Bellula Chardonnay - Commendable • Reverse Wine Snob®

Crowd pleasing unoaked Chardonnay from the Languedoc, the Bellula Chardonnay.

100% Chardonnay from around Beziers in the center of the Languedoc region in France. The wine is aged for 7 months in stainless steel tanks.

Sample submitted for review. The Bellula Chardonnay IGP Pays d’Oc has an SRP of $15 and is available for as low as $8. Imported by JP Bourgeois – Lefgroup.

From the bottle:

This Chardonnay (100%) has a light-yellow color with a shiny golden hue. The nose is complex with aromas of white flower, ripe white fruits like apricots and peaches, with hints of roasted nuts and vanilla. On the palate, the wine is harmonious, round, with a deep aromatic sensation on the mid-palate. The finish is persistent with elegant fruity and mineral notes. Enjoy by itself or with light fare and seafood dishes. Best served at 50F.

13% Alcohol

Todays’ wine carries the IGP Pays d’Oc designation which covers all the wines made in the Languedoc-Roussillon region that are not made under the stricter rules of one of the AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée) regions like Minervois or the Languedoc itself.

There are a wide range of wines made under this designation, both in terms of grape varieties and styles, many of which offer tons of value as they don’t carry the big, recognizable appellation names on the bottle. In other words, it’s a great region for Reverse Wine Snobs to explore.

The 2017 Bellula Chardonnay opens with pleasing aromas of green apple and pear plus tropical fruit and touches of cinnamon spice. Tasting the wine reveals a straightforward, fruity, easy-drinking Chard. This is crisp and tasty stuff, with similar flavors to the nose in the mouth. It ends with lingering tart fruit and just a hint of minerality on the long finish. Crowd-pleasing Chardonnay, who doesn’t like that?

Ready to buy the Bellula Chardonnay? Check your local retailers.