Tasting - Robert Mondavi Chardonnay

Name: Robert Mondavi Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Monterey County, CA

Country: United States

Year: 2016

Price: $15

Winery Review: Rich, creamy, and concentrated with a balanced acidity and lingering finish. The wine offers flavors of grilled pineapple, lemon custard, graham cracker, toffee, and vanilla bean with baking spices and toasty oak.

My Review: This week I didn't really stick to a theme. Just bought what looked interesting or something that I wouldn't mind adventuring out in to. The first wine I tasted was this bourbon barrel aged chardonnay. I'm not a fan of bourbon, but was interested to see how it changed the flavor profile of the wine. When I opened it I smelled a lot of oak right off the bat. I also smelled something crisp like lemon, but not much else in the fruit department. It didn't really have anything distinct about it other than the wood smell. When I tasted it alone, it had a very earthy character about it. Once you got back the mouth of dirt, it tasted like honeysuckle....very subtle and crisp. It was very full bodied, which surprised me for a chardonnay. It did finish like a cheap young bourbon though and it was off putting. It took it a while to kick in with the aftertaste, but it lingered for quite some time. Even after drinking water. I tried it with smoked bratwursts and grilled asparagus. I don't feel like it added anything or took away from anything as far as the meal was concerned. I had it at the beginning of the week and now that I'm writing this, it was pretty forgettable. Which I guess could be a positive thing since some of the wines I've had have been awful! This would be a good wine to keep around the house for the whiskey/bourbon/scotch drinkers, they will enjoy it. I won't drink any more of it.