Browse Tag

chardonnay

Po’ boy

Oyster Bay 2008 Chardonnay (Marlborough) – Spice and milk. Is there fruit? It’s hard to say. Worked to death, and no fun. (3/09)

Our actions are not dictated by mere lust

[winery]Meerlust 2003 Chardonnay (Stellenbosch) – Very heavy, and losing a battle with its barrel tannin. Quite toasty in proportion to its fruit. Golden fig and peaches in amber are still hanging about, but probably not for much longer. This is a chore to drink. I set it aside for a day, at which point the oak toast has receded and a bit more acidity (which the wine heretofore lacked) has come to the fore, but the oak tannin has strengthened. Drink several years ago, if you must drink it at all. (3/09)

Qu’est-ce Cuis?

Gimonnet Champagne Cuis “1er Cru” Brut Blanc de Blancs (Champagne) – Metal-jacketed apple, makrut lime, and rhubarb. Interesting, to say the least. I’m not sure how to describe the texture here, as it’s something a little out of the ordinary. Rhomboid? Sure, why not? Incisive, long, and strong-willed. Insistent stuff. Almost certainly needs age. (3/09)

MCC hammer

Constantia Uitsig 2005 Méthode Cap Classique Brut Blanc de Blancs (Constantia) – Highly polished, and presenting itself with sophistication rather than ego. Clean, dry lemon forms a tight cylindrical core, around which are layers of delicate foil that don’t obscure transparency. Finely-beaded and quite impressive. Still, what I’d really love to do is revisit this after a few years, because it’s very primary. (11/08)

Toni

Collet 2002 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru (Chablis) – Fattish nose of seashells. Good structure. Simple. Disappears rather abruptly on the palate. This is mostly bones, with precious little flesh. (9/08)

Blanche Dubois

Josephine Dubois 2004 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru “Terre Minerale” (Chablis) – Seashells bracket an otherwise flatlined nose. The palate is sweet’n’sour, with a weird finish of stale cracker and old clam juice. I’m inclined to give up on the wine, but as it warms beyond the usual Chablis temperature range and airs it improves a bit (not that surprising for a Chablis, I suppose), becoming slightly more appealing, cohesive, and recognizably Chablisienne. (Is that the word?) It never really rises above mediocrity, but it’s not bad either, and as with most Chablis time is likely to clarify matters. (2/09)

Pouilly your resources

Jadot 2006 Pouilly-Fuissé (Mâcon) – Faceted chardonnay, clean and simple, with not much in the way of it. And not much else to it, either. This isn’t really a complaint – it’s a perfectly decent quaff – but I do wish it was a little less boring. (2/09)

The other Santa Cruz Ridge

Neely 2006 Chardonnay Spring Ridge “Holly’s Cuvée” (Santa Cruz Mountains) – Very restrained. Apple and apricot, but not just the fruit…skins and other plant-parts as well. There’s good acidity and a lot of minerality. Medium-bodied, steady-state, pure, and fabulously balanced, but this needs more time to develop into what it’s becoming. (9/08)

Spring, sprung

Varner 2007 Chardonnay Spring Ridge Home Block (barrel sample) (Santa Cruz Mountains) – Still thick and lush. Peach, apple, lees. Opaque. (9/08)