WINE ADVOCATE

90 / 100

"The 2016 Chardonnay Blanc du Castel was aged for 11 months in one-third new French oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. The first bottle that I had of this opened with a heavy nose of smoke and ... Read More »

WINE ADVOCATE

90 / 100

"The 2016 Chardonnay Blanc du Castel was aged for 11 months in one-third new French oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. The first bottle that I had of this opened with a heavy nose of smoke and flint, probably reduction. I tried another a few weeks later, and it was already far better. Reductive nuances often do blow off in time or with air. Once past that issue, this is bright and graceful, handling its wood rather well. it shows good concentration, a smooth, buttery texture and a tasty finish that is rather clean. This longer it was open, the better it was-a very good sign."

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the most popular white wine grape grown throughout the world.  The most prized Chardonnay growing regions are Burgundy, Champagne and California.  The Chardonnays of Burgundy tend to produce dry, elegant w ... Read More »

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the most popular white wine grape grown throughout the world.  The most prized Chardonnay growing regions are Burgundy, Champagne and California.  The Chardonnays of Burgundy tend to produce dry, elegant wines with vibrant acidty and minerality; little or no oak is imparted into the wine for these "Old World" beauties and allows the essence of the Chardonnay grape to reveal itself.   On the other hand, the New World Chardonnay producers of California (Oregon, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand as well) tend to use new oak.  These wines are often described as being "buttery" given their oak influence.  Some Italian Chardonnays fall somewhere in between Old and New World. They too tend to be quite expressive and retain some of the best qualities of both Old and New World Chardonnays. 

Chardonnay's weight and texture can be very different depending on the terroir and amount of oak used.  Sometimes the oak is new and sometimes, in the case of Burgundy, the oak is used.  If oak casks have been used, they impart less of an influence on the Chardonnay grapes.  These wines tend to have mild oak notes in the wine and can often represent itself as roasted nut flavors.  Yet no matter where Chardonnay is grown, there are some common threads that reveal themselves:  apple, pear, honey, lemon and butterscotch.