May

1

seguinot-bordet-chablis.jpgWhat we liked so much about the Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis Reserve Sainte Victoire 2006 was that it really was vastly different from any of the other Chardonnays that we’ve reviewed throughout the last few months.  The nose consisted of pears and green apples and had the unmistakable, minerally scent of stone — i.e., like the smell of a wet chalkboard slate – and the only point at which we detected any citrus (and it really was only a touch of lemon) was in the finish.  Also, before even tasting the wine, we knew that it could not be confused with any from the “new world.”  Just by checking the label, we noticed the alcohol content – 12.5%.  While that’s a teensy amount of alcohol by Napa standards, in no respect did this wine turn out to be watery.  This is yet another crisp white wine to serve chilled on a hot day, and it’s one everybody will be sure to enjoy.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle a while ago at Vintage Berkeley in the East Bay.  They ship.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com.  We’ve seen this one for as low at $15 before shipping (which would have made up the difference in our case). 

Apr

24

While we were in Durham, North Carolina at our law school reunion a couple of weekends ago, we made a point of dropping by several of our old haunts for old times’ sake: Ben and Jerry’s, Whole Foods, Duke Gardens, and Parker and Otis (which used to be Fowler’s Market during our law school days).   It was at the latter spot that we came across quite an impressive selection of wines, from which we plucked an amazing value: a $35 bottle of seven-year aged Mount Eden Chardonnay.  Interestingly, we had just recently tasted the ‘04 vintage of that same Chardonnay and were literally blown away by how delicious it was.  Nutty, zippy, crisp, citrusy without bitterness, and light… a super combination at $48.

So why was our 2001 thirteen dollars cheaper?  We still don’t know, but hey, we were certainly fine with it!

We popped open this bottle later the same evening, and we were even able to coax some of our law school buddies into trying some.  The wine earned a positive reaction from everyone.  

The thing that we love most about Mount Eden’s Chardonnays is their potential to age for an unusual amount of time — for example, we’ve heard that 10 to 20 years is possible for the current release.  It’s amazing what a difference a few years of aging made for the ‘01, using the ‘04 as a point of reference: the older version was more golden in color; the crisp acidity had mellowed considerably; the flavor of lemon was creamier; and the nutty aromas – which, by the way, smelled just like a bowl of Cheerios – were now accompanied by a hint of sweetness that reminded us of pink Trident, fresh from the wrapper, and most interestingly, by the scent of mushrooms.  The mushrooms reappeared again in full force a split second after swallowing the wine — you’ll miss out if you don’t look for it!

It’s amazing when you think about it: usually white wines bring to mind fruity, perfumed, and/or floral scents and flavors.  But this one turned out to be earthy more than anything else.  It was quite a bottle, and one we highly recommend!

Where to get it: As mentioned above, we bought our bottle at Parker and Otis, in downtown Durham, North Carolina.  Inquire about shipping.  You can also buy it online by visiting WineZap.com ($33) or through Mount Eden’s web site ($55).  As usual, we tell you this only for your convenience – as you would expect, we don’t see a single cent from sales of any wines we review! 

Mar

20

In Chardonnays, we tend to prefer the lighter, crisper style of French Burgundies over the bigger bodied, creamier, and less acidic New World versions.  Still, every once in a while we’ll be taken by surprise by a bottle from the non-European regions that will defy our usual preference.  This was certainly the case with the Taz Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2006.   

So, ok, the Taz had some typical California characteristics that usually aren’t our bag: it was rich and had the creamy texture of peach juice, and it also had tropical fruit flavors that one would expect from a warm climate.  Regardless, there was so much acidity packed into our bottle that we became convinced that we were getting the best of both the Old and New Worlds: rich, luscious fruit flavors and full body, on the one hand, and mouthwatering, fresh puckeriness on the other.

We included the Taz in our tasting last weekend (which we described in more detail in Tuesday’s posting), and it turned out that this wine’s greatest strength quality-wise – acidity – was also the very thing that disappointed us most.  In planning our tasting, we were intending that a Chardonnay from Southern California would act as sacrificial lamb in helping us demonstrate why we prefer the French version of the varietal.  As it turned out, it seemed everyone — including me — preferred the Taz over our chosen Burgundy. 

One thing to suggest: let the Taz sit out for about an hour before drinking.  As we found out last Sunday, it opens up widely with exposure to air revealing tantalizing banana, pineapple, and pear aromas.  We were a teeny bit less enthusiastic by the lemon drops we tasted in the finish, but it hardly detracted from our overall view of the wine: fantastic.

Jan

17

Usually in the chardonnays of Washington you’ll be tasting more apple, pear and lemon than you would in a California bottling of the same varietal, which tends to taste more of tropical fruits.  The Chateau Ste Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay 2006, however, seems to defy this rule of thumb, which shouldn’t come as a complete surprise given that the grapes were grown in one of the warmer areas of Washington state (the Wahluke Slope of the Columbia Valley). 

 Anyway, pineapple along with a couple of the signature flavors of oak - mainly, vanilla and some butterscotch - are what you should expect.

On the whole, I think this is a smart choice for the oaky chardonnay lovers out there.  It’s nicely balanced and has a smooth finish, but what wins me over is the perky tropical fruit flavor.    

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