This event was a free tasting in Raleigh on Oct. 24th.
2014 Nothing Gold Can Stay Chardonnay, Napa Valley, CA. On sale for $19.99. Normally $36.00. A product of Tank Garage Winery in a former gas station in Calistoga. 40% new French oak. The winery's notes describe sweet oak, vanilla, citrus, tropical fruits and crème brulee. My notes include bright with a bit of lemon and a bit of butter, quite golden in color with a rather long finish. Riper, fuller style of Chardonnay than I prefer.
2014 Arnot Roberts Watson Ranch Chardonnay, Napa. $39.99. Paler color than the first wine; still some gold. Nice, crisp tasting in comparison to the previous wine.
I skipped the Mer Soleil Chardonnay from Santa Barbara as in the past I have found it too oaky. (The winery also makes an unoaked Chardonnay, Mer Soleil Silver.)
2014 Peay Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. $39.99. Pale gold. Moderate taste of oak, quite pleasant.
The Cali Chards were followed by French Chardonnay.
2015 Domaine Andre Bonhomme Macon-Villages Vielles Vignes. $19.99. Light and refreshing, this was one of my favorites of the tasting. I found it somewhat neutral as to fruit flavors.
2014 Domaine Andre Bonhomme Vire' Clesse'. $24.99. This had a deeper color than the previous wine and a richer, fuller flavor with a longer finish. Perhaps some apple flavor notes. I rated it one to two points higher than the Macon-Villages. I ended up purchasing two bottles each of the Macon-Villages and the Vire' Clesse'.
2012 Deux Montilles Pouilly-Fuisse' en Vergisson. $29.99. Some oak.
Chardonnay from other world regions:
2015 Paul Cluver Chardonnay, Elgin, South Africa. $17.99. This was totally different from the other Chardonnays with a ripe apple note. Quite nice!
2014 Mythic Mountain Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina. 13.5% abv. $10.99 sale price. I have had this before and decided I didn't care for it after taking it home.
2012 Dry River Chardonnay, Martinborough, New Zealand. $39.99. One of the better wines in the tasting in my estimation. Vibrant and pleasing with some acid and minerality. I might have purchased if the price were somewhat lower.