Tag: Chardonnay

Quaffing

Dido – “Thank You”: 2009 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, pear, citrus, white peach, melon, cream, lees, hint butter, hint oak, mineral, flint, nuttiness
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med+ acid, med alcohol, long finish, med+ (to pronounced) intensity, cream, butter, lees, pear, white peach, mineral, savoury, lemon, nuttiness
All in all: Good (to very good) quality: the developmental secondary characteristics are showing fantastically, with intense lees-y and buttery flavours coming through on both the nose and the palate. The wine retains structure and isn’t blousy, but could use a hint more concentration and complexity. Drink now, but suitable for short-term ageing.

2009 Kumeu River Village ChardonnayIt’s currently a cloudy Vancouver day. We’ve had the rounds – a cold and grey morning, mist here and there, some heavier rain in the afternoon, and the weather gods have decided to reign back on the rain (pun intended), so we’re back to a slightly muggy greyness.… read more

Life · Tasting

Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 – Blends: 2 + 2 = 5?

Posted on by Josh

Okay! So flashback to Day 2 of the the Wine Bloggers Conference: it’s one of those times where we have to choose between three different seminars. There’s a seminar each on Merlot (hosted by Rutherford Hill and Duckhorn wineries), something on “How Pros Taste” (hosted by Jackson Family Wines), and then one on wine blends (hosted by Winebow), the last seeming like a strangely divergent topic from the former two. And I know – I should probably be basking in the Californian-based seminars (when in Rome etc.), but I couldn’t help but be intrigued by something less specific and more amalgamate in style i.e. the idea, at the time, of trying a row of Napa Merlots in the California heat made me scrunch my face.… read more

Tasting

Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 – Speed Tasting i.e. Tinder for Wines

Posted on by Josh

Speed tasting. It’s one of the unique events of the Wine Bloggers Conference that’s always explained to you if you’ve never heard of the WBC before, kind of like the warning nod of the hangover to the newly legal. It’s always described as “speed dating but with wine” – though in this case, it’s only a one-way road of looking at your date in disgust. So there’s a plus, and it’s sort of like a Tinder swipe-left-or-right sort of situation.

In the essence of the Live Wine Blogging event, you have 50 minutes to taste through 10 wines. In each 5-minute session, the winery representative pours you wine and gives you a bit of a quick overview before moving on to the next table.… read more

Life · Tasting

I suck at wine: 2014 VIWF Blind Tasting Challenge

Posted on by Josh

My 2014 Vancouver International Wine Festival activities begun on Wednesday! Insert majestic trumpet sounds here.

I was really scared for the Blind Tasting Challenge (at the Pacific Culinary Institute of Arts) on said morning . This mostly meant barely being able to keep my breakfast in my stomach, listening to Glee’s rendition of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” on repeat for high energy (do you hate me yet?), and then thinking that coffee was a bad idea. A classmate saw me looking at the water as I was listening to music and taking refreshing winter breaths of Granville Island air – she was just as nervous as I, but another classmate told us we were more jittery and nervous than we needed to be.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, developing, oak, spice, butter, apple, pear, popcorn, melon, citrus
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med+ acid, med+ alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, butter, oak, nutty kernel, savoury
All in all: Very good quality: Well-concentrated fruit persists on the finish, and the acidity balances out the fuller body. The nose is a bit simple. Drink now, but has potential for short term ageing.
Identity Guess: High-priced (Chardonnay/Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend) from Sonoma, California; 2 years old.
Is really: High-priced Chardonnay from Marlborough, New Zealand; 4 years old.

2009 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 10]

Where Cabernet Sauvignon is the de facto red grape, I would argue that Chardonnay is the white version – grown everywhere, famously-known, and wrongly-hated.… read more

Quaffing

2011 Aresti Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med- intensity, youthful, melon, mineral, citrus, hints of stone fruit, hint of butter
Mouth: dry, med body, med acidity, med alcohol, med- flavour intensity, med- finish, citrus, mineral, melon
All in all: Good quality: the medium elements give some sort of substance and balance to the wine, and the concentration contributes an elegant nature, but the wine does have a relatively short finish and simplicity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

2011 Aresti ChardonnayI’m not going to lie: I expected a little bit more from this wine, since Chile seems to surprise me with their take on some grape varieties. I’ve had the Aresti Syrah Reserva which was of good quality, so I don’t doubt the skill of the winemaker.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Heggies Vineyard Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, developing, yoghurt, lees, citrus, butter, oak, vanilla, stone fruit
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med alcohol, med+ acid, med+ flavour intensity, creamy, lees, citrus, textured, savoury, cheese, med+ finish
All in all: Good quality: wonderful balance is displayed within the components on the palate and the concentration is present, but there is an (inoffensive) slight lack in complexity.
Identity guess: High-priced Pinot Gris from BC; 3 years old.
Is really: High-priced Chardonnay from Australia; 2 years old.

2011 Heggies Vineyard Chardonnay

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 6]

Despite my fascination over a fresher and comparatively lighter style of Chardonnay (yet of lower quality) that we compared this to, here’s one where care has coaxed it into a balanced expression of the variety.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Peter Lehmann “Weighbridge” Unwooded Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, citrus, mineral, slight creamy/yoghurt/lees
Mouth: dry, med body, med+ acid, med alcohol, med- flavour intensity, short finish, citrus, slight creaminess, mineral, pear
All in all: Acceptable quality: the wine is mostly inoffensive and done in a fresh and clean style, but the wine has a relatively short length, disjointed acidity, and a palate that comes off as slightly dilute. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity guess: Inexpensive Pinot Gris from Italy; 2 years old.
Is really: Inexpensive Chardonnay from Australia; 2 years old.

2011 Peter Lehmann "Weighbridge" Unwooded Chardonnay

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 6]

If there’s one thing worse than my guess-everything-is-from-Chile thing, it’s my confusion with Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.… read more

WSET Diploma

2012 Yellow Tail Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med- intensity, developing, oak (weird oak – chips?), smoke, melon, vanilla, bubble gum, confectionary
Mouth: dry (but noticeable residual sugar), low acid, med alcohol, med+ body, med flavour intensity, wood, melon, short length, citrus, vanilla
All in all: Acceptable quality: the strength lies in the existence of the non-intrusive flavour components and the med+ body, giving an impression of concentration, but a lack of acid leads to a tumbling structure, the finish is short, and there is a lack of real typicity. Drink now: not suitable for ageing.
Identity guess: Inexpensive Chardonnay from Australia; 2 years old.
Is really: Inexpensive Chardonnay from Australia; 1 year old.

2012 Yellowtail Chardonnay

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 3]

Of course the only wine I would nail in identity is Yellow Tail.… read more

Tasting

Joiefarm Wines – 2012

Posted on by Josh

I had the opportunity to try six of Joiefarm’s wines today, all being part of the new 2012 vintage.

Hilariously pronounced by many customers (“Joey”) – some with confidence, some hesitant, and most with charm – these wines are popular with the locals, but personally, I’ve never been drawn to their wines. They take advantage of BC’s relatively cooler climate and vinify mostly white grapes, although their PTG has been praised by Jancis Robinson (all hail the queen). All good checkboxes for reasons to buy, but perhaps it’s the 20-30 dollar price point (which honestly, makes sense for some good BC wine anyways) or perhaps it’s the weird combination that the labels bring: simple but somehow ugly. That’s just me, though.… read more