Wine: 2010 Blue Quail Mendocino Chardonnay

July 18th, 2012

It’s been a few weeks since last Wine Wednesday.  Which is not to say I haven’t been drinking (trust me, I have!) but rather I’ve 1) been lazy to photograph and document the wine or 2) not been crazy about the wine of choice.

Up until recently, I was a diehard “I hate dislike Chardonnay” wine drinker.  I don’t like oak or butter in my wine and all the Chardonnays I’ve tried seemed to have both in abundance.

Thanks to a knowledgeable co-worker, I learned 2 facts about Chardonnay: the oak in the wine comes from the barrels and length of time in the barrel, and the butter comes from Malolactic fermentationHe suggested I look for wines aged in stainless steel and without 2nd fermentation.

Off I went.  Success! 2010 Blue Quail Mendocino Chardonnay (13.7% ABV)

This is a wine I will happily drink all summer long.

It’s refreshing, crisp and, at $14/btl, inexpensive.  This could be my go to wine when people pop by.

Its color is pale gold with tint of green.  It doesn’t “look” oaky or buttery and it’s taste didn’t disappoint. Even me, a wine newbie, immediately tasted green apple and ripe pear on the first inhale and sip. It left a slight flowery taste in my mouth (hibiscus?).

It went well with my spinach, strawberry and goat cheese salad.  Into the wine fridge it goes.

From the winery:

http://bluequailwine.com/our-wines/

A Chardonnay I can fall in love with!

 

“Our Blue Quail Chardonnay is stainless steel fermented and held with zero malolactic fermentation. Fruit forward, beautiful bouquet of apple, pear and peach blossom lead seamlessly into delicious apple, white peach and pear flavors, balanced by nice crisp acidity.  It is a terrific food wine, pairing well with seafood, shellfish, poultry and cheeses.”

Maybe I should reconsider my feelings about Chardonnay ….

 

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