Our Wine Review of the Week celebrates summer with this classic Californian Chardonnay reviewed by Deborah Podurgiel.
Deborah has completed the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 3, and is now a candidate studying for the WSET Diploma.
She’s an active wine blogger in Vancouver, as well as a journalist who writes about food, wine and home decor for various magazines and newspapers.
Summer Barbie parties are great, but how does one manage to have stellar wines without busting the budget? Well, you can rely on word of mouth from friends, or your very helpful and knowledgeable local wine store associate.
Ultimately, the answer is — well, you’ve got to try them yourself. I know that sounds sacrificial, and in a way it is — both from a cost and taste point of view.
Such was the case with this wine. I went to a wine store counting on a particular wine, and when it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind (balance was off) the store wine manager suggested the Sterling Vintner’s Collection Chardonnay.
Dead on — it was exactly what I was looking for.
A Chard (indeed, people still love Chardonnay) with perfect acidity, butter and toast (light American oak) excellent and plentiful apple flavours, popcorn and judicious (if not, constrained) use of oak.
Butter, toast, mineral, citrus and cooked apple and, yes, much to my surprise — fig and light caramel on the palate. Lots of dimension and complexity to this wine.
In fact, it went with my smoked trout appie (buttery and structured)as well as a lobster boil up with a lemon butter,
white wine (same wine)and fresh pureed Mexican garlic (a flavour somewhat between a shallot and mild garlic) sauce — while the Sterling Chard cut through the richness, it also complemented the richness of the (Maritime) lobster.
Absolutely excellent!
Rating: 90 points.
Deborah also took the initiative to make a video review of this wine with food pairings!
