I love Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines in Darien, CT. It is a boutique-style wine store in which each wine is carefully selected and presented. Every Friday night they have a tasting that features 4 wines, but recently they started hosting smaller, monthly seminars. I went to their second one, entitled "I Don't Like Chardonnay: Are You Sure About That?", this past week. The goal was to illustrate how different chardonneys can be and give people a new appreciation for them despite their controversial reputation.
Peter Troilo, the owner, started by introducing us to some Chardonney basics: viticulture, malolactic fermentation, racking, and lees. We then sampled 6 Chardonneys that represented different versions of what a Chardonney could be. For those of you unfamiliar with Chardonney: Oak can really change a Chardonney. Oak can add a very buttery, rich quality to the wine. Stainless steel, on the other hand, will yield a very fruit-forward crisper wine. Some Chardonneys are very green (think apple, pear) while others are more orange/yellow (mango, pineapple, citrus). That's VERY basic and condensed. But you get the point. The Chardonneys and my notes are below.
1. Maison de la Cabotte Bourgogne 2009- I called this wine "green" because it tasted of Granny Smith apples and pear. Noticable oak. To me it also had elements of earth- think grass and soil. It was my least favorite of the night. I'm not into all that earth taste in my Chardonney.
2. Domaine Phillippe Garrey Marcurrey "La Chagnee" 2009- If the first wine was "green," this was "yellow." It had a distinct pineapple component to it and I found myself craving pineapples off the grill sprinkled with cinnamon to have with it. It was light, sweet, but still had traces of oak. This was one of my favorite Chards of the evening.
3. Mill Creek Vineyards Chardonney 2009- This best represents what I think of when I hear "Chardonney." It was very balanced, very expected. I prefer wines that are a little more out of the box, evolving, and surprising to drink so I would not gravitate toward it. However, if you are looking for a crowd-pleasing Chard, this is it. Sidenote: Darien Social is having a dinner with the Mill Creek Vineyard. Visit http://www.dariensocialct.com/ for more information.
4. Michaud Chalone Appellation Chardonney 2006- This wine is truly something else! For starters, check out that age. 2006? A Chard? This wine's about that age- it's air dried for 3 years on French Oak- but somehow they ferment it in a way so that all that time doesn't make it stale. You can still taste oak, sediment, and earth. I would describe it as "organic." (If this wine was a person, it would be a green-loving hippie haha). But at the same time you've got the apple and citrus fruit flavors of a Chard. And it's not too thick. I would not buy a case of this to drink and I would not bring it to a party as a white crowd-pleaser, but everyone should definitely try it to have the experience. The wine flew off the shelves after the event. I guess if you love it, LOVE it.
5. Diemersdal Chardonney Unwooded 2011- You know I'm a sucker for South African wine and surprise... I LOVED this Chard. I bought a bottle; it was hands down the best of the night in my opinion. The texture was perfect; smooth, crisp, and light. It has the perfect balance between apple and citrus. Since it was done in stainless steel, those flavors are unmasked. There is a little earth to it, but not as much as the others. Still nice and dry though. Yum yum yum!
6. Diemersdal Reserve- An oaked version of #5 and therefore much heavier in the mouth and butterier on the palate. It's just as balanced as #5 so really it comes down to personal preference: unoaked or oaked.
Here's to ending the A-B-C movement! (Another Bloody Chardonney)
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