So last night I decided to undertake my next wine tasting exercise for my WSET2 studies. We were told to try a new world oaked chardonnay from a well known producer and we then had to provide tasting notes on the same. I’m an ‘old world’ kind of a girl and I generally approach the direction to taste ‘new world’ wines with some degree of trepidation. This exercise became more interesting and enjoyable as the evening wore on. It also produced what was, for me, a surprising result!
I chose a 2013 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay by Ramey. It has an alcohol content of 14.5% and is a belter of a wine. Aromas of peach, pineapple, honeysuckle, lemon sherbet, oak, coconut and toasted almonds. Flavours of pineapple and ripe peach with a real butteriness, no doubt courtesy of the oak (or possibly malolactic fermentation). The wine was high in acidity, medium to full bodied and was long on the finish. It was a real pleasure to drink.
Enthused by my new found appreciation of a new world Chardonnay I decided to undertake an experiment and try it against an old world Chardonnay from Burgundy. With that a bottle of Lalou Bize Leroy’s 2015 Bourgogne was promptly opened and the ‘comparison’ began. I should say that in terms of price they are pretty similar. Obviously the Burgundy is 2 years younger and it is a negociant wine albeit from one of the most revered producers in the whole of Burgundy (the “Queen of Burgundy” as she is sometimes known) who subscribes to pretty exacting standards both in terms of grape selection and the making process. This was a much leaner beast. Only 12.5% alcohol, courtesy of the much cooler temperatures. Citrus, gooseberry and wet gravel on the nose. Gooseberry and lime on the palate. Dry, high acidity and medium finish.
Making a comparison of the two, perhaps a little unfairly (as they are clearly not like for like), I found that I actually preferred the Californian wine at present. I say “at present” because I have no doubt at all that in a couple of years time or so the Leroy will have matured and will be quite different. It is too young at present. And I do normally love the minerality of a good Burgundy Chardonnay as distinct from what can often be overly sweet and rather non descript Chardonnays from hotter climes. However, for the narrow purposes of my little experiment, the result was a bit of a revelation! Chin chin …