Chardonnay Taste Off

I've decided to put three Chardonnays against each other on the tasting bench and see how they compare.  I thought that they would vary in quality but that all showed well.  Yet they all tasted so different.  I love when it works that way.

Yalumba FDW7c 2008

This wine starts out with a bowl of mixed nuts, sans salt, then moves into a bit of grapefruit and spice.  The wine is subtle and inviting but it the palate length that is most spectacular for a wine at this price.  Chardonnay is back on the buying menu! This is the kind of wine that creeps up on you and gives you a big hug. 

Alcohol: 13.5
Price: $24
Rated: 90
Drink: now or over the next 5 years. 

Tyrrell’s Belford 2009

Massive amount of oak flavours dominate even though the wine spent 6 months in French oak.  Once the fruit starts to build you get a bit of peach and spice but otherwise it is the oak that provides most of the muscle.  Compared to the Yalumba this tastes a bit too sweet.  Give it few years to lose its baby fat then it should be nice drinking.

Alcohol: 13.5
Price: $30
Rated: 88
Drink: 2014 - 2018 

Barwang 842 2008

I haven’t tried too many wines from Tumbarumba but what I found here I really like.  There are notes of lime, spice and grilled hazelnuts but it is the acidity that sets this apart.  It almost tastes like there is a piece of struck quartz in the bottom of my glass that I just can’t get my tongue around.   I love it but it gets better on the second day so I would leave this a while for it to fill out a bit.

Alcohol: 13.5
Price: $29
Rated: 91 +
Drink: 2012 - 2019