Ed and Linda Cox Treat Rude's to Chardonnay
Dr. Ed Cox and his wife Linda have been conducting a Chardonnay tasting at the GR Yacht Club every June for just about as long as we can remember. Most of the wine’s producers and all of the vintages change every year yet one thing remains the same. We all LOVE Rombauer Chardonnay!!
We were told that all of the wines were 2023 Chardonnay and all but one was from somewhere in California. We started with a couple of warm ups then proceeded to a blind tasting of six more wines.
THE WARM UPS
2023 William Hill Estate Winery California Chardonnay CA about $12 has quite a fresh round feel but not really too full bodied so the lightly toasted oak really came across. Somehow, the lack of oak integration made me think that the wine was from the upper Midwest not California. Nice wine though and food worthy.
2023 Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve California Chardonnay CA about $12 also had an oddly uncharacteristic oak element that again made me think of somewhere other than California. The sweet marshmallow/toffee sensation was not unlikable and, again, I think it would go well with most meals.
THE TASTING
2023 Cantina Terlan Alto Adige “tradition” Chardonnay ITALY (13.5% abv) about $24 stood out among the group because of its pure ethereal brilliantly clean fruit and fine citrusy balance of acid and umami. To me this wine made a really tough choice for my favorite between the Terlan and the Rombauer for opposite reasons. My score 18/20, group score 15.9/20 sixth (last) place.
2023 Ramey Russian River Valley Sonoma Chardonnay CA (13.5% abv) about $48 showed nice balance, clean bright fruit with a finish a little like the warm up wines but more in the custard direction and less toward the toffee. The oak influence is to my experience, again, light toast which can give the wine a slightly sappy finish. My score 17/20, group score 16/20 fifth place.
2023 Siduri Sonoma County Chardonnay CA (14.1% abv) about $20 sported huge oak with strong fruit that is almost too much. I found it even a little cloying. It clearly needs food. My score 16/20, group score 17.8/20 fourth place.
2023 Diatom Santa Barbara Chardonnay CA (14.5% abv) about $20 was my least favorite. Nothing wrong here, just seemed a bit dull, closed and simple compared to the others. My score 15/20, group score 18.1/20 second place.
2023 Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay CA (14.6% abv) about $40 starts with a huge blast of citrus perfume, loads of pure ripe pear-like fleshiness and braced with lemon peel spiciness. The oak is as creamy as it gets and doesn’t stand out. The long long complex finish is just another memory of the bouquet. Lovely! My score 19+/20, group score 19/20 first place. This is the sixth time in eight years that Rombauer has come in first.
2023 The Calling Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Sonoma Chardonnay CA (13.5% abv) about $34 like the Rombauer, it is creamy and fresh. It is a fine wine but not big, long or particularly rich. My score 16/20, group score 18/20 third place.
So, once again, our group clearly likes big oak but especially when it is accompanied by massively rich ripe fruit. Though the scores may not reflect this, ALL of these are really nice wines to enjoy whenever Chardonnay is the best company for a splendid meal.
Enjoy in Good Health,
A Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner
