This is actually going to be a double review. One will be for the Frog’s Leap as the title of this blog suggests, the other will be a brief one for a 2005 Charles Krug Pinot Noir. I was kindly invited over by friends last night for dinner here in Yuma, Arizona. Like my mother trained me I did not show up empty handed. I decided on the Frog’s Leap as I had read a few blurbs in the past about their Chardonnay’s and last time I was in San Francisco I almost grabbed one to coif. The Krug pinot was simply a guess based on price and marketing. I knew that chicken (which was excellent btw!), rice and salad were on the menu so I tried to avoid a full bodied red that might dwarf the meal so with Chardonnay and Pinot in hand I arrived.
The Krug was a disappointment, it lacked good fruit, was overly acidic, not balanced and left my hosts with lingering tannins. For $26US (I am sure it would be $40+ at home) this wine failed to excite or deliver on what is a lofty price tag for the store and area it was bought in. I was mostly frustrated by the lack of consistency in the wine, I expected more.
The Frog’s Leap on the other was delicious. Unlike many Napa Chardonnay’s the oak was kept to a minimum. There was a slight butteriness to it and good fruit. Citrus on the nose led to a nice palate of aromas on the tasting. Grapefruit, peach and pear with green apple showing it’s head as we progressed through the bottle. This is a very well made wine. Luckily for us, the LCBO carries this wine and it is reasonably priced ($33CDN while it was $24US here). This will not disappoint or embarrass you if you are amongst people who truly like Chardonnays.
Subjective ratings: Krug gets an 80 out of 100 while the Frog’s Leap gets an 88.
