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So I have a bunch of chardonnay but they are all from either CA or OR. I can interpret this one way to mean that I really like French chardonnay and drink it up and leave the domestic stuff to age.
Hmmmmmm...let think - inadvertent aging because of more likable wines is a disease. The only antidote I've heard of is to drink the "other stuff"
Drink with friends (and spouses) to get through it all.
Wine is a matter of taste. Of course, the idea with our tastings to become more informed, more exposed to different wines, and develop appreciation for that which we were not so familiar. In any event, here is what I intent to taste tomorrow... remember the pic now... won't be re-posted.
BTW, Al, I am all out of Drouhin "Arthur" from Dundee Hills OR (although, I could probably find a bottle if I searched locally). It is a fine, Beaune-inspired Chardonnay from the New World and reasonably priced for the quality - even up here.
Yes. The Arthor is a delicious wine. Your 2017 Chablis looks pretty good too.
I'll be drinking this one, tonight
And I'll be doing this from 2017:
We just opened our 2017 Domaine Drouhin 'Arthur' Chardonnay, to do a quick taste right after opening. Sandra gets stone fruit (white peach), orange blossom, maybe violet; very floral. Minimal oak (neutral oak likely). Lastly, some almond / marzipan.
Also, a pretty Rose we saw on our afternoon walk.
Just put the chicken on the grill. Sandra has them in some type of marinade.
We'll be having fish, tonight. We took a little piece of salmon and a little piece of cod out of the freezer, last night, to defrost.
Dinner is served.
I hope our friend Jenn is able to join us tonight. She said she had a bottle of Chardonnay on hand.
There are a lot of good looking wines out there. Come on people, it's about time to get started!
Well, I just cracked the Drouhin Vaillons Premier Cru (see pic a few posts back), and it is pretty good... here's my review, in case you're interested (no food posts):
"Domaine Drouhin-Vaudon (named for the windmill at Vaudon, an HQ of Domaine Drouhin) presents the 2017 Vaillons (Premier Cru Chablis). In the glass, the colour shows light apple cider notes and a scent of green apple, citrus, nutmeg and vanilla. Entry is crisp, with muted oak, nutmeg-almond and apple mid-palate. The oak is more forward than I would expect, but 2-3 years of bottle aging will fix that. A good example of Vaillons. 91."
The California Chardonnays look interesting; buttery, Napa-Sonoma charmers (well, one is from the Anderson Valley further north)? Look forward to the reviews. Glad you enjoyed the "Arthur" Al and Sandra... it is rarely outside the 4-4.5 cup range.
Sounds decent. Do you think they went beyond neutral oak SZ?
I would give our 2017 Domaine Drouhin Arthur Chardonnay 4.5 glasses. It's getting better with air, as I find most wines do.
See you soon on zoom if partaking!
Bearded Iris from our front yard:
Beautiful flowers!
I see Iris flowers. We have some too.
Nice bottles Sally & Bob. A 2014 Chardonnay?
Time for the Zoom meeting for those of you giving it a try.
I picked this wine for tonight because Peggy has, generally, not enjoyed Rhys Chards. That is, probably, because she likes the big, oaky butter-bombs.
This ain't that.
VERY stark. Quite tart. Only thes suggestion of some fruits--Granny Smith apple, white/yellow stone fruit, maybe, kiwi. I really don't know how this wine was vinted, but it is entirely possible that it saw no oak. It is really lean. You know I am loving the acidity. It makes for a super refreshment for the summer.
Nice Irises Mark. I am also interested in how the Virginia and Santa Barbara Chardonnays seemed. Al, the Chablis is definitely a fine wine, in the vicinity scoring-wise with your "Arthur", although not, of course, the same style. Oregon wines seem more like southern Burgundy to me, which is a wonderful thing - just different from Chablis which is in a more marginal growing district.
Just finishing a glass of Bedrock Riesling Erster Zweieiiger Zwilling and getting ready to pop open this Scherrer 2012 Scherrer Vineyard chard. Chicken's about ready to come off the grill and the kale salad is primed.
My God, VV... I did not even realize there was a Riesling by Bedrock. Interesting name for the wine - in German translation. How was it? The Chard should be an over-the-top version of very high-octane Beaune. But then, I await your judgment there upon.
I think it would be interesting to compare the Rhys I am drinking with a Chablis. I am pretty sure that the Rhys has not seen any oak.
Z, I must confess, as awesome as I find the Bedrock red wines, I am even more enamored with their whites. Incredible Sauv Blancs and even though I'm getting ready to really enjoy this Fred chard, that Riesling is really difficult to set aside.
Over the years, I have not ever ordered any of the Bedrock Rieslings. If Peggy is going to pull the Vineyard Chicken recipe out of the archives, I may change that philosophy.
Mark, do yourself a BIG favor, trust me, order some.
Now, back to chardonnay.
This is a tasting note I put into cellartracker five (yes 5) years ago for this 2012 Scherrer chard - "This is a big, fresh, juicy, Russian River chardonnay. It is well balanced with apricot, honey, ripe pear, ripe apple, nice acidity and a touch of oak. This has great mouth feel and a wonderfully long finish."
It really is fun and educational to see how a good wine evolves with age. Tonight I'm still getting a good bit of ripe pear, honey, a good hit of acidity, a dose of creamy lemon and a really long finish. This chard is has layers of flavor, is fairly complex and in a really good sweet spot right now.