Once upon a time, on a warm Saturday night, a couple of good friends decided to gather on a rooftop and have a blind Chardonnay tasting. Some Napa heavy hitters – Cakebread, Stags Leap, Chateau Montelena… and a less well known Sonoma player C. Donatiello. Huh, what’s C. Donatiello doing in this mix? This wine got rave reviews from Wine Library so I had to give it a try and what better way than to match it up against some hefty competition? :-)
Bring out the paper bags, make those bottles anonymous. It was no contest… the last wine we tried took the prize. Nose = butter, caramel, apple, pear. Creme brulee midpalate with ripe fruit popping out, smooth, buttery finish. Absolutely stunning. I was certain it was the $40 Cakebread Chardonnay. I was wrong! It was the C. Donatiello. On sale for $13 per bottle!
I love when this happens, and am very excited about this wine. This is a bottle to buy a case of, especially at $13 per bottle. This is even a good deal at $20. My new favorite Chardonnay! Well, might need to blind taste it with Lynmar and Sbragia.
$13 per bottle
Team is down 3 runs, GRAND SLAM at the bottom of the ninth!
Wow, really great to hear. Thanks!
I just visited C. Donatiello for the first time about 6 weeks ago (my GF’s second time, her recommendation). The tasting we did was fantastic and their staff extremely welcoming and friendly. We brought home a couple bottles, great stuff. Their other varietals and vintages are also pretty reasonable, especially considering the AVA and that they are surrounded by the likes of Arista, Gary Farrell, etc. who’s prices seem to keep rising y-y.