Three cheap Chardonnays

[joeyz6]

Tonight I did the four basic Chardonnay tastings from Great Wine Made Simple. They were tasting for (1) oak, (2) butter, (3) temperature zones, and (4) New World/Old World. Here are notes on the three wines I used.

2001 Louis Jadot Macon-Villages. This was my favorite of the three, also the most straightforward and clean. A pale, straw yellow color with a tint of green. Very clear. Subtle nose showing apple and pear notes, some flowers as well, and a flinty/wet-stone characteristic as well. Soft, clean apple & citrus fruit and a refreshing, tart, crisp acidity. Minerals on the finish.

2001 Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay. Not much of a wine, but I scrutinized it for the purpose of the exercise. Yellow with a golden hue, a bit of oxidation around the edge in the first glass poured. A rather weak nose, but nonetheless I detected some moderate- and warm-zone fruit, notably banana and peach, not to mention a buttery, oaky aroma. Bitter oak on the tongue, full-bodied and creamy with softened acid. A sweet malolactic taste; slight notes of mango, orange, apricot. A short finish.

2001 Estancia Pinnacles Chardonnay Monterey: Straw yellow with some green as well. Slightly darker than the Jadot. Citrus fruit, peach, melon, but also some butter and vanilla on the nose. Tongue shows oak as well as apple notes. Soft in the mouth. I caught pineapple notes on the second taste.