Flock Mendocino Chardonnay 2008

Velvety smooth with a nice buttery finish. Well balanced with notes of maple and honey. A great bottle to Christen our new Riedel Vinum chardonnay glasses.

JOSEPH FAIVELEY BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY 2006

Part 2 of our tour-de-Bourgogne. This chardonnay has a nice pear nose with notes of banana, maple, and cat pee on the palate. Still holds acidity without a lot of the honeys, caramels and vanillas we get in other Chardonnays. C'est manifique!

FLAT ROCK CELLARS THE RUSTY SHED CHARDONNAY 2007

Yet another bottle I picked up during a tour of the Niagara Peninsula. I had been very impressed by the Flat Rock Cellars winery itself. Perched atop a lookout, the tasting room ajoined a deck from which I could view the vineyards. The Rusty Shed Chardonnay is made in small batches, and each one is marked with the bin number (mine was number 05007). At $30, I had high expectations for this wine and I have to admit I was a little disappointed. The nose had apples, toast, and a slight fishiness. It wasn't offensive, but it was there. On the palate I had expected the rounded, honey-and-vanilla character of other Niagara chardonnays, but the Rusty Shed was quite different. Very dry, with a sharp citrusy finish, I could detect granny smith apples and minerals, much like a Chablis. Julia detected a creamy smoothness before the sharp finish, which was quite short. Again, rather than the golden straw I had expected, this wine had a very pale almond colour. Overall, the Flat Rock Rusty Shed Chardonnay had very distinctive and unique characteristics, and would pair well with a light garlic seafood dish.

INNISKILLIN CHARDONNAY 2006

Whenever I travel I usually stop in to the duty free to pick up a bottle of something to bring home. In a foreign country I am always curious to see how Canada is represented in the world of wine and spirits. Canada seems to be best known for two types of booze: Canadian whiskey, and ice wine. Canadian whiskey is often referred to as "rye" whiskey due to rye comprising a primary ingredient. However, Canadian whiskey is not always purely made from rye. Lower rye content prevents Canadian whiskey from being labeled as "rye whiskey" in the United States. When it comes to brands, the two that I often find in any duty free store are Canadian Club and Crown Royal. The other type of liquor I often find is ice wine. Canadian ice wine wins many international awards and is popular domestically and internationally. Whenever ice wine is available at a duty free store I will often find the brand Inniskillin. Often credited with producing the world's first ice wine, Inniskillin has built an international reputation. The harsh, cold winters of Niagara-on-the-Lake provide the right conditions for producing high quality ice wine.

Inniskillin also produces table wine, both red and white. Julia and I were given a bottle of Inniskillin Chardonnay 2006 at a recent party we threw. Last night we opened it to accompany a chicken curry and a few games of Wii. The nose and taste was dominated by one single note: strawberry! It was all I could think of. Julia was able to detect some cranberry, however I found that there was very little else I could get from this wine. Overall the lack of depth and complexity was very disappointing. I think Inniskillin should focus on what it does best and stick to ice wine.

REIF ESTATE WINERY CHARDONNAY RESERVE 2006

We visited Reif Estate Winery near Niagara-on-the-Lake during our most recent tour of the Niagara region. The winery was founded by German wine maker Ewald Reif in 1983. The current wine makers are dedicated to growing premium quality grapes, mainly Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.

The Chardonnay Reserve 2006 showed qualities typical of a new world Chardonnay. Jules immediately noticed the vivid straw colour that seemed to almost glow in the glass. This wine had scents of honey, maple syrup, pear, and kiwi fruit. On the palate were hints of peach and appricote. I mention "new world" because during a trip to Montreal last weekend, Julia and I had a delicious meal at Restaurant Julien that included a bottle of Domaine Brintet Bourgogne Blanc, a classic old world Chardonnay. It was noticably different: it was drier and more acidic, with hints of citrus and minerals. New world Chardonnays tend to be more rounded and sweet, and show honey, vanilla, and pineapple. As a relative newcomer to the world of wines, this has been quite a revalation for me.

MALIVOIRE - MOIRA VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2005

This was arguably the best wine we tasted during our trip to the Niagara Peninsula wine region. The Moira vineyard is Malivoire's oldest, and is meticulously maintained in order to produce a superior wine. Much care and craftsmanship goes into this wine and it shows. On the nose are prominent notes of apple, pear, brie, and honey. Flavours of apricot, maple syrup, and vanilla. To say this wine is smooth is an understatement.

Score:

CONO SUR TOCORNAL Chardonnay 2007

I'm back! I took a trip to Thailand, where is wine is sparse and expensive. Unbelievably there is such a thing as Thai wine, and I did sample some. Surprisingly it was decent, and my hands didn't turn purple. One such wine was from Monsoon Valley Wines. I think Thai wines still have a long way to go in establishing any sort of reputation.

Today I tried Cono Sur Tocornal Chardonnay. It comes in a big 1.5 jug and is an excellent value table wine. Fairly simple palate, partly because it is unoaked. Notes of kiwi and grapefruit.

Score: 82
BCL SKU #376855 / UPC #07804320357058

KETTLE VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2004

We had this wine in Whistler at a very fancy restaurant called Araxi. Of course when you go to a restaurant like that there is always an uncomfortable awkwardness when the Sommelier (or wine specialist) pops open the cork. He hands you the cork and expects you to take a sniff. Then he pours a small portion of wine to taste to make sure the bottle has not gone sour. Now, imagine if they did this with your food.

So after the big production, we went on to actually drink the wine. We had both ordered seafood and it complemented the food very well. I believe I tasted apples and peach notes in the wine. It truly screamed "I am from the Okanagan"

This wine is not in BCLS

http://www.kettlevalleywinery.com/

MARCUS JAMES CHARDONNAY 2006

Not my favorite wine!

This is what the website says about there wine:

This 2005 Chardonnay from Mendoza is light yellow with hues of green. The tropical aromas are of pineapple and banana with notes of citrus. These evolve into forward and round white peach flavors. The finish is clean and lasting.

I found this wine to be watery and lack complex flavours. We bought it because it was cheap.


BCLS SKU #372672 / UPC #00082100109449