I know I have had my fair share of Chardonnays. I think just about everyone has. Those golden hued bottles pull you to them in just the right way. Maybe just the golden color makes us feel a little richer. If you are looking for something familiar you can usually count on that oaky, buttery taste. However in recent years, the Chardonnay industry has been shaking it up a bit and it is proving to be quite the improvement according to wine lovers far and wide…
Chardonnay is the most popular white wine grape in the entire world and the fifth most widely planted grape. While the grape originates from France, it has seen its highest successes in California. While most drinkers associate Chardonnay with oaky and buttery flavors, now winemakers are opting to age it in stainless steel and are coming up with tremendous results. The grapes bring forth more crisp fruit and stony flavors, which are really trying to tell the tale of their terroir.*
Chardonnay nearly fell off the rails just a few years ago. Maybe it was that it became too predictable. It could be that as people have turned more towards healthy and active lifestyles, a wine that tasted like vanilla and butter sat a little to heavy for them. Whatever the reason, this cultural shift has made winemakers change their methods when it comes to Chardonnay. While there are still plenty of buttery Chardonnays out there, they are now being passed over for the lighter colored, stainless steel aged ones, which is exactly what this weeks wine was.
This wine was from Yountville, California, and sampled on August 4, 2017. Just barely dipping my nose into the glass brought forth a strong pineapple smell. A few more sniffs and I also found a bit of mango with just the tiniest bit of butter. The first taste just made me think ‘crisp,’ like biting into an apple. I was listening to “May I Have This Dance” featuring Chance the Rapper by Francis & the Lights. A couple of more sips and I tasted a glass full of herbs and a little green tea. It turned out to be a great compliment to the shrimp fried cauliflower rice I had prepared.
I gave this wine a rating of 3.5. This was an entirely new Chardonnay experience for me and I was really enjoying it. This type of Chardonnay was much less heavy and could have been enjoyed alone even though it was a great compliment to my dish.
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