The Star: September 19, 2019

Thursday September 19 2019 The Star
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
WINE 27
Bang for your buck chardonnays
• By Mark Henderson
AS WE (hopefully) banish the
cool days of winter and transition
into the longer daylight hours of
spring, there is definitely a place
for full-bodied white wines that
can complement a meal, yet also
offer generosity of flavour when
sharing a glass with friends.
It wasn’t all that long ago that
many were mindful of their ABCs
(anything but chardonnay) as the
grape was distinctly low on the
popularity polls, while mention of
the words “oaky” or “buttery” could
see you cast as a social pariah.
However, the wheels of fashion
have turned, and chardonnay is
well and truly in favour again as
people rediscover its food-friendliness
– it equally complements
vegetarian dishes or white meats,
and is heaven-sent with a variety
of fish dishes.
Chardonnay is far from a “one
size fits all” wine with a raft of
offerings from unoaked, fruitdriven
variants through to decidedly
fat and rich styles. “Oaky”
and “buttery” are no longer
mentioned in hushed whispers as
fans of these styles eagerly hunt
them out.
A significant driver of this trend
is the range of Californian chardonnays
flooding the country.
The United States is the fourthlargest
wine producer in the
world, with California producing
nearly 90 per cent of that total,
meaning California itself comfortably
sits in fourth spot. In the
US domestic market, chardonnay
is king, accounting for roughly
20 per cent of all wine sales, with
cabernet sauvignon second at
around 13 per cent.
When thinking of California’s
climate, words such as hot, sunny
and dry spring to mind, but with
nearly 1350km of coastline from
its northern border with Oregon
to Mexico in the south, there is
plenty of diversity. It is typically
wetter and cooler in the north and
drier and sunnier in the south,
moderated by the coastal sea fogs
which regularly blanket coastal
areas and inland valleys.
Overall though, the climate is
typically Mediterranean.
That warm Mediterranean
climate leads to powerful wines,
showcasing ripe, tropical fruit
flavours, supple, low-acid palates,
backed by vanillan, toasty oak
seasoning – summer sunshine in
a glass.
The exchange rate against the
greenback means that these are
never going to be dirt cheap, but
sitting in a range from the high
teens into the mid-20s and up
means that many are certainly
affordable, while their typical
power and richness offers reliable
bang for buck.
2017 Matchbook Old Head
California Chardonnay
Price: $19-$22
Rating: Very good to excellent
Rich tropical fruit, hints of
banana, baking spices, nuts with
a stony, mineral hint; light oak
seasoning too.
Sweetly fruited entry, fruit
syrup, pineapple lumps and
tropical fruit, oak a little more
evident.
Richly viscous and oily, nutty
and caramel elements evolving,
with a little sawdust and a chewy,
grainy feel.
Generously flavoured, open and
ready for business.
www.matchbookwines.com
017 Bogle Vineyards
California Chardonnay
Price: $20-$23
Rating: Excellent
Attractive nose, balancing
ripe peach, tropical fruit and
butterscotch with fresh citrussy
notes; developing lovely florality.
That balance is evident on the
palate with juicy fresh pineapple,
peach and banana, yet with crisp
freshness and structure too.
Real zing and brightness, a
minerally touch builds, with a long
fruit salad-like finish.
Lots of flavour and huge appeal.
www.boglewinery.com
2017 Harken Barrel
Fermented California
Chardonnay
Price: $20-$23
Rating: Very good to excellent
Sweetly fruited nose of
tropical fruits, dried pineapple,
confectionery, ripe banana and
smoky oak.
Lush, rich, almost syrupy with
great flavour intensity in that
ripe fruit spectrum with oak in
support.
A little lactic note grows as the
wine becomes less sweet, more
savoury, and gains structure.
This exudes the warmth of the
summer sun in a glass.
www.harkenwines.com
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