I’m a fan of oaky Chardonnay.  There’s something about malolactic fermentation paired with smoke, tropical fruits and apples that do it for me.  Chardonnay labeling is perhaps one of the most dubious areas to deal with for how much oak is really in there.  So when I saw Ménage à Trois Gold Chardonnay, I was pretty excited.  As you might expect from the hard gold label, this Chardonnay features oak.

Sight: A solid straw color flecked with gold.

Smell:  The nose has an aroma of french vanilla, fresh cream, hints of flowers, and crisp golden apples.  Touches of pineapple and vanilla laced smoke come through.   Hints of pear and other tropical fruits flit around the edge.

Sip:  The body is round with a decent amount of brightness to hold it up.  Creamy characteristics work in as if malolactic was employed.   The fleshy character has a bit of peach and apple mixed in.  The predominate flavor is surprisingly the fruit, with some tropical working into the apple notes.  The background though gets a firm slathering of oak, vanilla, spice, and smoke.

Savor:  The ending completes the transition with a hint of pucker, going from apples and tropical notes to full on creamy, vanilla smoke.

Ménage à Trois Gold Chardonnay doesn’t try to mask what it is; a heavily oak influenced Chardonnay.  While it does have some bumps with some of the pucker and creamy body characteristics, not quite rounding out all the edges.  That said, if you love oak in a Chardonnay, Ménage à Trois Gold Chardonnay is a fun example of an oak bomb for only $10.

Verdict: Butter, Smoke, Vanilla, Golden Apple, Tropical
Rating: 84
Price: $10
St. Helena, Napa County, California

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