2015 Woodwork Wines Chardonnay, USA, California, Central Coast - Wine Review

Score: 
83
Grade: 
B

Plenty of value here for under $10.  First, the label tells you this has a vanilla and butterscotch oak profile with apple and pear fruit notes.  Both of those are pretty spot on.  The wine is deep golden in color.  The nose is red apples, with vanilla and slight butterscotch.  On the palate, this is simple and to the point.  Plenty of oaky notes; vanilla and some butterscotch with a bit of apples.  This is made for easy drinking and at that price, just fine for casual drinking or at a party.  

2016 Chakana Chardonnay Estate Selection, Argentina

Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Light gold in color with slight green.  On the nose, there is grapefruit and slight lumber.  Also some spice.  On the palate, there is a tart acidity which is very nice.  Grapefruit and citrus notes.  Long finish.  Really a quality Chardonnay for under $20, its hard to beat that value.  

2012 Patrick Piuze Chablis Premier Cru Les Forêts

Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

Gold in color.  A bit deeper, probably saw some new oak.  The nose is dusty with some lemon and spice.  On the palate, this is a very rich wine.  Very good, if to me, un-Chablis-like.  Lemon candy, almost sweet.  Round.  Enough acidity but no more.  Nice finish.

2012 Auteur Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard

Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Excellent wine.  Yellow green in color.  The nose has a nice vanilla cream quality to it.  Also some lemons.  On the palate, this is leaner with tart lemon acidity.  That said, it still has a strong presence.  Long finish.  Blind, I though CA but if it turned out to be Burgundy, I would not have been surprised.  

Sixty White Wines Recommendations for Autumn

Autumn is here and for most of us, that means shifting from the lighter summer rosés, whites and BBQ Reds into something that matches with heartier food or sitting by the fire on a chilly fall evening. At every party though there is someone who says they only drink white wine. Sometimes he or she means sweet, but often dry wines work too. Just like red wines, however, there are white wines that work great for the autumn season too.
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Napa Valley Chardonnay: Foods to Pair With, and Meals that Call for, Napa Chardonnay

Chardonnay—a chameleon of a grape. There are an especially large number of choices to be made in terms of winemaking when it comes to Chardonnay. It can be still or sparkling. It can be aged in oak or un-oaked, filtered or unfiltered, subject to malolactic fermentation or not. Even the type of oak used, or the decision to keep the wine in contact with dead yeast cells during the winemaking process affects the style of the final product. These factors (not to mention the concept of terroir) result in endless Chardonnay styles that can range from Burgundy’s crisp, austere, mineral-driven wines to Australia’s tropical fruit-packed, viscous style.
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Wines to Go Buy This Week: Chardonnays by La Follette and Rivers Marie

I hate chardonnay. Its reign as the #1 wine varietal among US consumers has always befuddled me given how many people -wine geeks and novices alike- deliberately avoid it. California chardonnay in particular - with its excess oak and buttery texture- was so off putting to me that I had virtually given up even trying chardonnay, so convinced I was that I hated it. Then I had an epiphany in the form of Greg La Follette, or I should say, his chardonnay. World renowned as an in-demand consulting winemaker, Greg La Follette recently took the plunge and launched his own eponymous label, focusing on pinot noir and chardonnay, his specialties. A long time fan of his pinot noir, I had the wonderful opportunity a few months back to attend a winemaker's dinner at a local restaurant where La Follette wines were poured liberally (and, trust me, I was not shy about partaking). That night, for the first time, I found a chardonnay that was not just drinkable - my previous threshold for chardonnay "success"- but which I absolutely loved and craved. I joined La Follette's Vigneron Club that night ensuring a quarterly supply of my new discovery (and don't think for a second that my shipment doesn't include his pinot noir, as good as any available and an absolute bargain at the current price).
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