A friend of mine loves her Chardonnay to be buttery. She doesn’t mean that she really wishes the entire bottle of Chardonnay would be smooth, creamy, and only taste like butter. No, instead what she means is that she wishes that he Chardonnay would have a beautiful, crisp character with a round body, and toasty, buttery elements laced throughout. A decade ago, you could merely grab a handful of California examples, and you’d be ok. That’s not the case anymore, but if you’re dying for straight butter, Cousiño-Macul Antiguas Reservas Chardonnay might get your through the night.
Sight: A pale gold with hints of green.
Smell: Heavily perfumed with tons of floral notes and good amounts of butter. The nose picks up flecks of pineapple, white peach, and pear.
Sip: The body is round, full, and a little flabby. There’s a huge amount of cream and butter that come through with a hint of almond. The fruit flavors are better defined but still on the more subtle side with pineapple and pear leading the charge. Spice grows at it warms.
Savor: The ending isn’t quite crisp, but coats the tongue with a lanolin like touch of lemon, pineapple, and lots of butter.
Cousiño-Macul Antiguas Reservas Chardonnay is a fun example of what an entire oak barrel can do for you. The amount of oaking going on here is well over the top, and the fruit suffers for it. However, if you’re an old school, ‘give me a huge amount of butter in my chard’ lover, then grab yourself a bottle of Cousiño-Macul Antiguas Reservas Chardonnay.
Verdict: Butter, Pineapple, Floral, Cream
Rating: 79
Price: $12
Maipo Valley, Chile