It's a balmy Summer's Winter's evening here in Brisbane, and I'm in the mood for Chablis. Handily, I had this lying around the house. This particular wine sees no oak at all, so in theory should express pure Chardonnay fruit and, one hopes, its corresponding terroir.
Nice light golden colour with a hint of green. The nose is complex with powdery florals and a hint of sweetness, along with edgier notes that suggest minerals or crushed shells. There's also a slight smokiness or perhaps mushroom that I find interesting. It's attractive and bounces between austerity and generosity without landing firmly at either end of the spectrum. The palate, by contrast, sits more clearly at the generous end, albeit with a firm mineral backbone to keep things shapely. Mouthfeel here is quite round and smooth, creating a seductive impression on entry. Underlying this mouthfeel is fine acidity of the slightly relaxed type, but in balance and firm enough to hold the wine's line. Fruit is crisp and brisk whilst showing excellent intensity. Some pear, perhaps, and a sweeter edge that's not quite honey but more ripe stonefruit. I wonder if there is a bit of Botrytis here? Just when you think the mid-palate will collapse under its own weight, minerality kicks in and carries the wine home through the after palate. Finish is mostly savoury and quite long.
Admittedly, it's not the most elegant style, but I find a lot to enjoy in this wine. There's flavour in abundance, nice three-dimensionality and a very seductive texture in the mouth. Good value, I think. As an aside, the cork on this bottle was ridiculously tight. Worth the effort, though.
Price: $A38
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: July 2008
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