Chardonnay is such a versatile grape. It can be oaked or unoaked and it tends to really reflect the region where it is grown. In other words, it tends to effectively reflect terroir when grown properly.
Full disclosure, I am a big fan of well-made Chardonnay. A lot of people say they don’t like Chardonnay – the ABC (anything but chardonnay) crowd but that is usually when they have tasted the heavy-handed mass-produced low-end examples. Yes, they can be pretty overwhelming. But when done well, and for me personally that means expressive fruit, good structure, and judicious use of oak, Chardonnay can be absolutely delightful.
The November session for our tasting group was Kurt’s responsibility. He had been considering a white Burgundy tasting for some time and then decided to make it a comparison of regions, two from BC and two from each of three French areas.
We were greeted with a tasting wine. Tonight’s was the Mission Hill 2018 Reserve Chardonnay ($35) which was a lovely way to awaken (adjust) our taste buds for what lay ahead.
From the winery, “Our 2018 Reserve Chardonnay was sourced from three of our estate vineyards – Oliver 62%, Osoyoos 20%, and Naramata Ranch 18%. The Oliver Vineyard estate includes the blocks of vines that our original award-winning Chardonnay was sourced from 20 years ago providing an excellent foundation and key characteristics of our unique wine style. Osoyoos is comprised of arid bench lands that benefit from the Osoyoos Lake effect giving the area more than 200 frost-free days and the Naramata Ranch estate is a stunning beauty that also benefits from the lake’s moderating influence. 75% fermented and aged in oak (11% new), 25% combination of concrete eggs and stainless steel. Fresh citrus and ripe stone fruit aromas are complemented by a bright line of acidity and smooth texture from subtle oak aging.”
Here was the flight:
Meyer Family Vineyards 2020 Micro Cuvée
BC $60
CheckMate 2016 Queen’s Advantage
BC $95
Gautheron 2019 Montmain Chablis 1ER Cru
Chablis $57
Gautheron 2019 Bougros Chablis Grand Cru
Chablis $113
Chateau Fuissé 2018 Le Clos Monopole Pouilly Fuissé
Pouilly Fuissé $80 Decanter 95 points
Chateau Fuissé 2018 Tete de Cuvée Pouilly Fuissé
Pouilly Fuissé $50 Decanter 97
Philip Chavey 2020 Meursault
Meursault $77
Albert Grivault 2019 Clos de Murger
Meursault $135
All the wines had alcohol levels in the 13.0% to 13.5% which is typical, though the CheckMate came in a little higher at 14.3% ABV. There was no detectable heat in the latter, it likely just added a little to the body of the wine.
Normally, I include a few notes on each wine and where they place in the group averages. However, other than the top three, it would serve little purpose in this case as they were all very close. The top three for the group were also my three favourites, unfortunately, they were among the three most expensive:
Our second wine, the CheckMate 2016 Queen’s Advantage impressed everyone. One member was convinced it had to be French. The nose was well integrated, it was well balanced and had a long lingering finish.
In second place by a slight edge, was Chateau Fuissé 2018 Le Clos Monopole Pouilly Fuissé. Lots of ripe apples, butterscotch, and vanilla from beginning to end. Definitely a wow wine.
The top wine by a slim margin was the Albert Grivault 2019 Clos de Murger Mersault. Elegant and harmonious from the beginning to the end.
Everyone was thoroughly impressed with Kurt’s highly informative tasting.
(All photos, except as noted – Sam Hauck)
This reminded me of a similar Chardonnay Tasting I did a few years ago. You can read about that here: https://myvancity.ca/2018/01/10/chardonnay-showdown-sam_wineteacher/
