Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/282869
WINE SELECTIONS • CHARDONNAYS 66 Beverage Dynamics • March/April 2014 www.beveragedynamics.com NATIONAL RETAILER WINE PANEL ABC Fine Wines & Spirits Orlando, FL Brad Lewis, Director of Wine Sales Andina Restaurant/ Pearl Wine Shop Portland, OR Ken Collura Director/Sommelier Atlantic Liquors Rehoboth Beach, DE John Driscoll Wine Manager Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits Annapolis, MD Phil Altherr, GM Katie Harper, Wine Sales Berbiglia Wine & Spirits Kansas City, MO Ralph J. Bondon Vice President/Owner Beverages & more! Concord, CA Wilfred Wong E-Commerce Cellar Master The Boerne Wine Co. Boerne, TX Tom Geoghegan "Wine Guy" Bottle Bargains Northport, NY Ryan Armstrong Store Manager Bottle King Liquors Livingston, NJ Steve Carpentier General Manager Bowery & Vine Wine & Spirits New York, NY Bill Beard, Manager Brown Derby Stores Springfi eld, MO John Riley Retail Fine Wine Buyer Bullfrog Wine and Spirits Fort Collins, CO Chuck Carlson GM, Certifi ed Sommelier Cordially Yours Wine and Spirits Depew, NY Jeannine Babcock Director Wine & Spirits Cotuit Liquors Marston Mills, MA Dan O'Brien, President Crestwood Liquors Coventry, RI Matthew A. Reay VP Marketing/ Merchandising Flute New York, NY Herve Rousseau Owner Frugal MacDoogal's Nashville, TN Jack Mantle, Wine Dept. Happy Harry's Bottle Shop Grand Forks, ND Dustin Mitzel General Manager Haskell's Minnetonka, MN Ted Farrell President Holiday Wine Cellar Escondido, CA Jim Kern Manager, Wine Buyer Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits Silvis, IL Kevin Miller Wine & Spirits Manager ++++ (90) Clos La Chance Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay 2009 (California). Surprisingly well balanced walking a fi ne line between fruit, oak, acid and cream; ightly oaked; pleasant apple/pear fruit; thirst-quenching acid- ity, and just enough creaminess to give it a nice depth. ($15) ++++ (90) Canoe Ridge Vineyards The Expedition Horse Heaven Hills Chardonnay 2011 (Washington State). Aromas of peach and honeydew melon are swathed in scents of butterscotch and subtle toasty oak; the palate is rich and creamy yet maintains the balancing acidity to pair well with food; lemongrass fl avors give way to tangerine and peach, glazed in buck- wheat honey and butterscotch. ($20) ++++ (90) Franciscan Chardonnay 2012 (California). A little citrus on the nose followed by toasted oak on the palate; full bodied with a nice creamy fi nish. ($17) ++++ (90) Kunde Estate Chardonnay 2012 (California). A hint of melon on the nose, me- dium in body; rich and creamy fi nish. ($17) ++++ (90) D'Autrefois Chardonnay 2012 (France). VdP from Languedoc provides a great wine for the price; all the elements of a fi ne chardonnay are there in moderation; ripe apple, lemony acidity, a touch of oak; mid weight on the palate. ($11) ++++ (90) Hindsight Russian River Char- donnay 2012 (California). Lovely pineapple, peach and pear fl avors, nice acidity and weight with a long lingering fi nish. ($17) ++++ (90) Jarvis Tomeii Lotus Carneros Chardonnay 2012 (California). Just a wee bit of oak here, mostly wonderful fl avors of fresh pear, apple and lemon; great balance, nice acidity, and a bit of hazelnut on the fi nish. ($18) ++++ (90) La Playa Block Selection Re- serve Block No. 13 Chardonnay 2011 (Chile). Partial oak-fermentation and eight months aging in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels result in a lightly toasty style with hints of toffee, honey, and dried tropical fruits; an intriguing wine, sur- prisingly well-priced. ($12) ++++ (90) Henri Darnat Bourgogne La Jumalie Chardonnay 2012 (France). Dry and elegant with nice acidity and bright ripe citrus aromas and fl avors. ($22) ++++ (90) Bogle Chardonnay 2012 (Cali- fornia). Bogle always over-delivers on quality and price; creamy with hints of apple and pear; affordable everyday quaffer ($10) ++++ (90) Foxglove Central Coast Char- donnay 2011 (California). Rich, ripe tropical fruit but no malolactic fermentation so it main- tains a very clean and approachable profi le; wonderful value. ($14) ++++ (89) Columbia Crest, Grand Estates Unoaked Chardonnay 2012 (Washington State). Displays aromas of lemon pith and white peach offset by nuances of limestone; a crisp, lively white with surprising richness and bright fl avors of lemon meringue, yellow delicious apple and subtle peach; a chalky minerality cuts through the fruit and plays out on the persistent fi nish; a notable value. ($11) ++++ (89) Waterbrook Reserve Columbia Valley Chardonnay 2012 (Washington State). This full-bodied chardonnay displays abundant caramelized, toasty oak aromas reminiscent of roasted almonds and the crunchy top of crème brulee; the smooth texture envelops ripe pear and red apple fl avors surrounded by vanilla and caramel; the fi nish is like popping a white chocolate truffl e into your mouth. ($16) ++++ (89) Antinori Castello della Sala, Bramito del Cervo Umbria Chardonnay 2012 (Italy). Golden color with ripe tropical fruit aromas; full mouthfeel with fl avors of stone fruit, honey, butterscotch and a hint of toasty oak that linger with a long, persistant fi nish. ($15) ++++ (89) La Crema Sonoma County Char- donnay 2011 (California). Citrus aroma of lemon; citrus fl avors of lemon, lime and some vanilla; medium long fi nish. ($20) ++++ (89) Cameron Hughes CAM Col- lection Monterey County Chardonnay 2012 (California). Ripe tropical fruits fi ll the nose and a buttery cloak drifts in along with a touch of balsam; medium bodied, smooth and sup- ple on the palate, it is understated at fi rst but slowly unfolds into a smooth, almost silky feel; honey frames the tropical fruit fl avors and a touch of vanilla pops up in the after- taste. ($15) ++++ (89) De Wetshof Danie de Wet Char- donnay 2013 (South Africa). Non-oak treated