July 13, 2006

Chardonnay

Wine News
At least they serve some, and quite generously. I did not finish this Les Pilliers 2005, Chardonnay-Viognier, vin de pays du Gard (a sip was enough), but the Bordeaux I chose on the next leg of the trip was a little more ...

Simply chardonnay
Green-apple skin and citrus notes mark this clean fresh, well-made chardonnay that is perfect for warm or cold chicken drumsticks.

The umami of miso lifts Chardonnay
The slightly rich dish needs a Chardonnay that's not too oaky and buttery. The corn and coconut milk play to the sweet fruit and buttery notes in the wine, while a hint of vanilla in the broth echoes Chardonnay's occasional spice and vanilla notes.

Fruit dominates Washington state chardonnay
We have found the climate and soil produce a chardonnay that usually is dominated by tropical and-or citrus fruit.

Green Point wines
• 2002 Green Point Chardonnay — * * * * 1/2 — wet river stones and minerals, not unlike a top white burgundy; more austere than the average Aussie chardonnay, and the better for it; versatile with food, from shellfish to roast chicken; undervalued at $20. • 2003 Green Point Chardonnay — * * * * — has the same seam of acidity and minerality, reflecting the climate of the Yarra Valley; fruit is a little more open than the '02; about $20.

Wine briefs
Chablis is a region of Burgundy known for its signature way with the chardonnay grape. Restaurants also are more likely to group chablis, no matter where its from, under the generic chardonnay heading on menus and wine lists because chardonnay is a much more familiar name to consumers.

Wine
Its chance to settle old scores with chardonnay, its archrival in France, is best right now, when the call goes out for cool sipping, quaffable wines. In those areas, where chardonnay is often pretty blah, sauvignon blanc has met with astounding success.

Carneros Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the top-selling white wine and the most-planted white grape in California. TWO STARS 2004 Acacia Carneros Chardonnay [$20] Sweet oak overlays ripe pear, apple and melon aromas in this wine.

A taste for chardonnay grows
Chardonnay is often criticized for having too much oak and too little acid, or for just being boring, generic or - worst of all - ubiquitous. There is even a movement called Anything But Chardonnay (ABC).

Tasters choice
With advances in the vineyards and cellars, Michigan is developing its own style of Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir, along with Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Merlot; whites have zesty acidity; reds are more earthy in the European tradition. Winemaker Lee Lutes hits his stride with the 2005 varietals, but try any vintage of his Pinot Noirs, which British wine expert Tom Stevenson once called "the wine he wants for dinner." The '05 whites are fruit-driven and powerful, including the Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Semi-Dry Riesling and Sur Lie Chardonnay.

'Today': Our expert recommends great rose wines
Wine magazines put pinot noir and chardonnay in bold type; rosé never gets to be the cover girl.

Australias Green Point subtly impressive
I had a glass of 4-year-old chardonnay in front of me. It was the best Australian chardonnay I've had in ages — the 2002 Green Point Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley in the state of Victoria.