The most expensive Chardonnay in the competition vies for a top ranking. Chardonnay ShowdownPost #9
100% Chardonnay aged 10 months in French oak barrels. SRP of $20 but should be widely available for around $16. Sample received courtesy Rodney Strong Vineyards for review purposes.
From the bottle:
“STYLE: Fermented in French Oak, this Chardonnay displays yellow apple and pie spice flavors, with a hint of mineral on the long, creamy finish.
PLACE: Located in the middle of Sonoma County, overlaying the Eastern section of Russian River Valley, Chalk Hill’s ashen soils lend a distinctive mineral character to Chardonnay grown here.
13.5% Alcohol”
The 2009 Rodney Strong Estate Vineyards Chalk Hill Chardonnay exhibits a subdued nose of predominantly apple with some creamy vanilla notes. The wine tastes of apple, pear, lemon, spice, and lots of oak, which is a bit on the toasted side. Overall a very flavorful wine. The finish is medium long with a nice spiciness to it while the cream and apple flavors flow through. This wine even got a little better on day 2 so don’t be afraid to give it some air. I was a little worried about the amount of oak before tasting this wine, but it definitely works. A strong contender!
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Overall Rating: 7.3
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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