Rapidan River Unoaked Chardonnay

On March 2, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the non-vintage Rapidan River Unoaked Chardonnay by Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery from Virgina. This 100% Chardonnay based wine is aged in stainless steel for 8 months. It was purchased for under $10.

Color

In the glass it is a very light beige color.

Aroma

On the nose this wine shows good green apple and ripe melon notes. There is also a distinct custard apple note.

Flavor

On the attack there is honeycrisp apple flavors and then in the mid-palate a honey note is present. It finishes with pineapple and grapefruit notes. The acidity of this wine will make it very food friendly and crisp. It is medium bodied and unlike a lot of wines it actually improves as it warms up. Despite the fact that it is a dry wine, the fruit provides a lot of rich flavors.

Rating

I enjoyed this wine and liked the difference between it and Chardonnay under oak. I only wish it was available in a vintage version. I rate it a solid 88 points.

Have you had a Unoaked Chardonnay?

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Domaine Ste Michelle Blanc de Blancs

On January 3, 2010, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Blanc de Blancs by Domaine Ste. Michelle from the Columbia Valley in Washington. This non-vintage sparkling wine is made from the Chardonnay grape and was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass it is a lighter yellow with good bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it has an unusual egg aroma. There are also good grapefruit and lemon notes.

Flavor

On the attack the lemon is again present followed by grapefruit on the mid-palate. Then on the start of the finish it shows some cantaloupe melon. And then it lingers with a salty, yeasty component. This is a dry wine and pairs very well with food. It works well with seafood.

Rating

I really enjoyed this effort from Domaine Ste Michelle and think it is one of the best and most available sparkling wines in this price range. For me it is a good match. I rate it 90 points.

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2007 El Sierro Macabeo Chardonnay

On December 23, 2009, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 El Sierro Macabeo Chardonnay by Vinos de la Vina from the Valencia region of Spain. This blend of 95% Macabeo (Viura) and 5% Chardonnay varietals was acquired for under $7. Macabeo is often used to make Cava, so it will be interesting to try it in a non-sparkling version.

Color

In the glass it is a nice light golden yellow. There is a very slight oily appearance.

Aroma

Citrus notes are showing well on the nose. There is grapefruit and lemon. It also has some key lime pie notes.

Flavor

The attack has some of the lemon from the nose, but it is joined by creamy flavors which do remind me of a Cava. There is great acidity and a heavier mouthfeel to it. It really strikes me as a great food wine for buttery seafood dishes. There is a butterscotch component showing up also. This is definitely a different white wine than the typical Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc varietal offerings which are so common today.

Rating

I recommend trying his wine. It has some similarity to Viognier and Chardonnay. I rate it 89 points.

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2009 Cono Sur Chardonnay

On December 8, 2009, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Cono Sur Chardonnay from the Valle Central in Chile. This 100% Chardonnay varietal comes from the Vina Cono Sur, one of my favorite vineyards that I have discussed in detail before. This bottle was a CarbonNeutral delivery. It is un-oaked and was available for under $9.

Color

In the glass it shows a light golden color.

Aroma

Beautiful fruit on the nose. There is a lot of pear and grapefruit. I also get some peach. Very nice fruit.

Flavor

The mouth-feel is not as heavy and creamy as a lot of oak treated Chardonnay wines. So it is very crisp in comparison and will pair with a lot lighter foods. On the attack there is great fruit. The peach and pear shows up immediately. In the mid-palate, the grapefruit makes an appearance and at the finish some good acidity is combined with pineapple. It is a wonderful tropical fruit journey for the palate.This has to be one of the most food friendly Chardonnays I have had in a long time. It will pair very well with seafood.

Rating

I highly recommend trying this Chardonnay. It is worth trying just to see what a un-oaked Chardonnay can offer. I rate it 95 points.

I would love to hear what you think of it. Please leave your opinion in the comments.

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Domaine Ste Michelle Brut

On December 1, 2009, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Domaine Ste Michelle Brut sparkling wine from the Columbia Valley in Washington. I found this non-vintage bottle for under $8. Their Brut style is supposedly right in the middle of the sweet to dry scale. I am not sure what varieties are in this other than Chardonnay. Do you know?

Color

In the glass it is a light golden yellow with good bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it seems to have a sweetness showing with a hint of almond. There is also quite a bit of papaya.

Flavor

On the attack, grapefruit is dominant. Then there is quite a bit of lemon showing in the mid-palate and finish. The finish is quick and there is a hint of yeast at the end. It should pair well with appetizers or on its own.

Rating

For the price this is not a bad sparkler. It is a little drier which is a plus. I rate it 85 points.

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Domaine Ste Michelle Frizzante

On November 30, 2009, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Domaine Ste Michelle Frizzante sparkling wine from Washington’s Columbia Valley. I found this non-vintage blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for under $8. In Italy, sparkling wines are referred to as frizzante. Frizzante wines are considered to be slightly less effervescent than Champagne. Generally they are high in sugar and the bubbles mask the sweetness.

Color

In the glass this is a very light golden yellow.

Aroma

I don’t get a lot on the nose. There are some lemon and lime components.

Flavor

The attack is very sweet with lemon on the mid-palate. It finishes with a very interesting butterscotch component. I like the overall citrus components, but this is a bit simple. It will pair well with delicate flavors such as salads and desserts.

Rating

This is similar to other sparklers in this price range. I rate it 85 points.

Have you tried any American frizzante?

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2007 Walnut Crest Chardonnay

On November 1, 2009, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting another of the Emiliana Vineyards projects, the 2007 Walnut Crest Chardonnay. I found this 100% Chardonnay varietal wine for under $6. When I began trying wine, I was quite the fan of Chardonnay, but in the past year I have had relatively little. So it will be interesting to see how this bottle is showing.

Color

It is a lighter colored Chardonnay than most. Not quite as light a yellow as a Sauvignon Blanc but close.

Aroma

The first thing I smell is pears and green apple. There is some oak too.

Flavor

I actually got some bubbles right off the bat. This is a young wine. After the effervescence, I detect flavors of lemon and butter. In addition this wine has powerful acidity which is excellent for keeping it from being to sugary. This is a crisp, simple Chardonnay and would pair well with seafood, cheese, and cream-based dishes.

Rating

I am pretty happy with this wine consider the price. I’ve had some bad Chardonnays at below $10 and this is definitely not one. I rate it 88 points.

Have you tried this yet?

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2008 Concha y Toro Frontera Chardonnay

On October 18, 2009, In White, By dcpatton

Today, I am tasting the 2008 Frontera Chardonnay from Concha y Toro in Chile. This 100% Chardonnay comes with a real cork (screw caps are the best) and is extremely cheap at under $5. Concha y Toro’s Frontera wines are widely available in the U.S.

Aroma

On the nose I detect pear and apple, along with some citrus fruits. It has the typical Chardonnay characteristic of wood and butter aromas although the wood is quite faint.

Flavor

The attack is very sweet and although it has some citrus and a little sour green apple, I really don’t get a lot of fruit flavors. The finish has some mild acid and a little of the creaminess you expect in a Chardonnay. There is nothing wrong with it, so it is definitely drinkable. But it lacks any complexity or outstanding flavors. If you are used to the buttery, vanilla oaked chardonnays, then this is not for you. I think this wine could pair well with creamy seafood and pasta dishes.

Rating

I think this is a drinkable wine which doesn’t exhibit any strong flavor. The main attraction is the price point. I am going to rate it 85 points.

Have you tried a good Chilean Chardonnay?

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2008 Natura Chardonnay

On October 10, 2009, In Education, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Natura Chardonnay by Emiliana Vineyards from Chile. The Natura line is their organic line and I found this bottle for under $10. So if it rates well, it will come on strong as a great value for an organic wine. This wine is from the Casablanca Valley region and is 99% Chardonnay and 1% Sauvignon Blanc. It is aged for 5 months in oak.

Color

In the glass, it has a golden yellow. Not as dark as some other Chardonnays I’ve had in the past.

Aroma

The lemon component dominates on the nose. The other interesting note is the melon-like presence of ripe Pawpaw fruit.

Flavor

On the attack there is a creamy butter flavor combined with sweet lemon. The mid-palate is more like melon. It finishes with some crispness from the acid. It is not over-oaked.

Rating

This is a decent wine if a bit simple in the flavor profile. I rate it 87 points.

Have you ever tasted or smelled Pawpaw fruit?

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