Before meeting "My Beloved", I never really drank much wine, more of a beer guy. Well my wife and her family were/are big afficionados of that fair grape. My wife and I cycled over the years through several favorites, and although we now drink approx. 55% White and 45% Red, this is our "House Chard". For a while we were going over the top "oakey" with lots of Malolactic fermentation. We've softened on the over the top oak tastes and have arrived at this, our current favorite. We don't drink any other whites (almost) except for Chardonnay, so currently this is the one we keep stocked. We consider this at the top end of a "inexpensive wine" and at the low end of "moderately priced". Everyone's tastes and budgets are so different, so YMMV. Sometimes we can find this on sale for $12.99 a bottle, but the going price is $13.99. Of course if you buy it by the case, a 5% discount is applied (at least at Binnys, our local wine superstore). I believe we stumbled across this one when trying to find a good bottle at a reasonable price. This is the 3rd iteration of our "House Chard" with our first being "Columbia Crest Grand Estates" (also from Washington) and then "Toasted Head). We do not seem to care for the French Chardonnays that much and prefer the good ol' USA ones which to our tastes tend to have a bit more oak.
Varietal:
Chardonnay
Vintage:
2008
Winemakers description:
The warmth of the Wahluke Slope produces Chardonnay with an appealing tropical fruit character and rich texture. The Indian Wells Chardonnay delivers ripe tropical pineapple flavors and showcases the luscious opulence of Washington fruit. This wine pairs well with scallops, scampi or pasta with slightly richer sauces.
- Ripe grapes were lightly pressed and inoculated with Epernay II yeast for accentuated, fruit-forward flavors.
- Fermented in American and French oak barrels, 32 % new.
- 100% sur lie aged for seven months to integrate the fruit and oak flavors and provide a rich mouthfeel.
- Malolactic fermentation also took place to add softness, balance and depth
Price:
$13.99 a bottle
My description:
This is our house chard for the same reason that everyone has their "house" wines, we love it and the price is right....for us. I actually drink a lot less Chardonnay and sometimes opt for sake when my wife is drinking Chard. Switch from drinking something else (sake, a red, etc) and moving to this chard is an interesting experiment in tastes. I immediately notice the softmouth feel and taste the oakiness with a tinge of the pineapple. Right now Washington wines are considered a bargain as they are typically cheaper than California wines of the same caliber. We tend to like chards with some oak, but not over the top. For us, this one provides a great taste of oak with touches of the fruit. Works for us!
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