As the Bay Area is currently undergoing a bit of a heat wave, our fancies turned this week to white wine, and for whatever reason we ended up drinking two remarkably good Chardonnays.
2001 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay color: golden yellow nose: minerals, apple, lemon, toast palate: rich mouthfeel, loads of fruit, crisp acidity and reasonably restrained oakiness
This is a CA Chardonnay for us "ABC" drinkers: non-malolactic and restrained in character. The '01 is significantly richer and more balanced than the '98 or '02, which I had awhile ago at the winery. This one could be mistaken for a 1er Cru Chablis [see below].
2002 J.-M. Brocard Chablis 1er Cru 'Vaucoupin' color: pale yellow-green (caveat: dim lighting) nose: minerals, toast, grapefruit, green apples palate: rich, hefty, slightly oaky, good fruit, clean, crisp finish
Consumed in half-bottle tonight at dinner. Could I have told which was which if tasted side by side? Doubtful. Both were delightful, going well with fish dishes and proving once again that Chardonnay is a great grape, despite the abuses it suffers.
Mark Lipton