Argentina represents! (Chardonnay Showdown Post #4)
100% Chardonnay from Argentina. 6 months in American oak. Available for around $17 at Oscar Super Cash & Carry in Puerto Rico.
Along with the wonderful Malbec that Carlos Toro sent me a few weeks back, came an unexpected surprise: bottle number 11 of the 2009 Lariviere Yturbe Partida Limitada Chardonnay.
Unfortunately, like the Malbec, this wine is currently only available in Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Denmark, Uruguay, Guatemala, and Australia. I’m still hoping that changes soon and someone brings these fine wines into the United States.
From the bottle:
“Mendoza – Argentina
100% Chardonnay – Cosecha: 2009 – Vasiia No 20
Notas a frutas tropicales miel y vainilla
6 meses en roble americano
Vinas de 35 anos en terroir de privilegio
14.3% alcohol”
And here’s a bit more info from the winemaker:
“LOCATION VINEYARD: Luján de Cuyo, Ugarteche, Mendoza a 975 msnm
DESCRIPTION OF WINE: Bright, golden yellow with a sparkle of steel; its aroma reminds of citric and tropical flavour obtained in the fermentation at a controlled temperature; light vanilla expressions due to its contact with new American oak. In mouth, it is intense, fresh, complex and with a well-balanced acidity.
GUARD: 6 months in contact with American oak barrels.
ASSORTMENT: Ideal with Cheese, Sea food and pasta.
SERVE: between 4 and 7 ºC.”
Now to the wine, and it’s a good one. The 2009 Lariviere Yturbe Partida Limitada Chardonnay has green apple, tropical fruit, and light floral aromas. The green apple and tropical fruit also comes through when tasting in addition to some orange zest, a dash of vanilla, and a bit o’ butter. This one has a nice minerality to it and good balanced acidity. It all ends with a nice medium length finish. A Chardonnay that is light, refreshing, and easy to drink. Nice job Argentina! This one did degrade a bit on day 2, so probably better to finish it off when you open it, but I don’t think I’ll have to twist your arm to do that.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 7.0
All ratings use a simple 10 point scale with 10 being the best. Find out more about my rating systemhere and check out the Interactive Wine Ranking to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive spreadsheet.
Chardonnay Showdown Series | Intro | Post #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11| #12 | Results
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