Pot luck dinner with blind chardonnay
My house
Tasted Saturday, March 18, 2017 by ThomasE with 188 views
Introduction
Pot luck dinner with friends, with the focus being New Zealand Chardonnay blind tasting. An interesting imposter thrown into the second flight to keep everyone on their toes and some red later on with a cheeseboard
Flight 1 - Northland style Bell Inn smokies (3 Notes)
Grouping of the three cheaper chardonnays, all were enjoyable but the Vidal really punched above its weight. Worked well with the oily smoked mullet
Flight 2 - Gnocchi with garlic oyster mushrooms and sage burnt butter/ Three cheese vegetable lasagne (3 Notes)
Irongate stole the show here, really enjoyable flight, KR was great too but probably needs more time to show its true colours. Aged Arneis was an interesting imposter; was picked by most of the drinkers. Certainly a good alternative; there are a few NZ producers experimenting with this italian grape
Flight 3 - Cheese board (2 Notes)
Two nice but different wine. Was really impressed by the Wolfblass, I expected it to be too young but thankfully not over spiced.
Closing
Really enjoyable tasting, Unanimous wine of the evening was the Irongate, the rest of the bottle was demolished in no time. It was nice to see the Vidal hold up well in a blind tasting. I enjoyed the GV Pinot, although it needs time to fully develop
2014 Akarua Chardonnay Central Otago 85 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Pale, Citrus aromas, touch of smoke. Garden lemon, grapefruit on the palate, high acidity, some steely aspects, crisp but fades quickly and not particularly memorable. May develop with time
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2015 Vidal Estate Chardonnay Reserve 90 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Pale straw, stone fruits, touch of tropical and some floral aromas. Well balanced palate with fruit, but also butterscotch and hint of coconut. Stood up to rich food well, medium finish. Great wine, particularly considering its price point
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2014 Te Kairanga Chardonnay 88 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough
Pale Yellow, Bold aromas, stone fruit, melon, freshly cut cooking apples, touch of honey. Reasonable palate, good dense fruity flavours, with splattering of oak, some mild buttery aspects but not overtly complex. Enjoyable wine, stands up to food well
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