Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2019 Wine Review

Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2019

IGP Pays d’Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Community Score:89/100

Community Reviews: 10

Add My Review

Price: $18.15

Drink: 2020-2024

Bottle size: 750 ml

Alcohol: 13.5%

Sweetness: Extra Dry

Wine Type: White Wine

Winery: Calmel & Joseph

Agent: United Stars Corporation Group

Natalie's Score: 90/100

It's little wonder that this wine won gold at the World Chardonnay Competition, yet it's so affordably priced. A terrific white wine from southern France that offers crisp minerality and refreshment, unusual for Chardonnay these days. Lots of lime-bright acidity for food, yet there's also an underlying richness and fullness to the wine that is mouth-filling and delicious! Very versatile with food, from fresh seafood to roast chicken or pork chops.

Remarkable Roast Chicken Wine

This Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2019 was reviewed on December 3, 2020 by Natalie MacLean

More Vintages: 2016 2012 2018 2022 2022

Add New Vintage

Pricing & Stock Information

LCBO
375071
$18.15
Check Stock

BCLDB
680231
Check Stock

SAQ
12257292
$16.80
Check Stock

Reviews and Ratings

Andrea Shapiro rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2019, hailing from the Pays d’Oc of France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region. A welcoming bouquet of grapefruit citrus, white lillies and a hint of tropical fruit and delicate mineral components. Flavours bring, crispin apples, poached pears and smoky grilled pineapples alongside bright, lingering acidity. Medium bodied, with a lip-smacking citrusy finish and a decadent, rich oily mouthfeel. An outstanding value for $15.25. Versatile food accompaniments include poached salmon, buttery garlic shrimp and chicken dishes, or curled up with a good book. Enjoy! - tasted September 2020

L.J. Palmer WSET 3 rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

An excellent wine that exemplifies the value to be found in areas like Languedoc-Roussillon. The wine is medium lemon in colour, with a slight green hue, medium bodied and a pronounced nose. The aroma is more a warm aroma of yellow pear, white flowers, cantaloupe, anise, mild oak spice and some buttery notes. These flavours are all replicated in the palate. The wine is mid weight and creamy, with balanced acidity. I paired it with a white pizza, with mushrooms, caramelized onions and cheese. Absolutely delicious. It would work very well with roasted/caramelized foods like a sheet pan chicken thigh dinner with caramelized onions, apples and sweet potatoes.

Christian Marcoux rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

Made by Calmel & Joseph, in the Pays d'Oc in France, the Villa Blanche 2019 offers a delicious Chardonnay. Aromas of yellow apple, white peach, citrus blossom, saline, butter, vanilla and pie crust. Medium-bodied, this delicious Chardonnay pleases its supple acidity and warm finish. Palate: yellow apple, apricot, lime peel, saline, butter and toffee. Enjoy!

Lori Kilmartin WSET3 - WSET3 Sommelier rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

A French Chardonnay that could be mistaken as a wine from California. Very aromatic with ripe tropical fruit and toasted oak on the nose. Medium bodied with balanced acidity. Rich mouthfeel and medium fruity finish. Great price point!

Jennifer Havers - WSET Level 3 rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

Great flavours and an amazing price point. Aromas of golden apple and pear, with a hint of lime and some mineral notes. Medium bodied, creamy on the palate with medium acidity and ripe fruit flavours, along with hints of honey, and a mineral finish. Enjoy with an herb roasted chicken or pan seared halibut.

Jane Staples - Certified Sommelier rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

A fullbodied, rich Chardonnay from IGP Pays d’Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon, France. On the nose, apple, vanilla, sweet spice, toast and lime. The palate gives lime, ripe pineapple, guava and slight smoke, with a very creamy mouthfeel and lingering lime zest on finish. I'd pair this with grilled scallops or squash risotto. Great value here and worth picking up for that turkey dinner that's coming to a house near you soon!
Tasted Sept. 2020

Craig Haynes - WSET3 FWS SWS IWS rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

In my glass, the 2019 Villa Blanche chardonnay opened with scents of white flower blooms, yellow apple and pear, grilled butter and whispers of minerality. Together, they introduced a creamy, medium bodied palate marked by white orchard tree fruit, almond and buttery flavours that defined this chardonnay’s lingering finish. Ready to drink. Will pair well with roasted chicken fare and BBQed corn on the cob. Enjoy.

Reviewed on September 18, 2020

Courtney Flood rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Chardonnay from the southern coast of France; delicate with aromas of honeydew melon, apple, white grapefruit, lily, melted butter and cracked white pepper; mouthwatering, creamy on the palate with a smoky, buttery brioche finish. Excellent pairing for white fish, seafood, and creamy pasta. Good value wine - good pairing for traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner as well.

Tasted December 2020

Molly Amoli Shinhat reviewed this wine as follows:

In the glass, it's a pale lemon with gold shimmer and dreams of green. It hails from the Mediterranean - Pays d'Oc, France. On the nose, it gives lemon, very ripe peach, acacia, and whiffs of vanilla. A medium-bodied, 100% Chardonnay, it's bone dry at 5 g/l residual sugar. It's a great sipper with the rich, ripe peach, ripe lemon, and vanilla notes, but it's at the stronger end with 13.5% a.b.v. It finishes long on creamy lemon notes, almost like a lemon curd.

This is a food-friendly wine because of its juicy fruitiness and racy acidity. It would pair deliciously with Mediterranean cuisine.

It's the 2019 vintage Chardonnay of Calmel & Joseph's Villa Blanche series. With grapes grown in volcanic, limestone, and clay soils, the Mediterranean climate means hot, sunny days, with winds, but cooler nights. Together this helps the grapes ripen, to develop flavours while the cooler nights prevent the grapes from ripening too quickly or overripening while flavours and acidity continue to develop complexity and ripeness.

Interestingly harvest for this Chardonnay happens in two passes: the first done earlier to maintain vigour in the wine, and the second to ensure grapes with mature flavours, showing strong varietal characteristics also get a voice in the wine.

Once made up, the wine is aged for 3 months in oak before bottling.

Chill, sip, and enjoy this award-winning wine! A perfect choice for Thanksgiving turkey and hearty vegetable dishes. Also pairs well with Mediterranean cuisine or cheddar cheese, with your favourite tomatoes, olives, and bread.

1 Member would buy this wine again

If you liked the Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2019, you might also like these wines:

Top Rated White Wines

Add bottle and/or label shots for this wine
Wineries and agents: Add notes for this wine
Find this wine in other stores

Recipes for Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2019

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO

PAIR WINE
& FOOD?

Join me in a free online video class to learn the secrets to perfect pairings.

SAVE MY SEAT!

Wine of the Week

As featured on

Poggio al Tesoro Red Wine
2021,
Bolgheri, Tuscany D.O.C. ...

Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean offers North America's most popular online wine and food pairing classes. She was named the World's Best Drinks Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia.

Natalie has published two books with Random House, both selected as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Year.

Join 333,835 thirsty wine lovers who get access to all of her wine reviews by becoming a member of her site. Take a free online pairing class with her here.

FEEL LOST IN THE

LCBO?

Know the wines you want before you even get to the store with my wine reviews. Join now. It's free.

Red, White & Drunk All Over

Best Books of the Year

Natalie MacLean writes about wine with a sensuous obsession... and often laugh-out-loud funny... Terrific.

Rex Pickett, Sideways

Ms. MacLean is the disarming Everywoman. She loves wine, loves drinking ... ultimately, it's a winning formula.

Eric Asimov, The New York Times

GOT A SMARTPHONE?

Access my reviews on mobile with the bar code scanner.

GET NAT'S APP

Unquenchable: A Tipsy Search

Best Books of the Year

Natalie MacLean is a new force in the wine writing world ‐ a feisty North American answer to Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. She can write beautifully about wine.

The Financial Times of London

There are very few people in the wine world who "get it" and Natalie is one of those who brings more fun to a buttoned-up and stodgy game.

Gary Vaynerchuck, Wine Library TV

Starting a Wine Cellar?

Expert advice for all budgets

From wine racks to underground caves, insider tips on size and space, number of bottles, ideal conditions and reputable resources. learn more

Welcome Back!Sign in here:

Not Registered?Become one of our thirsty clan 333,835 strong:

Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2019 Wine Review

Natalie's Score: 90/100

Pricing & Stock Information

Reviews and Ratings