Chablis and Chardonnay tasting
Posted on June 28, 2008
6 June 2008
St. Pierre Chablis 2001, AOC Chablis $34
Nice clean chardonnay nose with some developed colour. The palate had malic acid (apple), a touch of wood and good length. The wine was typically French with a complex structured style and no overt fruitiness. A very typical lean Chablis style which was just starting to show its age with a slight hint of oxidation. 3 votes
Jean Marc Brocard Beauregard Chablis Premier Cru 2003, AOC Chablis Premier Cru, $30.15
This wine had quite a developed colour for the age. The fruit was lovely and ripe with some wood and a citrus character. This was a bigger wine than the St. Pierre and had a nice long finish. Like the St. Pierre this wine showed the typical restrained style expected of Chablis. This was a quality wine with plenty of life ahead of it. 7 votes
Sacred Hill Barrel Ferment Chardonnay 2002, Hawkes Bay, $25
Obviously ripe and overt fruit was the first impression of this wine, especially after the restrained style of the two Chablis. There was obvious oak on the nose but overall it was quite well-balanced with integrated characters. However there was no elegance or style and it was already showing aged characters. 3 votes
Mills Reef Reserve Chardonnay 2006, Hawkes Bay $18.99
For its age this wine was surprisingly developed in colour but the nose still showed the aromas of a young wine. On the palate it still needs time to develop with the components obvious individually. This was a wine with considerably more character and good value for the money. 5 votes
Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2007, Hawkes Bay, $26.99
This young wine was pale gold with a nose dominated by oak and ripe fruit. The fruit, acid and tannin balance was good but this was a wine that showed the hot character of high alcohol. This was a very typical New World chardonnay style but it lacked the class of the Mills Reef.
Clearview Beachhead Chardonnay 2007, Hawkes Bay, $21.99
The Beachhead wine is from Te Awanga on the coast where it is cooler than the inland areas of Hawke’s Bay. The colour of the wine is a pale gold/green and the nose has a distinct acid lift. There is only a touch of oak on the palate and the length is moderate. This is a somewhat featureless wine that is a bit of a guide to why the aromatic varieties have become so much more popular in the moderate price bracket.
Kim Crawford Briant Vineyard Chardonnay 2007, Gisborne, $16.99
From the warmer Gisborne region this chardonnay displayed the typical tropical fruit characters. The wine was made to drink immediately with a touch of oak but no complexity. This was a distinctly different style to the Hawke’s Bay wines but again was simple and lacking in character. 2 votes
Spy Valley Chardonnay 2006, Marlborough, $18.99
This Marlborough wine was another distinct change from the Hawke’s Bay wines and somewhat closer to the Chablis. There is quite a golden colour and the nose is more complex with a touch of oak and nicely lifted acid. On the palate it is refreshing, showing nice ripe fruit that is not so overt, a mineral character and a backbone of complexity leading to a long finish. Of all the NZ wines this showed the most potential to age well. This was the style that appealed most to me. 3 Votes
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