Community Tasting Note

BoozingIt wrote:

Sunday, February 7, 2010 - Region: Chile
Appellation: Curico Valley
Price: $9.79

Label: Most of our white wines come from the Curio Valley, where our main winery is located. Chardonnay from Curico has long been recognized as among the best from chile.

This wine is fermented 75% in American oak barrels, 25% in stainless steel with 45% of malolactic fermentation. The process is carried out under controlled temperature conditions to maintain the fruity aromas. Pale gold color with shades of green, its aroma blends butter, hints of vanilla and topical fruit. Fresh and fruity, with good body and balance and a creamy complexity in mid palate, with an elegant and persistent finish.

Review: This 2008 Chardonnay has the color of young wheat. A soft yellow with a slight green tint. I like the nose on this wine. I get aromas of light buttered popcorn, lemonhead candy, starfruit and cut green grass with hints of vanilla bean and unripe green pear. Flavors of lemon, sour apple, pear, toasted oak and candle wax on the palate. I get Band-Aids and Toast on the finish. It is really creamy on the mid palate; red clay really coats your mouth. It's like chewing on Silly Putty. I'm also picking up hints of bacons bits on the finish. Its candle wax melted over popcorn and sprinkled with shredded beef jerky as a topping. Off dry, lively acidity and a very long finish. Very long as in forever!

I love chemistry, so I'm going to nerd out a little. This wine is very bretty! Brettanomyces usually occurs mostly in red wines. However it’s abundant here. This is because 45% of this Chardonnay goes through malolactic fermentation. They alter their environment by warming it to promote this process. This is why you get those green apple notes a common flavor of malolactic fermentation. It doesn't appear to have been properly controlled or filtered. When Brettanomyces occurs it can give you flavors that range from Band-Aids to Bacon. I enjoy bacon bits. Band Aids with you favorite superhero are cool, but antiseptic on the palate can be seriously off putting. The creamy mid palate may be from lactobacillus, which gives you buttermilk. If not controlled can give you a texture of sludge.

This wine is okay now. It’s slightly above average. I don’t want to come across to negative. However Brettanomyces is a living organism and I feel this bottle may get worse with age. I do hear good things about their Alpha Series.

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