Wine Club - Chardonnay

This past Thursday Wine Club met and tasted two value priced Chardonnays.

"Value priced Chardonnays"

LCBO Information- NAVARRO CORREAS COLECCIÓN PRIVADA CHARDONNAY 2009
　
Stock Number – 64477
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 13.95
Made in: Argentina, Argentina
By: Diageo Canada Inc
Release Date: May 15, 2010

Description - Collección Privada is Navarro Correas' premier tier. The wines are designed to exhibit a classic style, and the bottle labels feature original artwork by celebrated Argentine painters. This Chardonnay is fresh and juicy, offering apple, pear, fig, and a touch of spicy oak. Delicious with grilled chicken, barbecued shrimp or artichoke salad.

LCBO Information - CATHEDRAL CELLAR CHARDONNAY 2008
　
Stock Number – 328559
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 14.95
Wine, White Wine
14.7% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: South Africa, South Africa
By: KWV Wines
Release Date: Apr 17, 2010

Tasting Note - The top-tier KWV range [Cathedral Cellar] honours the aptly named cellar that was built in 1930 and restored to splendour in 2005. With soaring stained-glass windows, granite and wood inlaid floor, and imposing rows of hand-carved wooden vats, it is a fitting spiritual home for these impressive and stylish wines ... Full, rich & ripe 2008, perhaps shade less elegant than 2007 but still very fine. Dense apricot, peach complement fat texture and toasty oak ([barrel] fermentation, 60% new; small tank-fermentation portion). Score - 4 Stars (out of 5). (John Platter South African Wines, 2010)
　
The Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay was the take home bottle and the Navarro was a single bottle that I purchased as a comparison bottle for the tasting.

The nose on the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay was moderate with a lemon aroma dominating the wine with a bit of toasted almond in the background.

The nose on the Navarro was fainter than the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay but not by much. The main aroma from the wine was lime with a some vanilla in the background.

Tasting the two wines the differences were quite apparent; the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay was much more approachable with a nice lemon and vanilla flavour. The Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay was nicely balanced with fresh acidity and moderate fruit, it also had a soft lingering finish that I liked. The Navarro had a green apple/citrus flavour but the acidity was very tart. There was a bitterness to the finish that I wasn’t keen on.

One of Wine Club members bought in Chicken Salad and served it with fresh baguettes. Trying wines with the food both got better. For the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay the fruit was more noticeable and for the Navarro the food helped neutralize the acidity and softened the bitterness on the finish.

Most Wine Club members preferred the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay over the Navarro and were happy that it was the ‘take home’ bottle. There were however two Wine Club members that like the Navarro better.

I won’t say either of these wines were the best Chardonnay I have ever had but at $14 and $15 price points they certainly were good value for money. The extra dollar for the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay is more than justified as I certainly found it the better of the two wines.

Cheers!

Mark