Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/807387
{ SOMMjournal.com } 99 JIDVEI 2014 MARIA PINOT GRIS, DOC Târnave, Transilvania, Romania "This comes from a small family but is scaled at a larger production in Transilvania," says our resident exper t, Deputy Editor Allyson Gorsuch. Jidvei, one of the oldest wineries in Europe, currently owns the largest plant - ing of Sauvignon Blanc in Romania, at just over 500 hectares. In this case, the Jidvei Maria 2014 Pinot Gris, named after one of the daughters in the family, showed incredibly well. Tasting Notes: One of the best wines of group. Gorgeous nose, balanced and tasty; apricots, white flowers, medium body. —Andrew Pettingell Intense floral aromatics, in particular, magnolia, coun- tered with pear and lemon. —Dan Bailey J. LOHR 2015 OCTOBER NIGHT CHARDONNAY, Arroyo Seco (SRP $25) Keeping in cadence with the rest of the aromatic group, surprisingly, was the J. Lohr 2015 October Night Chardonnay. Erin Williams, Southern California Area Manager of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, explains how the normally less aromatic Chardonnay grape in this instance offers a unique bou - quet. "This wine is predominantly made up of the distinct 809 Chardonnay clone. [aka the musqué clone.] On the nose, I always find this wine to have a floral charac - ter, and our winemaker [Kristen Barnhisel] is v ery good at bringing out those wonderful little top notes. To bring out these top notes, Barnhisel applies traditional Burgundian techniques such as a weekly bâtonnage and aging on the lees for ten months in moder - ate French oak. This extraordinary clone apparently calls for out of the ordinary terroir. Throughout the certified sustainable loamy vineyards, located in close proximity to the mouth of the Arroyo Seco River in the Arroyo Seco AVA, are found what's known as "Greenfield potatoes," similar to the famous heat- absorbing galets in the Southern Rhône's Châteaneuf-du-Pape. Erin Williams, Southern California Area Manager, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. Jesus Evangelista III, Beverage Manager, Montage Beverly Hills, jabbing at his colleagues. Tasting Notes Fresh salted butter on the nose with hints of lemon blossom. Creamy mouthfeel; refined, subtle and well-balanced. —Sharon Coombs Pineapple, lemon curd, lemon blossom, yel- low apple and Asian spice. Nice use of oak; a refined Chardonnay. —Phillip Dunn