The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two chardonnays are delicious, easy to find and easy on the wallet
Good chardonnay can be found up and down the price spectrum, including some pricey grand cru burgundies and blanc de blancs champagnes. Two bargain chardonnays I find consistently delicious and easy to find are Cousiño-Macul from Chile and Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi from California.
Here are five that show a variety of chardonnay’s expressions. They include two from California’s San Luis Obispo County, an affordable value from an established winery and a stunner from a newer label with a local Virginia connection. We also have a delicious grand cru blanc de blanc champagne and two reasonably priced burgundies.
Talley Vineyards, Bishop’s Peak Chardonnay 2017
Two-and-a-half stars; San Luis Obispo County, Calif., $19 (great value)
Bishop’s Peak is a second label for Talley Vineyards, a mainstay on California’s Central Coast since the mid-1980s. This chardonnay is fermented primarily in stainless steel tanks, with some in “neutral” or older barrels to give structure without the oak flavors. It bursts with ripe orchard fruit flavors and bracing acidity. Certified sustainable. Alcohol by volume: 13.6%.
Distributed by Winebow.
Oceano Chardonnay Spanish Springs Vineyard 2016/2017
Three stars; San Luis Obispo County, $38 (great value)
Oceano was created three years ago by Rachel Martin, formerly the director of Boxwood Vineyards in Middleburg, Va., and her husband, Grammy Award-winning music producer Kurt Deutsch. I raved about the 2016 when it was released, and I’m just as enthusiastic about the 2017, which is now reaching the Washington-area market (it is already available in New York City). Martin and winemaker Marbue Marke enjoy tinkering with the blend from this vineyard just 1.5 miles from the Pacific, near Pismo Beach, mixing different batches of juice from various spots on the undulating coastal hills. The result is a roller coaster in a glass — there’s a lot going on here. Can a $38 wine be a “great value”? Yes, when it’s this good. This is a fun label to keep track of in years to come. ABV: 13.6%.
Distributed by Lanterna.
Soutiran Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs
Three stars; Champagne, France, $58
Grand cru champagne, the three little words that say “I love you” to wine fiends. The Soutiran blanc de blancs is so good and complex, combining ripe fruit flavors with a toasty brioche note from extended aging on the lees and a refreshing chalky salinity, that to describe it any further would diminish it. And it is well-priced for a grand cru champers. ABV: 12.5%.
Imported and distributed by Simon N Cellars.
Sylvie & Alain Normand, Mâcon la Roche Vineuse 2017
Three stars; Burgundy, France, $21 (great value)
Grape historians place chardonnay’s birthplace in the Maconnais region of southern Burgundy, perhaps even near the town of La Roche Vineuse, so this wine may be as close to the origin story as we can get. It is rich with history and fruit, laced with exotic spice and a sense of timelessness. ABV: 13%.
Imported by Vintage ’59, distributed by Winebow.