Chardonnay Shootout

Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL
Tasted Tuesday, May 31, 2016 by Burgundy Al with 452 views

Introduction

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Judgment at Paris we compared US Chardonnay vs white Burgundy in two flights.

Flight 1 - Sparkling Rose to Start (2 Notes)

Flight 2 - Post-2010 Younger Chardonnay (6 Notes)

  • 2012 Ceritas Chardonnay Pinnacle Vineyard 91 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted blind in young Chardonnay flight. Orchard fruit throughout with floral notes. Moderate weight and nunace. Well balanced. Easy to enjoy. I mistakenly thought this was from Burgundy.

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  • 2013 Aubert Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Tasted blind in young Chardonnay flight. Very ripe with intense stone and tropical fruit and fragrant, sweet spice. Borderline sweet, but with with the structure to retain balance. Very long, powerful. Excellent now, I'd imagine this will be best in its youth. Easy to ID as from New World.

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  • 2011 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard 87 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Tasted blind in young Chardonnay flight. Ultra ripe and very tropical. Very good fruit concentration, just a little too much mango and pronounced new oak. Some heat on finish. Easy to ID as from New World.

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  • 2011 Domaine Dublère Corton-Charlemagne 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

    Tasted blind in young Chardonnay flight. Apple and lemon with elegant textures. Moderate power, very well balanced. Very good now. Easy to ID as Burgundy.

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  • 2012 Paul Lato Chardonnay East of Eden Pisoni Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

    Tasted blind in young Chardonnay flight. Lemon and apple with some tropical hints, but a strong mineral and acid driven edge, most notably on finish. Good power, density and overall balance. This was the most difficult wine in the flight for me to identify as either New or Old World. I liked it more than most others at the tasting tonight.

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  • 2012 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

    Tasted blind in young Chardonnay flight. A very odd wine, quite possibly slightly off. Dark color for its youth. Ripe fruit that was tasty enough, with a fresh herb character that some others at the tasting found to be weed-like. A slightly herbaceous, bitter finish. I'd think this 86-87 points tonight, but don't think it a correct bottle.

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Flight 3 - 1976 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay on its Own (1 Note)

  • 1976 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Served blind between flights. Nicely mature, elegant madeirized notes. Very good density and lots of fruit still coming through ripe and clear and fun. Got darker and shorter with more air. I thought this from Burgundy. What a treat given the evening's "Judgment at Paris" theme, so thank you, Magnum Man!

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Flight 4 - Pre-2010 Older Chardonnay (6 Notes)

  • 2002 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Tasted blind in pre-2010 Chardonnay flight. Fully mature orchard fruit with good concentration, but mostly oxidized, well past where this wine from a good vintage should be today. Consistent with most other bottles from the past few years, perhaps ever-so-slightly better.

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  • 2007 Peter Michael Chardonnay Mon Plaisir 87 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

    Tasted blind in pre-2010 Chardonnay flight. Easy to ID as New World. Ripe stone fruit with very good weight, but one dimensional.

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  • 2009 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

    Tasted blind in pre-2010 Chardonnay flight. Lemon and lemon peel. Starts floral, restrained middle, lush towards finish, but minerality at the very end with an expanding finish showing good spice. Very tasty.

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  • 2006 Peter Michael Chardonnay Belle Côte

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

    Tasted blind in pre-2010 Chardonnay flight. A very peculiar wine that I had trouble deciding if I liked or hated. Ripe and almost sweet, this has too much RS to be really savory. But it has great concentration and great fruit with unctuous textures. This was the group's favorite of the flight, but I just couldn't fully agree. Very easy to identify as New World.

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  • 2004 Peter Michael Chardonnay Point Rouge 86 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

    Tasted blind in pre-2010 chardonnay flight. Extremely rip and sweet, this came across as hot and sloppy on the finish. Some thought it needs more time, but I think time is its enemy with the protruding alcohol.

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  • 2008 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

    Tasted blind in pre-2010 Chardonnay flight. Orchard fruit with lemon and lime, then a trace hint of peach in middle. Moderately ripe, very minerally throughout. Easy to identify as Old World. My favorite wine of both flights, which oddly the group ranked #5/6 in this flight.

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Flight 5 - Post Chardonnay (2 Notes)

  • 1907 D'Oliveiras Madeira Malvazia Reserva 96 Points

    Portugal, Madeira

    Figs, candied orange peel and some marmalade with toasted almonds. Perfect harmony and subtle sweetness that seems to make this even more energetic. I remember when Ken bought this bottle last year in Beaune, of all places. I believe he had opened this bottle approx one week earlier.

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  • 1996 Château d'Yquem 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Intense dried apricot with some tropical fruit and candied citrus peel. Very good concentration, but a elegant texture and weight that keeps this from seeming heavy or too sweet. Also open a week+.

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