June 05, 2006

Chardonnay

Talley chardonnay wins at historic tasting
Talley Vineyards of Arroyo Grande was named best chardonnay at The Judgment of Paris 30th anniversary event Wednesday in Napa Valley. The second flight included Talleys chardonnay and five other California chardonnays.
www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/14662779.htm

Peay Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2002
But that's not important right now.) Peay Chardonnay is one of those wines. Produced by Andy Peay with Venessa Wong as winemaker, (I've been here before...) the Peay Chardonnay from the coastal hills of the Sonoma coast is lush, fragrant, delicious, and amazing.
webmarin.com/blog/2006/05/peay-sonoma-coast-chardonnay-2002.html

Robert's Rock Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay 2005
This inexpensive ($10-$11) Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay mix from Robert's Rock came across mostly as a Chardonnay.
willettsonwine.blogspot.com/2006/05/roberts-rock-chenin-blancchardonnay.html

Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay 2004
This venerable, affordable, well-known popular Chardonnay is not resting on its laurels, but seems to be challenging the rest of the field to do more. What's there not to like about this classic Chardonnay?
volunteer.blogs.com/winewaves/2006/05/kendalljackson_.html

Enjoying light Italian whites
Some producers also blend some Chardonnay with this grape to give more structure and flavours to the final wine. From the Veneto located in North East Italy, these wines are made from the Garaganega grapes but can also be blended with some Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Trebbiano.
www.canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060603/TTLIFE04/606030367/-1/LIFE

Domaine Ramonet Puligny-Montrachet "Les Enseignères" 2001
Wendy deserved a special Chardonnay for her birthday.
www.winorama.com.au/?p=595

I'm Not Even Going to Try to Explain Why I Ate the Lizard Egg
It was really wonderful but the bottles went missing by the time I took notes at the end of the evening so I can't say anything more about what it was than that it was a classically crisp 2000 French chardonnay with no oak. Our gracious host also opened an oaked chardonnay for comparison (also French and quite nice).
winefoolery.blogspot.com/2006/05/im-not-even-going-to-try-to-explain.html

Ron Coleman, Tamarack Cellars
Kinda like how it never seems to get old for everyone to sneer at oaky Chardonnay.
thecorkanddemon.blogspot.com/2006/05/ron-coleman-tamarack-cellars.html

Corks of the Forks: Three Vintages. Three Styles. One Grape.
It highlights what one North Fork winery, Paumanok Vineyards, is doing with their chardonnay program. You are all well aware of my love affair with low-to-no oak chardonnay, but I was reminded of an important lesson with these wines.
lennthompson.typepad.com/lenndevours/2006/05/corks_of_the_fo.html

Friends turn their passion for wine into business
In most cases, his offers to swirl, sniff and sip the creamy Chardonnay meet with eager acceptance. It's been more than a month since Mortorff sold out of Chardonnay.
www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/14738736.htm

Hendry Napa Unoaked Chardonnay 2005
The vintage is well captured in this edgy Chardonnay. The fruit for Hendry Unoaked Chardonnay 2005 was all estate grown, a blend of blocks 9, 19, 20 and 21.
volunteer.blogs.com/winewaves/2006/05/hendry_napa_uno.html

Skywalker Ranch 2004 Chardonnay
The 2004 Skywalker Ranch Chardonnay will go on sale Monday, May 15th. There's a special offer to all readers of TheForce.net
www.theforce.net/collecting/story/Skywalker_Ranch_2004_Chardonnay_98467.asp

2004 Hess Collection Chardonnay – Napa Valley
As the Hess Collection’s chardonnay vineyards in American Canyon in southeast Napa Valley have reached maturity, their resulting wine has improved dramatically. This medium-bodied chardonnay is great for just drinking.
www.vailtrail.com/article/20060517/VALLEYLIFE12/60517007

My Guilty Pleasure
Big, fruity, buttery, oaky, in-your-face, so-over, 90s-style chardonnay. Chardonnay always has seemed to be a very loaded sort of wine compared with other varieties.
article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDlmMjBkMDU0MDZjNzdkMzllNzIyNDA0NTczM2RlNmI=

Tasting Notes for May 13, 2006
Wine 3: 2004 Paringa Chardonnay-Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc. Grapefruit on the nose, but the creamy feel and taste of Chardonnay.
wine-by-benito.blogspot.com/2006/05/tasting-notes-for-may-13-2006.html

Hoddles Creek Chardonnay 2004
wino-sapien.blogspot.com/2006/05/hoddles-creek-chardonnay-2004.html

WTN: Macari Vineyards 2004 Estate Chardonnay
Macari Vineyards 2004 Estate Chardonnay ($15) is a lean, crisp white made in stainless steel tanks.
lennthompson.typepad.com/lenndevours/2006/05/wtn_macari_vine.html

Devil's Lair Chardonnay 2004
wino-sapien.blogspot.com/2006/05/devils-lair-chardonnay-2004.html

Bonterra Mendocino Chardonnay 2004
Bonterra Chardonnay '04 is all organic chardonnay, 92% from Mendocino County.
volunteer.blogs.com/winewaves/2006/05/bonterra_mendoc.html

'01 Marcassin Chardonnay - Marcassin Vineyard - Magic in Gold
www.winerebel.com/WR/Wine%20of%20the%20Moment/7D8F3243-F78A-44CA-9842-8629E85B3D2D.html

Chateau St Jean Sonoma Chardonnay 2004
Once again, with the 2004 vintage, you can count on Chateau St Jean to put out a richer Sonoma Chardonnay than most under $15 bottles.
volunteer.blogs.com/winewaves/2006/05/chateau_st_jean.html

Quick tasting at Bethel Heights
Being the driver, I sampled just a few including a 2004 stainless steel fermented and aged Chardonnay that was varietal and fairly crisp with a pleasant flavor.
elevage.blogspot.com/2006/04/quick-tasting-at-bethel-heights.html

Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay 2005
Kim Crawford paves the way for the growing trend of Chardonnay marketed as Unoaked or Unwooded.
volunteer.blogs.com/winewaves/2006/05/kim_crawford_un.html

Joseph Phelps Chardonnay Los Carneros (Napa) 2003
Smith-Madrone Chardonnay (Napa Valley) 2001
www.professorbainbridgeonwine.com/2006/05/joseph_phelps_c.html

Smith-Madrone Chardonnay (Napa Valley) 2001
www.professorbainbridgeonwine.com/2006/05/smithmadrone_ch.html

Frank Family Chardonnay (Napa Valley) 2005
www.professorbainbridgeonwine.com/2006/06/frank_family_ch.html

Mumm launches prestige champagne: Mumm Grand Cru
www.bkwine.com//blog/2006/05/mumm-launches-prestige-champagne-mumm.html

WHEW what a trip
Rotari Arte Italiano Cuvee 28 Trento DOC 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir.
spacecitywineblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/whew-what-trip.html

GNGNB Ep31: Wine Blogging Wednesday#21
The Girl (and my lovely wife Pam) has cooked a delicious meal, and I chose the 2004 J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay as detailed below. WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS The 2004 J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay is a youthful yellow in color, with aromas of white flowers, lime custard, citrus and baked pear.
feeds.feedburner.com/AGuyAGirlAndABottle?m=76

A Week in Review...
You'd think Chardonnay would make a great pairing with tamales, so long as the tamales were mild.
everydaywinepairings.blogspot.com/2006/05/week-in-review.html

Vive La Difference
Au contraire, the winners were a Napa, California Cab and a Napa, California Chardonnay.
grapemashstash.blogspot.com/2006/05/vive-la-difference.html

The world's most planted grape variety
It is not Sangiovese, Italy's most popular red grape with over 250,000 hectares/617,763 acres under vine, nor Chardonnay, California's leading varietal with 37,810 hectares/93,431 acres planted.
manageyourcellar.blogspot.com/2006/06/worlds-most-planted-grape-variety.html

Rosenblum Vintners Cuvee Blanc V
Here is a fun fresh fruity alternative to Chardonnay and a perfect picnic partner.
volunteer.blogs.com/winewaves/2006/05/rosenblum_vintn.html

New Releases at the College Cellars
Two outstanding wines (besides their Chardonnay that I wrote about in Wine Blog Wednesday #21), were the 2003 Klipsun Merlot and the 2004 Governor's Blend.
wildwallawallawinewoman.blogspot.com/2006/05/new-releases-at-college-cellars.html

Oregon whites
elevage.blogspot.com/2006/05/oregon-whites.html

Link
A rich yet delicate chardonnay that maintained its freshness despite its obvious concentration.
thecaveman.blogspot.com/2006/05/bruno-clairs-burgundy-few-wines.html

Stoller's new LEED-certified winery
elevage.blogspot.com/2006/05/stollers-new-leed-certified-winery.html

50 in 50 #4: Arkansas -- Chateau Aux Arc
Audrey focuses on and Chardonnay and Cynthiana, but also grow Kerner, Muller Thurgau, Schreube, Oraniensteiner, Cabernet, Primitivo, Zinfandel, Vidal and more. I started with their 2003 Dragonfly Ranch Chardonnay ($14), a white done in stainless steel.
www.wellfed.net/winesediments/winesediments.php/2006/05/26/50_in_50_4_arkansas_chateau_aux_arc

Instant Champagne knowledge
There are seven permitted grape varieties but only three are significant: Pinot Noir (12,254 ha), Pinot Meunier (10,877 ha) and Chardonnay (8,952 ha).
www.bkwine.com//blog/2006/05/instant-champagne-knowledge.html

Link
I believe it's Chardonnay and Macabeo (55%, 45%) though check that before posting.
www.wineanorak.com/blog/2006/05/two-fairly-serious-rich-white-wines-to.html

The week in review.
A buttery, grilled pineapple chardonnay, followed by a big boned cabernet malbec.
wino-sapien.blogspot.com/2006/05/week-in-review.html

Tawse and Toronto Vintners Club
The Toronto Vintners Club recently tasted through a number of 2002 Chardonnay's from Ontario, California and Australia.
bereskin.typepad.com/wineblog/2006/05/tawse_and_toron.html

Kay Simon, Chinook Wines
Chinook Winery makes a bit of all the Bordeaux varieties plus Chardonnay, but it's the Franc I'm most interested in.
thecorkanddemon.blogspot.com/2006/05/kay-simon-chinook-wines.html

The Season for Riesling
Chardonnay is great, but it tends to be heavy, at least as far as a white wine goes.
blog.wineeducation.com/2006/05/season-for-riesling.html

Perfect Red Wine for the Texas Heat!
The focus today is on hand crafted estate bottled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Olivet Lane vineyard in Russian River Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the family's Cloverdale Ranch in Alexander Valley, and an old clone Zinfandel from their Eight Cousin's vineyard.
texacaliwinetrail.blogspot.com/2006/05/perfect-red-wine-for-texas-heat.html

Tasmanian Wine Tasting Notes At Winorama
The wines covered include the 2003 Freycinet Pinot Noir, 2003 Frogmore Creek Pinot Noir, 2004 Freycinet Chardonnay and the 2005 Maestro Pinot Grigio.
www.pinotisland.com/index.php?p=219