Another $4 bottle, this is my third in a row. I’m going to have to drink a $20 bottle this weekend to cleanse my palate. This chard has a bright straw color but the clarity is a bit lacking. This is quite rare these days and since I’ve been reviewing I think it’s the first time I’ve seen a wine that didn’t have near perfect clarity. It looks like it is mildly carbonated but it isn’t, there are just lots of little bits of sediment floating around in the glass. Very strange. It settles if you let it sit but the sediment is still there. It smells stale and of apple. The flavor is sweet for a chardonnay and it has an oaky finish. I generally don’t care for oaky chardonnay but it’s not bad for four bucks a bottle if you can get past the clarity.

Light yellow in color and has an aroma of Windex or glue, some kind of chemical I can’t put my finger on. Maybe a dry erase marker, that’s probably it. In any case, it doesn’t smell like wine. Fortunately there’s only a hint of that chemical on the flavor. It’s mostly soft fruit and oak. For a cheap Chardonnay I think it actually has a charming little flavor. Too bad about the aroma, if you can get past that give it a try.

The bottle makes the color look dark yellow but it is actually a light yellow hue. It smells like a piece of watermelon candy. The flavor doesn’t deliver on that promise at all. It isn’t the least bit sweet and the melon flavor is barely detectable and more like honeydew than watermelon. The flavor is also citrusy and quite tart. Not my favorite Chard but hey, it was only $7. The bottle and aroma just write checks the flavor can’t cash.

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I tried a Coppola Pinot Noir that I really liked so I picked up a Chardonnay of the same label. Smells of pear and vanilla, pretty strongly if you let it warm to room temperature. I don’t know how you take your Chardonnay, but it’s the one white wine that I highly recommend drinking at or near room temperature. You just don’t get the same experience from it otherwise. This one has flavors of exotic fruits and vanilla, with an astringent kick on the finish. I don’t like a lot of Chardonnays, but this one is pretty good.

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This is another one that I bought from Central Liquors in New Jersey. The reviews were good and the name is a little exotic. “Wild ferment” doesn’t exactly sound appealing but it does sound exotic. The nose is potent, with red apple and cinnamon notes. The flavor is multifaceted, starting smooth and turning to citrus and spice on the palate. There are also oaky notes and a lengthy finish. A very nice Chard for $10 or so.

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I keep smelling this particular aroma in a number of wines. I sure wish I could describe it better. The best I can do is to say it smells like unripe grapes and chemicals. This is the first time I’ve smelled it on a Chardonnay and it usually doesn’t precede a great flavor. This one is no exception. It also tastes like unripe fruit and
has a very astringent bite before the unfortunate lingering finish. Ugh, this is truly awful Chard.

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I’ve taken to un-oaked Chardonnay lately. Minus the oak, I tend to like the grape a lot better. It is more similar to Sauvignon Blancs in flavor than to other, oaked Chardonnays. This one has a golden hue and a dense aroma of apricot and gold raisins. The flavor starts very smooth and then develops a real zing that magnifies as it sits on the palate and really lingers on the finish. Very nice.

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Toasted Head is sort of a trendy wine in its category, but the style is your standard oaky California Chardonnay. It is straw colored and the aroma is tart and has hints of vanilla. The flavor has some exotic fruit that I can’t quite place. It ends with a toasted oak flavor that I don’t like, but a lot of folks do so don’t let my preference stop you. This Chard is above average.

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“It’s not horrible, but it ain’t good” were the first words out of my mouth after I tasted this wine. And this assessment is probably colored by all of the awful wine I’ve had lately from the corner store. It smells ok but the flavor is thin and the finish is overly acidic with an aftertaste of “feet” or something like that. Not that I’ve ever tasted feet, but that’s what it reminds me of.

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This is the last of my three Smoking Loon reviews and the only white wine in the bunch. I get a little vanilla and a little oak in the aroma. The flavor is fairly robust with some grassy, herbal notes and a lingering finish. Probably the best of the Smoking Loon bunch.

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