Varietal: Â 100% Chardonnay
Region: Â Maconnais, Burgundy – France
Cost: Â $13
Winemaker’s Notes: Â Vinified without oak contact to maximize the vibrant flavor, this wine is produced in the Maconnais region of Burgundy where soils are dominated by chalk and limestone well-suited to the Chardonnay grape. Bright and crisp with notes of apple; a classic expression of this Burgundy grape. Perfect as an aperitif with shellfish, crab cakes, or goat cheese.
My Review: Â For a recent holiday party that was focused mostly on classic cocktails (manhattans, martinis, old fashioneds), I picked up a pair of bottles from Burgundy should anybody desire wine. While wine was in fact opened, everybody had a taste for red, which meant that the 2012 Chardonnay from Louis Jadot simply had to wait a day and be enjoyed by myself during a day of relaxation.
In the glass the chardonnay was a surprisingly golden color given that no oak was used (or harmed) in the making of this wine. On the nose I picked up mostly apple with some light citrus. In the mouth the wine was crisp, again with apple flavors being the most dominant. While crisp, there was a surpising (and not unwelcome) amount of body to the wine. Surprising because of the lack of oak. I even double checked the notes on the back of the bottle to be sure that I had read them correctly.
While I didn’t pair the wine with any particular food, the nice versatility of the wine would have made it perfect for cheese, seafood, or just about any holiday party. In fact, I plan to buy another bottle to take with me to at least one of the other holiday parties that I have coming up the following weeks thanks to its nice combination of being versatile, approachable, and a great value. Definitely worth checking out yourself, whether it’s to share with friends or to enjoy all on your own.
