Tag Archives: Chardonnay

Opening was a pain – but worth the effort

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The 2017 Chardonnay Max’s is packaged in an interesting grey wrap which might look good on a shelf but does make opening the bottle a pain (the Cabernet Sauvignon Max’s is even worse).

The wine, however, is rock solid.


Penfold’s Max’s Chardonnay is a tribute to former Chief Winemaker Max Schubert 1948-1975, a legend in Penfolds history. Max’s constant pursuit of excellence paved the way for those who followed in his footsteps and also allowed the status and heritage of Penfolds to grow. Max’s Chardonnay displays the Penfolds ‘stamp’ inspired by Max Schubert.


Pale straw colour with light green hints.  Appealing nose from the French Oak.  Nice acidity to round out the palate.  Slight citrusy edge.  Balanced. Complete.


CHARDONNAY – PENFOLDS MAX’S

$19.99  regularly $25.49

12.5 % alcohol

UPC: 09310297010523

Think Apples

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It’s slightly sweeter than we’re used to with a Chardonnay, but that’s just us.


This Chardonnay boasts ripe pear and apple notes. Citrusy on the palate and  moderately acidic.


Very Expressive and sends good vibes.

It’s by the Elicit Wine Project, part of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates of Washington State and definitely one to remember for the deck in the summertime.

In some locations, you’ll be able to buy it in Cans, to put on ice.

CHARDONNAY – FRUIT AND FLOWER

$15.47  regularly $18.99

13.7% Alcohol

UPC: 00088586010828

Feed me too

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The vineyard features fully sustainability.  I’d like to stop by, stay a night or two, and sample the food as well as their wines.  Restaurant. Deli.  And you can even do a farm picnic.


Their vision is to balance tradition and experience with contemporary innovation to produce classic wines with measured modern new world attitude that are uniquely Boschendal.


So we are sampling their Chardonnay.  The one with  hints of oak spice. Unirrigated, well drained, rocky shale terroir. Whole bunch pressed. Natural fermentation. Then 11 months in oak.


It is big on aroma and flavours, great nose with citrus on the palate. Well balanced, good complexity and roundness.


Early sampling sorta screamed pasta – so we did … with lots of garlic, red and yellow pepper strips, red onion, egg noodle pasta.

CHARDONNAY – BOSCHENDAL WESTERN CAPE 2019

$19.99

13.5% alcohol

UPC: 06001660003824

Mislabeled

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Definitely NOT evil flowers as the label indicates.

These belong on the list of The Wines of Summer.


Plunk me down in this chunk of South Western France. and let me wander.  I think we would do just fine weaving our way from vineyard to vineyard enjoying the wines of summer.


A little of this, a bit more of that, and lots of this – mix and match that go with tapas, cheeses, or even roasted poultry. Colombard, Ugni Blanc (known as Trebbiano in Italy), and Gros Manseng, along with international varieties like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Because they are high in acidity and have relatively neutral flavors, Colombard and Ugni Blanc are often distilled to make brandy in South West France.


I suggest that you serve the white a little colder than other whites.

COTES DE GASCOGNE – LES FLEURS DU MAL

$16.99

11.5% alcohol

UPC: 08717545260081


And then we experimented with berry fragrances and a clean, well-balanced finish.


20 to 40 year old vines in the Languedoc / Roussillon region.  


The wine worked really well with grilled pork tenderloin rings (salsa of apple, purple onion, and mushrooms)Great refresher in the heat.


CEVENNES ROSE – LES FLEURS DU MAL

$15.99

13% alcohol

UPC: 03495864011212

A perfect representation

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Just like the friends that brought it – gentle, bright, and well balanced.

From one of the most innovative producers in Burgundy, this chardonnay is easy to drink and disappears quickly. The valley near the Ardeche River with clay and limestone-based soils was chosen as the ideal location to produce a top-quality Chardonnay wine.

ARDECHE CHARDONNAY – LOUIS LATOUR

$18.99

13% alcohol

UPC: 0356692100010

For now and later

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The vineyard is near Verona and we have a beautiful blend of Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Tocai (Friulano), Cortese (Fernanda), Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon. 30 year old vines give us character.

A lovely yellow with green highlights.  Dry and Tangy.  Nicely full bodied and a long persistent after taste.

Enjoy it now, and stow it away for up to 4 or 5 years to enjoy later.

CUSTOZA SUPERIORE BIANCO – MONTE DEL FRA CA DEL MAGRO 2016

$21.99

13% Alcohol

UPC: 00838547000050

Flashback Dinner

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We were very pleased to see a Mondavi in Mystery Case #9.  We remember a dinner at the Empress Hotel decades ago with representatives from Mondavi for a tasting and dinner. A MOST enjoyable time.


In tribute, we created tenderloin kebabs (pork/Japanese Eggplant/small tomatoes/red yellow peppers/mushrooms) for our flashback dinner.


This wine is more acidic than I’d have expected from a Californian Chard (and this is a good thing), the Oak is still a little overpowering in my view, but certainly not completely out of balance. It’s full bodied with a nice rich texture. 


Not sure I’d call it ’new’ style, but it brings forward the not-as-oaky, unobtrusive flavours of the newer Chardonnays from California.

Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay 2017

$24.97

14.5 % Alcohol

Follows Through

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It smells light, tastes ripe in a medium bodied way.  It’s smooth and has a soft finish. There is a lovely crisp acidity to it.


 Simple but enjoyable and food friendly.

The grapes are from one of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards: Solano County, Mendocino County and Lake County in the Napa Valley. A late August harvest for the warmer climate blocks in Solano and Lake County and finishing at the end of September with Mendocino County grapes.


We chose scallops for our food pairing.  Music was Jazz at it’s best.

CHARDONNAY – WILLIAM HILL NORTH COAST 2017

$19.99 regularly $21.99

13.8% Alcohol

UPC: 00085000021590

Definitely Distinctive

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It’s fresh.  It’s light. It’s Fragrant.  Nice, but not offensively fruit driven.  Pinot Noir with a touch of Chardonnay.
This one is ideal as an aperitif or, as we did,  with an omelette with parboiled, then grilled, potato slices.
it was recently awarded a Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

ROSE – OYSTER BAY MARLBOROUGH 2020

$17.99 regularly $19.99

13% alcohol

UPC: 09415549805602

What gets imported where?

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Rather than import salmon into Croatia, it’s better to import their wine to BC and enjoy locally caught salmon.  The combination made for a great dinner.


Over a year ago we had their red.  And loved it, so were very much looking forward to sampling the white.


We certainly were not disappointed.  New varietals – Pošip 70%, Vugava 20%, Chardonnay 10%. Posip and Vugava bring freshness, with just a touch of chardonnay to round it out.. A most enjoyable wine.


This is an elegant, wonderfully balanced, white blend from Croatia’s Brac island. Jako Vino’s Stina range.

Stina refers to the white stone of the island. 


CUVEE WHITE – STINA 2018

$23.99

12.5% Alcohol

UPC: 03859892605742