Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California (Clarksburg, Lodi, Mendocino County)
Cost: $1 4 SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: This lovely Un-Oaked Chardonnay is perfect for all gatherings. It’s refreshingly fruity and light-bodied, with a beautifully transparent, pale yellow color. It has showy fruit aromas of Asian pear and Golden Delicious apple; and ripe citrus, like key lime and tangerine. With a touch of sweet, this wine is just bursting with lingering flavors of juicy, ripe poached pears. Yet, it is fresh and crisp.
My Review: I’ve been fortunate of late to be able to get my hands on several un-oaked Chardonnays, meaning I get to share them with my wife instead of sipping on them by myself (which maybe isn’t the best thing).
In the glass, the 2018 Pam’s UN-Oaked Chardonnay from Rob Rubin Winery was a light yellow with streaks of green showing when held up to the light. On the nose I picked up aromas of lemon, citrus, and apple.
In the mouth the wine was crisp and refreshing, with flavors of lime, white peaches, and a bit of banana coming through for me. The more we sipped on the wine it started to show a touch of sweetness, which was balanced by a bit of spice (nutmeg I think) on the finish.
My wife and I paired the wine with a honey sriracha glazed salmon and cauliflower fried rice, so the hint of sweet in the wine was actually fantastic, balancing out the heat of the food perfectly, while the citrus notes balanced out the fat of the fish.
I was a bit unsure about the wine when I got the sweetness, but I have to say, as an alternative to sweet Riesling or Muscadet when looking for a wine to balance out spicy dishes, the 2018 Pam’s UN-oaked Chardonnay is definitely one to revisit.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
