees the inside of 500L barrels; that helps elevate the crisp, clean and freshness factor in this wine. There's still a vanilla – butteriness, but it's backed by peach, apricot and nectarine notes and loaded with acidity to help balance out the fruit ... In a nutshell: the fruit shines, the acidity balances and the oak provides backdrops... Nice balancing act here.  (****+)

PALATE PLEASING - Konzelmann 2016 Family Reserve Cabernet-Merlot

This might just be one of the best wines to come out of the Konzelmann cellar - 

and that is saying something : 

Konzelmann 2016 Family Reserve Cabernet-Merlot

 

Already 6 years from vintage date (at time of writing) and this wine is drinking in accordance with how a 6-year-old red blends from a hot vintage should. Smokey-black cherry, vanilla oak, cassis, blackberry and even a cedarish finish that adds black fruit tannins into the mix. It's a straight-forward bottle of deliciousness with another four years, easily, ahead of it, maybe more.  Rating: ****+