WINE & LIFESTYLE REPORT
Exploring Chardonnay with Manuel Moreira
May 2012
A wine tasting held at AEP - Associação Escanções Portugal (Portuguese sommelier association), conducted by the experienced Manuel Moreira, top Portuguese sommelier, wine advisor, educator and co-owner of restaurant G-Spot, which intended to explore the behaviour of the Chardonnay grape in different wine producing regions.
This tasting confirmed the chameleon character of this widely planted grape, that expresses itself in a myriad of ways depending on the natural conditions of a specific region and the winemaking options.
All tasting notes are my views on the wines and in no way express official opinions of Manuel Moreira. Wines were tasted in the following order:
Juan Carrau Chardonnay Cepas Nobles 2009, Canelones Uruguay
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (15/20) - good quality, fresh fruit flavours well balanced by the marked acidity, racy but very one sided and asking for some more concentration of flavour. Ready to drink, not intended for ageing. Seems like a nice match for mussels.
Approximate retail price - €12
Conclusions (15/20) - good quality, fresh fruit flavours well balanced by the marked acidity, racy but very one sided and asking for some more concentration of flavour. Ready to drink, not intended for ageing. Seems like a nice match for mussels.
Approximate retail price - €12
Finca Flichman Misterio Oaked Chardonnay 2009, Argentine, Mendonza
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (13,5/20) - Acceptable quality, still showing some fruit concentration, but overripe and unbalanced with too much oak evidence. I find it past it's best already.
Approximate retail price - €8
Conclusions (13,5/20) - Acceptable quality, still showing some fruit concentration, but overripe and unbalanced with too much oak evidence. I find it past it's best already.
Approximate retail price - €8
Ravens Wood Vintners Blend 2008, California AVA, USA
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (15,25/20) - good quality, loads of fresh tropical fruit, round and ripe but with a balancing acidity through the pleasing finish. A fun, hedonistic wine to drink now.
Approximate retail price - €8
Conclusions (15,25/20) - good quality, loads of fresh tropical fruit, round and ripe but with a balancing acidity through the pleasing finish. A fun, hedonistic wine to drink now.
Approximate retail price - €8
William Cole Mirador Selction Chardonnay 2006 Casablanca Valley Chile
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (16/20) - very good quality wine, good structure, a ripe tropical fruit character but balanced with refreshing acidity. Elegant creaminess, very smooth mouth-fell, an alluring wine that is ready to drink, in fact it is peeking.
Approximate retail price - €12
Conclusions (16/20) - very good quality wine, good structure, a ripe tropical fruit character but balanced with refreshing acidity. Elegant creaminess, very smooth mouth-fell, an alluring wine that is ready to drink, in fact it is peeking.
Approximate retail price - €12
Graham Beck Waterside unoaked Chardonnay 2009 Robertson, South Africa
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (15/20) - good quality, zesty and fresh hinting a cool climate, good balance but fairly simple. Ready to drink it will keep nicely for the next 2 years.
Approximate retail price - €8
Conclusions (15/20) - good quality, zesty and fresh hinting a cool climate, good balance but fairly simple. Ready to drink it will keep nicely for the next 2 years.
Approximate retail price - €8
Hardy's Mill Cellars Chardonnay 2010 Australia
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (14/20) - Fluid, massively fruity and appealing as a party, fun drink with a very competitive price tag. All matters concerned this manages to be a good wine, very technical therefore flawless but also lacking in character, kind of like an alcoholic pineapple juice. Ready to drink not intended for ageing whatsoever.
Approximate retail price - €4
Conclusions (14/20) - Fluid, massively fruity and appealing as a party, fun drink with a very competitive price tag. All matters concerned this manages to be a good wine, very technical therefore flawless but also lacking in character, kind of like an alcoholic pineapple juice. Ready to drink not intended for ageing whatsoever.
Approximate retail price - €4
Donnafugata La Fuga Chardonnay 2007 DOC Contessa Entellina, Sicily, Italy
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (17/20) - very good quality here, an original wine with sense of place and personality. Very spacious and round mouth-feel, ripe fruit notes mellowed with mineral notes that render a complex ensemble. A wine for food but also for thought! It is ready to drink but its structure lends it room for improvement for the next couple of years.
Approximate retail price - €14
Conclusions (17/20) - very good quality here, an original wine with sense of place and personality. Very spacious and round mouth-feel, ripe fruit notes mellowed with mineral notes that render a complex ensemble. A wine for food but also for thought! It is ready to drink but its structure lends it room for improvement for the next couple of years.
Approximate retail price - €14
Torres Gran Viña Sol Chardonnay 2008 Penedès Spain
Tasted May 2012
Grapes - Chardonnay (85%) and Parellada (15%)
Conclusions (16/20) - very good quality wine, fluid and supple, voluminous and round but fresh and vibrant, showing even a note of austerity which is welcome. Interesting blend of grapes, body and structure from Chardonnay spiked by Parellada with its crispy character. Pretty ready to drink right now.
Approximate retail price - €10
Grapes - Chardonnay (85%) and Parellada (15%)
Conclusions (16/20) - very good quality wine, fluid and supple, voluminous and round but fresh and vibrant, showing even a note of austerity which is welcome. Interesting blend of grapes, body and structure from Chardonnay spiked by Parellada with its crispy character. Pretty ready to drink right now.
Approximate retail price - €10
Tapada de Coelheiros Chardonnay 2009 Regional Alentejo
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (16,75/20) - very good quality, broad but elegant. Creamy with lots of matter but with a nice freshness balancing out this ripe, full character and the oaky sweetness, which I hope gets better integrated along the way with some bottle age. So it is ready to drink but I think it will be better around 2014.
Approximate retail price - €15
Conclusions (16,75/20) - very good quality, broad but elegant. Creamy with lots of matter but with a nice freshness balancing out this ripe, full character and the oaky sweetness, which I hope gets better integrated along the way with some bottle age. So it is ready to drink but I think it will be better around 2014.
Approximate retail price - €15
La Chablisienne Chablis AC La Pierrelée 2006, Burgundy, France
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (16,5/20) - very good quality, showing clear sense of place. Good volume and nice texture on the palate, vibrant and precise fruit aromas, slightly more creamier than most village Chablis but very fresh with mouthwatering acidity. Showing perfect drink ability right now, but with enough structure to endure a couple more years in bottle.
Approximate retail price - €12
Conclusions (16,5/20) - very good quality, showing clear sense of place. Good volume and nice texture on the palate, vibrant and precise fruit aromas, slightly more creamier than most village Chablis but very fresh with mouthwatering acidity. Showing perfect drink ability right now, but with enough structure to endure a couple more years in bottle.
Approximate retail price - €12
J. de Telmont Insolite Chardonnay 2005 Coteaux Champenois
Tasted May 2012
Conclusions (18/20) - Outstanding and curious wine with a particularly strong sense of origin, very delicate but super intricate, full of complex nuances that incite to keep smelling and tasting, totally contextualized in the Champagne terroir. A note of rustic austerity that lends it lots of character. Ends with a zesty freshness that sticks to your palate forever!
Approximate retail price - €56
Conclusions (18/20) - Outstanding and curious wine with a particularly strong sense of origin, very delicate but super intricate, full of complex nuances that incite to keep smelling and tasting, totally contextualized in the Champagne terroir. A note of rustic austerity that lends it lots of character. Ends with a zesty freshness that sticks to your palate forever!
Approximate retail price - €56
