Blind Tasting - Chardonnays

Tasted Monday, December 24, 2012 - Saturday, December 29, 2012 by isaacjamesbaker with 529 views

Introduction

All wines were tasted blind, knowing only that they were chardonnays. What a fine bunch of wines. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of styles in this bunch of chardonnays. This wasn't a mess of oak-slathered butter bombs. Many of the wines showed a lot of restraint and balance.

Flight 1 (14 Notes)

  • 2009 Stoller Chardonnay SV Estate 87 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (12/24/2012)

    Exotic aromas of pineapple, butter and hints of honey. Surprising acid kicks off the palate. There’s a really unique combination of rich apricot flavors and lemon peel and minerals. Creamy, but not heavy. Zesty, but not light.

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  • 2010 Adelsheim Chardonnay Stoller Vineyard 91 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (12/24/2012)

    Pretty light gold color. Lively and fresh on the nose, lots of flowers and lime (dare I say almost Chablis-like?), along with some honeydew melon. Very enticing on the nose. The palate shows a buttery texture, but there’s a huge amount of acid that keeps it balanced. I’m really impressed with the purity of the citrus and green apple flavors. There’s a lot of complexity and overall verve to this wine. It seems like it would be a lot of fun in another five years, but it's rocking now.

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  • 2009 Chehalem Chardonnay Ian's Reserve Stoller Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (12/24/2012)

    Very bright on the nose, with ripe peach, lime and fresh flowers. Zesty on the palate, but at the same time it shows generous creaminess and density. There’s a real sense of purity to the lemon and white peach flavors. Margarita salt carries the finish. This wine blends ripe fruit with bright acid and minerals in a focused and precise fashion. Delicious.

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  • 2010 Cornerstone Cellars Chardonnay Willamette Valley 90 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (12/24/2012)

    Light gold. Pears, golden apple and a hint of lime on the nose. Creamy mouthfeel, showing rich texture and generous flavors of yellow and green apples. Toast, hazelnut and butter flavors add complexity but remain secondary. This shows a lot of intensity and depth.

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  • 2010 Jordan Vineyard & Winery Chardonnay Russian River Valley 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    (12/24/2012)

    The aromas are really bright and fresh, with an almost sauvignon blanc-like combination of lime, grapefruit and a hint of herbs. Very tangy on the palate, with lime and papaya flavors. Even a hint of mineral. This is really a brisk and fresh style, and I was surprised to see it was Russian River fruit. Lean and zesty, but by no means simple.

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  • 2011 Inman Family Chardonnay 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    (12/24/2012)

    Aromas of white flowers, lemon and pineapple. Cream and butter combine with green apple and lemon fruit. It maintains freshness the entire time. Brisk and pure.

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  • 2010 Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay Carneros 85 Points

    USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

    (12/24/2012)

    Very ripe on the nose, with pear, mango and hints of honey. Plush texture combines with medium acid. This chardonnay is generous on the pineapple and cantaloupe flavors, with butterscotch and coconut accents.

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  • 2010 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (12/24/2012)

    Bright golden color. Very vibrant and floral on the nose, showing lots of orange blossom and honeysuckle aromas. High acid paves the way for the rich nectarine and pear flavors. There's a well-placed touch of hazelnut and toast, but there’s also a solid dose of minerals and lime, which gives this wine real verve. The density on the palate is impressive and the finish is really long. From nose to finish, a stunning chardonnay.

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  • 2010 Gainey Chardonnay 87 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    (12/24/2012)

    Medium gold colored. Layered aromas of pineapple, honey butter and toffee. Shows its boldness right away with golden pears, lemon candy and orange marmalade. Medium acid provides some balance and the plush texture makes it a pleasure to drink. Flavors of buttered rum, coconut and toast linger on the long, dense finish. Stylistically, this is big and bold, but very tasty.

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  • 2010 Hahn Chardonnay SLH Estate Vineyard 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

    (12/25/2012)

    Light golden color. Very bright on the nose, with white flowers and green apples, but aromas of butter and orange peel linger underneath. Viscous on the palate, with and oily texture. Gobs of pears and pineapple evolve into a mix of toast and ruby red grapefruit. The combination of factors makes for a really fun wine.

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  • 2011 Pepi Chardonnay 84 Points

    USA, California

    (12/25/2012)

    Straightforward aromas of lemon, grapefruit and green apple. The palate is full-bodied with medium acid, showing grapefruit and lime mixed with apricot and dried pineapple. No detectable oak. Not very deep or complex, but it’s balanced out quite nicely.

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  • 2010 Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay Reserve 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

    (12/29/2012)

    Bright gold colored. It’s clear from the nose that this is an elegant and ageworthy chardonnay. The aromas shift with air, showing white flowers, dried mango and pineapple, orange blossom. There’s a brightness to the aromas that is fantastic. The palate starts off with pineapple and papaya flavors and a dense mouthfeel. The acid comes through on the midpalate. The hazelnut and coconut element of this wine are really interesting. I can’t remember a wine that tasted more like coconut milk than this wine. And I really like it. Very complex and delicious, although I’m wagering this could age for a few more years and really improve, as it’s quite compact right now.

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  • 2011 Bonterra Vineyards Chardonnay 86 Points

    USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

    (12/29/2012)

    Smells like Hawaii, with pineapple, mango and papaya. On the palate, this wine is medium-bodied with rich melon and pineapple fruit. There's a flavor that reminds me of a coconut macaroon, and I like it. Big and bold, but easy to drink and a lot of fun.

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  • 2010 Stoller Chardonnay Reserve 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (12/29/2012)

    On the nose, aromas of pear and apple mingle with smoky minerals. I really like the mouthfeel, very silky, nice balance between acid and density. Green apple and pear flavors blend well with the creamy hazelnut aspect. There’s a nice mix of mineral and caramel on the finish.

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