Grand Cru (Perth) Tasting Group – Chardonnay Challenge

[Waiters Friend]

G'day

We've done Chardonnay tastings previously. While fun and informative, we generally see a lot of Margaret River and Great Southern Chardonnays - not surprising, given how many high quality wines are accessible locally (Perth). I know my cellar is dominated by these regions.

So, this was a Chardonnay tasting with a difference: NO Margaret River or Great Southern chardonnays. Apart from that, they could be any vintage from anywhere else in the state, the country or the world.

The usual conditions applied. Wines were tasted blind with only the vintage known, and from youngest to oldest.

And now onto the wines:

First Creek Chardonnay 2020 (Hunter Valley): Straw colour. A perfumed nose, with stone fruits (yellow peach, apricot, nectarine), sone nuttiness, banana lollies, honeydew melon and red apples. There’s some toasty oak and cashew on the palate, and a slightly creamy texture / viscosity. Moderate acid only, and finished a little short.

Araldica Chardonnay 2019 (Piemonte, Italy): Yep, an Italian chardonnay, and unoaked. Yellow in colour. There’s candied nuts on the nose, with prominent ripe stone fruits and tinned lychee. There’s more stone fruits on the palate with a savoury edge. Acid plays a supporting role only, and the wine is medium length.

Coldstream Hills Chardonnay 2018 (Yarra Valley, Victoria): Pale yellow in colour. The nose has a good combination of ripe yellow peaches, citrus, and light nutty oak. The palate has slightly sour grapefruit, and the tartness that goes with it. Good supporting acid, and the flavours are quite mouth-filling – one taster described it as ’voluptuous’.

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Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve 2018 (Santa Rosa, California). Full yellow in colour. An obvious chardonnay in some ways – lots of ripe, soft peaches and slightly honeyed nose. The palate is slightly buttery with soft acid, some hazelnut, a little viscosity and good length. A generous and gentle wine, and highly regarded by the group.

Nannup Estate 2016 (Blackwood Valley, W.A.): Yellow. Spicy and savoury oak on the nose, with ripe pink peaches, mandarin, nectarine, tangerine and grilled nuts. The palate shows a little grapefruit, along with more stone fruits and cashew. One taster noted apricot skin. Acid plays a supporting role, and the wine is balanced with good length. Well regarded by the group.

T.H. Chardonnay 2016 (Umari Valley, Chile): Yellow in colour. Savoury oak and muted fruits, candied nuts and honey. Slightly sweet palate. Moderate length and finishes short.

Giants Steps Chardonnay 2015 (Yarra Valley): Pale yellow in colour. The nose was originally sweaty, but settled down to show savoury oak, ripe peach, rockmelon, lemon, and Royal Gala apples. The palate is oak dominant, with viscosity and grip, and finishes long. A little unbalanced, and possibly better with food.

John Kosovich Chardonnay 2014 (Pemberton, W.A.): From a Swan Valley producer, but grapes sourced from Pemberton. Yellow in colour. Delicate white and yellow peaches. Peach blossoms as well. Some graphite and rose petal. The palate is deliciously fruity, and one taster noted key lime pie. Oak plays a supporting role, and acid is keeping it fresh. Well balanced, and well regarded by the group.

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Heemskerk Chardonnay 2012 (Tasmania): Pale yellow in colour. Lots of citrus, no stone fruits. Toasty oak. The wine is comparatively high acid, and the palate is more citrus, and cashew nuts. Long finish, very clean and fresh. Balanced, and highly regarded.

Domaine De La Tournelle Terre De Gryphees 2010 (Jura, France): Yellow gold in colour. The nose showed burnt orange, apple cider, nuttiness and salinity, while the palate had a slight spritz, more cider, sherry and scrumpy. Not like a chardonnay at all, for me, but a few people liked it.

Credaro Chardonnay 2010 (Margaret River, W.A.): I know, I know – someone didn’t read the memo, and we got a Margaret River chardonnay. Shame! Deep yellow gold, with lemon cordial and honeydew melon. Lemon lime cordial on the palate (Robinson’s Barley Water was mentioned), with toffee, caramel and bitter orange.

Salitage Chardonnay 2009 (Pemberton, W.A.): Yellow gold colour. Savoury oak, honeyed fruits and butterscotch on the nose. The palate showed more developed stone fruits, soft acid, moderate oak and only a moderate length. A gentle wine, in decline.

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Wine of the night was the Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve 2018, on a countback from the Nannup Estate 2016.

There was considerable variety among the wines tasted, including two wines that were not recorded here – one corked and one with prominent mercaptans (burnt rubber smell). For me, there weren’t too many that I would drink in preference to some of my Margaret River and Great Southern chardonnays – which bodes well for the strength of this variety in those regions of W.A.

Cheers
Allan

[Waiters Friend]

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