Welcome to the third in our quick refresher series on Wine 101! We led off with Riesling, and now are on to Chardonnay!
Quick Facts on Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is the fullest of the whites for the six noble grapes. When made well, Chardonnay has beautiful tropical fruit or pear flavors, lends itself well striking balance with oak, and can have a creamy mouthfeel thanks to malolactic fermentation.
Color: White
Style: Dry
Body: Heavy
General Characteristics: Round, Tropical Fruits, Pome Fruits (Apples, Pears, Etc), Good Candidate For Oak Aging
Notable Regions: Australia, California, France (Burgundy, Champagne)
Domaine Jean Touzot Mâcon Villages Chardonnay 2014
While the official bottle for last year’s Wine 101 was Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay, the unofficial nod has been given to Valley of the Moon Chardonnay (which was unbelievably good). While both are still available, is Domaine Jean Touzot Mâcon Villages Chardonnay a viable alternative?
Sight: A light, medium gold, with lighter than expected edges.
Smell: The nose is a little on the subtler side, with vanilla and stone fruit playing prominent roles. There’s an interesting touch of blueberries, but more of the smells lean into the apricot, lemon, and cream spectrum. The nose has a hint of lemon pith and starfruit, giving it a more bitter edge.
Sip: The body is full, and starts off bone dry. The roundness carries through, and a creaminess comes into the texture, giving it a slightly oily texture. There are pops of cream, nectarine, apricot, and lemon that drives the flavor profile. The lemon does lean pithy, and a bitterness kind of pervade, with touches of lime peel and starfruit.
Savor: The ending has a bit of pear, some starfruit, and more of the creaminess. The finish lingers for a while, and doesn’t get as pervasively bitter as some of the earlier experience.
Domaine Jean Touzot Mâcon Villages Chardonnay is a little more bitter than most folks will enjoy. While the flavors are there, and texturally the wine is sound, it just is too bitter on the nose and palate. As an introductory Chardonnay, Domaine Jean Touzot Mâcon Villages Chardonnay leaves something to be desired, but it’s far from undrinkable, and does have some very nice structure.
Verdict: Lemon Pith, Cream, Apricot, Bitter, Round
Rating: 78
Price: $11
Mâcon Villages, France
Alternate Recommendations: Hudson Rock, Valley of the Moon, and VRAC