Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Notes

Notes from a blind tasting of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay overlooking the garden at my place.

First we had some non-theme whites to calibrate palates:

Purcari Cuvée de Purcari Alb Brut – a champagne style blend from Moldova! A squat shaped bottle, a nose of vitamin tablets and apples, a light spritz. A chard/pinot blanc/pinot noir blend.

2023 Laurenz V, Kamtal Singing Gruner Veltliner – this is a gruner veltliner from an Austrian winery that specializes in that grape. More colour, good balance, nice fizz, quite floral and brisk. Nice.

2021 Château La Fleur de Boüard – this white from Lalande de Pomerol was a mid yellow colour with a nice nose, slightly waxy. Unusual in being a chardonnay made in Bordeaux.

2021 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills – citrus nose with maybe a hint of basil, medium length, clean finish.

2020 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Rosé de Pinot Noir – quite light pink, a nose of red berry fruit, decent acidity.

1993 Serafin Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetieres – the first red was a venerable one, surprisingly dark and still showing ripe but not really pruny fruit in the nose. Still enjoyable.

2015 Paul Bara Coteaux Champenois Grand Cru Bouzy Rouge – so – a Bouzy Rouge from Coteaux Champenois, not seen that often around here. Fairly dark with currant and cherry fruit and still in goodshape. Perhaps the best still red from Champagne I have tasted.

2020 Montalto Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate – from my cellar, chosen to interrupt the line of French pinot I had foreseen. Dark colour, obvious pinot nose but from there the balance and lack of Burgundian character made it an obvious ringer. Drinks well now.

2020 Christophe Vaudoisey Volnay – my wine, dark and showing dark fruit and baking spices (nutmeg?) , approachable, well balanced and very pleasant now;

1999 Arcadian Pinot Noir Pisoni VY, SLH, – dark wine with hints of salinity, ripe, long and smooth. Superb pinot.

2009 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Estournelles-St.-Jacques – medium dark colour, and a refined smooth wine with excellent fruit levels and a long smooth finish;

I assume the Bouard Chardonnay is Vin de France?
I think they make a Syrah as well!

I assume the Bouard Chardonnay is Vin de France?
I think they make a Syrah as well!

It is labelled as "Vin de Pays de l’Atlantique", (now IGP Atlantique IIRC).

[David M. Bueker]

An appropriate designation as the wine adds to the ocean of Chardonnay.

[Jenise]

I assume the Bouard Chardonnay is Vin de France?
I think they make a Syrah as well!

My wine. Yes, the chardonnay comes from a 3 hectare plot in Pomerol with a slightly different soil composition to what's around it.

Lalande de Pomerol I assume you mean?

[Jenise]

Yes, sorry, that's correct.

[Jenise]

I didn't take handwritten notes, but remember the wines!

NV Purcari Cuvée de Purcari Alb Brut – Kim's wine, and totally delightful. My first Moldovan wine, I believe. The initial nose was pure Vit B but it evolved into something better.

2023 Laurenz V, Kamtal Singing Gruner Veltliner – Very nice, but a bit soft for Austrian Gruner.

2021 Château La Fleur de Boüard – Where this lacked the sensuousness of white Burgundy or high-end CA chardonnay like an Aubert, for instance, it nonetheless came across as serious with the kind of structure that actually made sense for Bordeaux. It was fun watching you guys guess every inch of France before giving up, who would think Bordeaux?

2021 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills – Yes, this was very good.

2020 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Rosé de Pinot Noir – Vibrant pink, with raspberry fruit and seductive acidity. Excellent.

1993 Serafin Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetieres – Outstanding.

2015 Paul Bara Coteaux Champenois Grand Cru Bouzy Rouge – What a fun thing, a still red from Champagne. I've only had one other in my life, and this was better.

2020 Montalto Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate, Mornington Peninsula, Aus – Sweet, tastes more of Red Vine licorice than grapes. Lacks the typicity of pinot and this generally good region of Australia.

2020 Christophe Vaudoisey Volnay – Yes, this showed well.

1999 Arcadian Pinot Noir Pisoni VY, SLH, – My wine. Once we centered on California, all present agreed that it's age was in the 10-15 year zone. I loved announcing "No, 27." Proof of why '99, at least by those who remember it, is still considered a best ever vintage from this zone.

2009 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Estournelles-St.-Jacques – What you said. One of my favorites for the day.