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Columbia Crest Winery Grand Estates Chardonnay 2013 Wine Review

Columbia Crest Winery Grand Estates Chardonnay 2013

Columbia Crest Winery Grand Estates Chardonnay 2013

Columbia Valley, Washington, United States

Community Score:88/100

Community Reviews: 10

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Price: $17.95

Drink: 2015-2019

Bottle size: 750 ml

Alcohol: 13.5%

Sweetness: Dry

Wine Type: White Wine


Winery: Columbia Crest Winery

Agent: Philippe Dandurand Wines Ltd.

Natalie's Score: 90/100

Aromas of Meyer lemon, toffee and butterscotch. Smooth and full-bodied. Full-bodied and smooth with layers of buttery richness. Finishes with toasty oak and pineapple and guava notes. What's remarkable is the careful and personal detail each of the 6000 barrels get for this wine. They are all hand-stirred weekly when aging on the lees to add creamy texture and rich depth. Every wine is touched every week by the winemaking team for 8 months, a term the French call batonnage to extract flavour from the proteins and yeasts in the wine that would naturally settle on the bottom and not have much impact. This process really builds the mid-palate. This wine is 100% barrel-fermented. Aromas of butterscotch, toasty oak and golden apple. This wine is available on the general list year-round outside of Vintages. Pair with roasted chicken.

Chardonnay food pairings: poached salmon with sautéed snap peas and snow peas, Thai seafood noodle salad, butternut squash risotto,.

Scrumptious Seafood Wine

This Columbia Crest Winery Grand Estates Chardonnay 2013 was reviewed on August 4, 2016 by Natalie MacLean

More Vintages: 2014  2012  2009  2015  2019 

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Pricing & Stock Information

Reviews and Ratings

Nicole Lewis rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

The nose offers up butterscotch, ripe peach, and warm vanilla. This is a full-bodied, buttery chardonnay, with peach and candied notes. Nevertheless, there is some lemony acidity that serves to make this wine lively and complex. This is a white white that has some fine structure and could stand some fairly substantial food pairings.
If you like oaked chardonnays this is for you.

Reviewed by Nicole T. Lewis on July 24, 2016
Mary Anne van Gaal rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

This Chardonnay is produced organically and is 100% barrel fermented while being stirred weekly. This technique gives it intensity and freshness. Aromas of melon and fresh grass first greet the nose and flavours of butterscotch and pear fill the palate. It is creamy, yet lively, wine. It would pair nicely with a creamy seafood pasta. It is a great value at $17.95.
Lori Kilmartin WSET3 - WSET3 Sommelier rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

This 100% chardonnay was barrel fermented with sur lie aging for 8 months. Battonage - by hand was done once per week. Lighly oaked with a smooth buttery mouthfeel. Aromas of tropical fruit. Fresh acidity on the finish. Pair with fish tacos or chicken fettuccine. Tasted June 2016.
Cherie Cole rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

This single varietal comes from Washington State's largest viticultural region, the Columbia Valley appellation. 100% barrel fermented and bâtonnage (stirring of the lees) occurred once per week. This Chardonnay has aromas of caramel apple, tropical fruit and smokey notes. Full-bodied with a buttery mouthfeel and crisp acidity. Tasted June, 2016.
Jennifer Havers - WSET Level 3 rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

A lovely Chardonnay from the Columbia Valley with nice harmony between tropical fruit and warm spice. Aromas include red apple, melon, pineapple, and some notes that remind me of baked apple pie. On the palate, there is a nice creamy texture, coming from weekly lees stirring, balanced with crisp acidity. Pair with a variety of lighter dishes, from chicken, to white fish, or pasta salad.
Craig Kuziemsky rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Citrus, baking spice, vanilla, and some pear on the nose and palate. Would pair well with roasted chicken or shrimp scampi.
Matt Steeves - Certified Sommelier rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Incredible value in this golden Chardonnay from Washington State. Columbia Crest's Grand Estates Chardonnay, at $17.95 at LCBO, is one of the best value priced Chardonnays you can buy. Richly flavoured with pienapple, baked apple, burnt sugar, butterscotch and toast on the nose and palate. It's ripe, buttery, and round. 100% barrel fermented with battonage happening one a week for months. At the end of the day it's tough to come across a quality wine like this for under $20. Enjoy all year round! Tasted June 2016. 88 points. Matt Steeves - www.quercusvino.ca
Monique Sosa - Accredited Sommelier rated this wine as 87/100 with the following review:

Brilliant gold in the glass, moderate stone fruit aromas, intense citrus and mineral flavours and decently balanced. After moments in the glass, this wine does open up a bit revealing a touch yeasty and custardy characteristics. The palate shows high acidity with a crisp mouthfeel and long citrus (lemon, young pineapple and grapefruit finish. Enjoy pairing this easy drinking patio white with grilled bacon wrapped asparagus. Tasted Jul 2016.
Winemaker Juan Muñoz Oca puts 80% of his Chardonnay wine in various types of barrels for 9 months of aging and regular hand-stirring of the lees. - Community Wine Review.

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