there have been some surprised reactions in the comments of the last
entry to the fact that I drink very little Chardonnay, and almost none
that's under $30. One person suggested that I should review
Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay before calling it "run of the mill" (which I
already called it, so, yes, I have some negative preconceptions which I
promise to do my best to ignore while tasting this wine). I don't think
there's anything wrong with a lot of the inexpensive Chardonnays out
there, it's just that they bore the daylights out of me. Almost every
one I've tasted (and here, as everywhere in the wine world, there are
exceptions) tastes generic and has nothing unique to offer. Part of the
issue is probably that Chardonnay is not an aromatic grape variety. In
extremely good examples it will show the character of the place and way
it was grown, including the character of the weather that growing
season. Lesser examples generally do not show such character, so they
simply taste like the results of winemaking decisions. The strain(s) of
yeast, the oak regime, and the amount of malolactic conversion (the
conversion of malic acid to lactic acid which results in a fuller
mouthfeel, softer acidity, and buttery flavor from the resulting
compound known as diacetyl), fermentation temperature and vessel, etc --
these things are what give the wine its flavor. This is still largely
true for better examples of Chardonnay, but those better examples tend
to have far greater depth of flavor, which is due in part, I believe, to
the wines showing a sense of place. As I can't really back up that
assertion scientifically, I will at least stand by the idea that the
greater examples will show something unique. Inexpensive wines besides
Chardonnay often have no problem showing unique, interesting qualities,
which is why I drink a lot of other white wines and almost no
Chardonnay. I know I've rambled and been a bit redundant, but I'm
trying to give an adequate explanation for and introduction to the ideas
that led to this tasting. Now that you think I'll definitely hate this
wine because of my preconceptions, let's begin. First, I will say that
I always do my best to evaluate wines objectively and that I would have
no problem with humbly admitting how wrong I was and how great this
wine is. Please see my post about Cru Beaujolais if you doubt this
fact. I tasted these wines several days ago but didn't get around to posting until today -- the tasting notes were written when I originally tasted the wines.
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Kendall-Jackson 2008 Vintner's
Reserve Chardonnay, available almost anywhere that sells
wine for about $13
The first things that jump out at me on the nose are butter and oak. I
also get a bit of sweet yellow apple and a little yeastiness. The
palate shows those same components with some caramel. It kind of tastes
like a buttered caramel apple with a little nutritional yeast sprinkled
on top. There's also some lemon that I'm noticing now. It also tastes
like many dozens of other Chardonnays I've tried. I do believe there's
a little residual sugar here to increase the perception of fruit. I
suspect that this is because without it, the wine would really just
taste like butter, oak, and yeast. The wine is good, but so simple and
industrial tasting that it's just into that category from acceptable,
where I would have to be finding minor faults or significant imbalance.
The sweetness bothers me (for all you "I only like dry wine" people:
this is not a dry wine!), but there is some decent acidity here. The
more I taste it, though, the more it tastes like fruit juice mixed with
oak essence and some vodka. Understand that I'm getting that impression
as the wine warms. White wine at room temperature will not hide any
faults or imperfections. If you completely disagree with my assessment,
I urge you to try this wine at room temperature. I'm sure this will
alienate some readers, but I can't give this wine any more than 80
points. I will not finish the bottle. Plus, notice that their
"Vintner's Reserve" is actually their least expensive bottling. That's
deceptive marketing if you ask me. With so much wine out there, please,
even if you like this stuff, try some new things.
Now, on to a wine that I propose as an alternative to the KJ. It's not
Chardonnay, not because there aren't some decent ones out there at that
price, but because they're few and far between and I didn't track one
down today. What I did track down is another inexpensive wine from a
major category: a Pinot Grigio.
Re Teodorico 2008 PinotGrigio, Veneto -- I got this wine at Browne Trading and
it's distributed by Mariner. They have it priced at $12 and it was even
less for the tasting today.
I'm getting some dusty, haylike, even nutty character from the nose.
It's also got a bit of a stony minerality. Underneath this there is
some ripe citrus fruit and even some tropical fruit. The palate opens
with a nice combination of everything the nose had, and just as the
midpalate makes its way into the finish, the fruit really kicks up a
notch, showing some lemon, starfruit, and other fruits that I'm not
quite discerning (I should have tasted this wine first, but also my
palate is not in top form today). This wine seems brighter and more
alive than the KJ. Instead of feeling like I'm drinking an industrial
product, I feel like I'm drinking an energetic, fun wine that is simple
and straightforward but that's okay. For considerably less money than
the KJ, here's a wine I enjoy drinking. It's also in the "good" range
for me, but significantly higher at 84 points. Here's an example of
where scoring falls short, though. I'm sure you can tell by my writing
that I like this wine a LOT more than the last one. I know it's an
unfair comparison as they're different varieties, but I think
inexpensive Italian Pinot Grigio is, in general, pretty much just as bad
as inexpensive Chardonnay. They usually just taste like lemon, hay, and nothing else
and have bitter finishes. This wine has a lot more going on and, most
importantly, doesn't taste like other wines I can remember having. If
Browne Trading keeps their tasting price, which was considerably less
than $12, I would suggest picking up a few of these for what's left of
the warm weather.
If you now hate me, completely disagree, or think 80 is way too nice to the KJ (believe me, if I based my score more on personal preference than what I perceive as level of quality, it would not be in the "good" category, which would allow me to score it lower), let me know in the comments. I enjoy the interaction and it's nice to know someone is reading. For those who were completely bored by this entry, thanks for reading to the end and I will try to review something more interesting next time.
