This wine was a lovely surprise. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, a lot of people won't drink Chardonnay for...reasons. I don't know why other than because it became fashionable, in the late 90s, to exclaim ABC! (Anything But Chardonnay) when ordering wine. It's kind of ignorant, if you ask me. It's like hating on ALL rosés just because so much White Zinfandel is crap.
Chardonnay can be big and bold and buttery, with all the oakiness that I, personally, love. OR it can be as clean and crisp as a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
Today's wine comes from Becker Vineyards in Texas. It's a wonderfully complex wine. Aged in French Oak sur lie (meaning "on the lees"). Lees are the dead yeast cells that accumulate at the bottom of the barrel, so basically what this means is that the wine isn't racked while it's aging. Did you ever see the movie Bottle Shock? Do you remember how they were constantly racking their wines? This is the opposite of that.
I didn't get a lot of aroma--which might be due to my recent congestion--but what I did get reminded me of baked apples; lots of fruit and caramel and spices. The mouthfeel was rich and almost chewy, almost like a dry mead.
It reminds me quite a bit of the Chardonnay put out by the St Clair Brown Winery & Brewery in downtown Napa. And that's saying a lot because their Chardonnay is outstanding! I had it for Thanksgiving dinner back in 2015, I think. And I've been lusting after it ever since I moved away. So I was delighted to find this so close to my new home.
Highly recommended.
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