Tasting Note                         

86   2008  Veritas  Chardonnay  7/17/09 ($16)

  13.5% alc  mostly Chardonnay with some Viognier, no oak, no malolactic
Color: Light silver yellow. (2.5) Bouquet: Lively acidity supporting delicate green apple and pear fruit with a little honey and spice. (2.5) Body: Light middleweight with very good fruit and acidity and some residual sugar. Off-dry. Well balanced. (2.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but more spicy, crisp and lively. (3.0) Finish: Parallels bouquet with spice lingering. (2.5)
Overall: A very pleasing wine for drinking with sweeter-styled Asian food. An alternative to an inexpensive Riesling. I like the significant dose of Viognier here. This strikes me as a success due to clever winemaking, i.e., the combo of an interesting varietal blend, some residual sugar, pure fruit with no oak and no malolactic fermentation (gives it life). Maybe slightly overpriced, but this tends to be true with most VA wines, probably due to the extra costs and labors involved when growing grapes in a less than ideal climate. Also the winery and tasting room are quite ellaborate, i.e., big mortgage. (13.0)

 

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