It’s safe to say, I was pumped for this week. It was time to try another wine form Iconic Wines! Last time I received a wine from this producer, it was a Rosé. I loved the tradition of labeling the bottles with female superhero figures. It was fun and the label art was very cool and well done.
According to Iconic Wines’ website, this bottle was actually referred to as “SK Chardonnay.” The SK stands for sidekick. They have also produced an “SK Cabernet Sauvignon” and claim that these wines “represent the finest wine we create at everyday drinking value.” Chardonnay was Iconic Wines’ first ever varietal bottled.*
This Chardonnay was aged in stainless steel tanks instead of oak barrels. While oak barrels have been used for aging wine since nearly the beginning of time, many wineries are now opting to age in stainless steel tanks. This is especially true with Chardonnay. Stainless steel provides no flavor to the wine.* This changes traditional Chardonnay completely. It goes from a buttery, oaky, smoky taste to a light, crisp, floral taste. This newer style of Chardonnay is making consumers completely rethink their expectations when it comes to this varietal. It has also helped Chardonnay to recover some of its popularity with the average drinker.
This wine was from Napa, California and sampled on January 5, 2018. The lovely gold color was very appealing from the glass and the Chardonnay vibes seemed to emit from it. There were soft smells of butter and pear coming from the glass with just a hint of citrus fruits. The first taste was full of body. I was listening to “Giants” by Bear Hands. More sips brought forth overripe apple and melted butter. It toned down the bitterness of the brussel sprouts, but it was not very good with the goose. Although, I think this had more to do with me not really liking the goose in the first place.
I gave this wine a rating of 4.0. Even though this wine was aged using stainless steel tanks, it still had a bit of that Chardonnay-style butter smell and taste, which I could appreciate. However, it was still light enough that it didn’t feel weighed down.
Sources:
https://www.iconicwine.com/wines
http://crushbrew.com/great-debate-oak-wine-barrels-stainless-steel-wine-drums