Finally we have a TWITs plan for August. Hope you can make it. We will be doing our usual blind tasting method, and tasting Chardonnays from various regions in the world.
NOTE: we will be capping attendance at 16 total people, so that we have enough wine for everyone.
RSVP via email to reserve your spot.
WHEN: Thursday, August 23rd, 2018 - 7:30pm ET
THEME: Chardonnay Showdown - we will do our usual blind tasting method
BRING: TWITs should bring 1 bottle of Chardonnay wine - a white wine varietal - (from any region in the world) within the suggested price range - $20/bottle for singles, up to $40/bottle for couples
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new and developing wine regions, growing Chardonnay is seen as a "rite of passage" and an easy entry into the international wine market.
The Chardonnay grape itself is neutral, with many of the flavors commonly associated with the wine being derived from such influences as terroir and oak. It is vinified in many different styles, from the lean, crisply mineral wines of Chablis, France, to New World wines with oak and tropical fruit flavors. In cool climates (such as Chablis and the Carneros AVA of California), Chardonnay wine tends to be medium to light body with noticeable acidity and flavors of green plum, apple, and pear. In warmer locations (such as the Adelaide Hills and Mornington Peninsula in Australia and Gisborne and Marlborough region of New Zealand), the flavors become more citrus, peach, and melon, while in very warm locations (such as the Central Coast AVA of California), more fig and tropical fruit notes such as banana and mango come out. Wines that have gone through malolactic fermentation tend to have softer acidity and fruit flavors with buttery mouthfeel and hazelnut notes.
Chardonnay is an important component of many sparkling wines around the world, including Champagne and Franciacorta in Italy.
Chardonnay's popularity peaked in the late 1980s, then gave way to a backlash among those wine connoisseurs who saw the grape as a leading negative component of the globalization of wine. Nonetheless, it is one of the most widely planted grape varieties, with 210,000 hectares (520,000 acres) worldwide, second only to Airén among white wine grapes and fifth among all wine grapes.
Source: Wikipedia
Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine: 2016 Binyamina Yogev Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc - $19.99 @ Total Wine
13.5% alcohol. Blend of 60% Chardonnay & 40% Sauvignon Blanc
"In Hebrew, Yogev means farmer, toiler of the soil. This label reflects the winegrower’s contribution to the production of quality wines. Yogev wines are aged in used barrels in order to preserve the natural qualities of the winegrowers’ fruit. The chardonnay forms a foundation of luxurious pear and tropical fruit, and the Sauvignon Blanc contributes herb and lemongrass notes plus a crackling acidity. In cooler months, Binyamina Yogev Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc is equally delicious served with cheese fondue or roast chicken."
TWITs Notes: has viscosity, pungent earthy aroma, dark, rich, color is pale lemonade, a little green, punch bubble gum nose, acidic, good starter wine, but meh.
1) 2016 Domaine Chene Macon-Milly-Lamartine - $16.99 @ WTSO
13% alcohol
tropical fruit, passion fruit, citrus, tasty, like it, acidic, sauv blanc not chardonnay flavors, honeysuckle, sticky fruit, apricot, rich, oaked, creamy, pineapple, the "NOT" Chardonnay, peachy, stone fruit, sticky, not very acidic to some, Guesses: Hawaii, Australia
2) 2013 Domaine Gerard Tremblay Chablis Grand Cru "Vaudesir" ~ $50 @ Brookhaven Wines
13% alcohol
flowers, hay taste, pepper, mild, lemons, tart wine, sweet tarts, it has grip, lemon bar, sawdust nose, fuzzy tongue, needs something salty or chunky to pair with, oysters w/salinity would be nice, chalky, limestone, guesses: coastal
3) NV Simply Naked Unoaked Chardonnay - $11.99 Buford Hwy Farmers Market
13.5% alcohol
pale color, light perfume, burst of flavor, butterscotch, banana creme, viscous, lemon meringue, salinity, finish drops off, apple
4) 2015 Yonah Mountain (Georgia) Estate Chardonnay ~ $40 from winery
13.2% alcohol
roast beef nose, mushrooms, meaty, funky, roasted nuts, syrupy like a Tokaji, wet dog, wet cardboard, pairs with blue cheese, Riesling-like, petrol nose, pair with roast chicken w mushrooms, young vintage, all kinds of edges. Guesses: South America
5) 2015 Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Arbois Les Graviers Chardonnay, Jura, France ~ $50 @ Perrines
14% alcohol
smoky, honey, thicc (with 2 c's), agave, burnt edge, tar finish, oxidated, so burnt, hazelnuts, burnt nuts, rosemary, caramel palate, earthy, briny, more minerality & acidity, more freshness than the last one, warm, a gringo with cajones, winter white
Guesses; Lodi? Italy?
6) 2014 Middleton Family Wines - Inconceivable Chardonnay "Queen of Tides" Santa Barbara County ~ $20 @ Ansley Wine Merchant
14.1% alcohol
toasty bread, well-balanced, classic chardonnay,
Guesses: California? Pouilly Fuisse?
7) 2016 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis - $31.99 @ Toco Giant
12.5% alcohol
classic chardonnay, tangy, dried fruit salad, stone fruit, urine, chalky, lemon and lime
Guesses: standard California Chardonnay?
8) 2016 Banshee Rickshaw Chardonnay ~ $16.99 @ Hop City
13.5% alcohol
pork, meat, savory, ramen, dry, Tahitian vanilla, oysters
Guesses: Pic-Poul?
9) 2016 Leese & Fitch Chardonnay ~ $12 @ Buford Hwy Farmers Market
13.5% alcohol
pale nose, apricot, citrus, crisp, beach friendly, starter wine, too light, not too oaky, SOLID.
10) 2016 Game of Thrones Chardonnay - $18.99 @ DeKalb Famers Market
13.5% alcohol
herbaceous, green, kissed by angels, very pleasant, creamy & buttery, dragons, Winter is Coming, warm
11) 2015 Keefer Ranch Failla Chardonnay - $44.95 @ Brookhaven Wines
13.8% alcohol
kissed by ALL the angels, pork belly, celery root nose, good viscosity, citrus, eagles freedom, red white and blue, mature, stone fruits, smells like crepes, tastes like French
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