The Desert Wine Guy - 2018 Ondine Chattan - Chardonnay

   I have to come clean with you guys, this is bad. I'll just go ahead and put it out there and you can certainly judge me if you feel the need. The other day I was sent a box of wines from Naked Wines (https://us.nakedwines.com//) so that I could review them and well........it seems that I opened the box to drink a particular wine (this one actually) before I did the actual video review of the box opening. There, I said it, I hope you can see it in your heart to forgive me :) All is not completely lost however as a few days after this terrible deed I did actually record the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI3PburklPA) of the box opening and today I will talk about the wine I picked out of that box.

Winemaker - Ondine Chattan

   Today I am reviewing the 2018 Ondine Chattan - Chardonnay. Folks, I have to begin here by telling you that I was kind of impressed with the winery itself right out of the gate due to the simple fact that this small-production wine is Cork sealed. You might start thinking now that I am rather easily impressed but Cork sealing of white wine is not too common these days and I am glad to see that the Winemaker (Mrs. Ondine Chattan) has stuck with tradition rather than follow along with the new fad of the day which is Screw Caps. The wine comes in at 13.5% on the Alcohol scale and its grapes come from the Russian River AVA. If you are an "Angel" (a club member) the wine will cost you $9.99 if not it will run you $33.99. As far as Mrs. Chattan herself is concerned she has worked for big wine institutions as well as famed wineries such as Ridge Vineyards, Cline Cellars, and spent decades running the famed Healdsburg winery Geyser Peak. As of January 2019, Mrs. Chattan is now running Share A Splash wine co. (https://www.shareasplash.com/)
   You already know the next step here guys. For those of you who follow me regularly on this wine blog, you know that at this point in my reviews I discuss the label on the wine bottle. Guys, I really like it. Look at the shape of the label and the way it looks like it was cut semi erratically with Scissors. I love the color of the label as well as the Fonts and design that the designer chose to use. Guys, seriously, just stop reading for a second and really take a look at the label, nice huh? Taking a look at the back label now, I like the color used on this label as well and what is written on it. I thought it was really sincere and a nice touch from someone who in this case is a small Winemaker.

   Onto the Bouquet, I go now. Immediately I am getting slight notes of both nectar and a small bit of ripe Granny Smith Apple. Both of these Notes mesh wonderfully together and seem to also be working in cooperation with one another as well. Following these two Notes up are the tropical Notes of both light Pineapple and Quince, just delightful. I will say here that while overall, the wines Bouquet does not necessarily attack the Nose, it does present itself as a very nice, semi-vibrant, semi-tropical wine and one which could perhaps also transfer those Notes onto the Palate as well. The wine also manages to give off the perception at least of exhibiting a potential Palate vibrancy that seems to scream that it needs to be tasted, now. Overall, this is not a wine whose Bouquet itself will blow you away but overall when you place the glass to your Nose it certainly accomplishes its job. If I were sitting outside at the pool or even on the Patio overlooking the Vineyard on a hot day, I would be intrigued as to what else this wine might be getting ready to offer up.
   Speaking of what else the wine might be offering up, it is now time to get to the Palate presentation of this wine. First up I will tell....no, I must tell you that there is just a really big Note of fresh Acidity to this wine. Holy cow guys, like really. To me, in my opinion, this is the dominating Note of this wine and I truly don't mind it a bit and I don't think that you will mind it either. I don't want you to worry though because this Acidity is not overbearing nor is it offensive in any way thankfully. The Acidity brings such a Palate clarity and a sense of concentration to this wine, I am just in awe. As I continue to taste the wine my Tongue is just bathed with the taste of these Notes but the others come right along and prevent those Notes from becoming overdone or overbearing. As I continue with Palate presentation now I have to ask you if you are into a nice Note of Lemon when it comes to your Chardonnay? I hope you are because this wine has a bit of it. I don't want you to get scared here either as the lemon Note isn't astringent or anything, it just adds the first bit of fruit to go on top of that acidity and help keep it in check as well. Throughout the wine neither Note ever fully gives way totally but they do yield a good amount to easily accommodate the Note of Pineapple that I got on the Nose and which is very content showing itself off here on the Palate as well. This Pineapple is more of a Mid-Palate Note and is very enjoyable in that position. Together, all of these Notes are simply rocking the Palate yet the wine has some more to offer so watch out. Minerality is also very clearly evident in this wine and it quite simply flows smoothly across the Palate only adding to the immense notes the wine is already bringing. As I sip the wine I am forced to sit back in my chair, take a deep breath and take it all in as I believe I am in Heaven now. I am amazed by all the power the wine presents on the Palate. This is definitely a full-bodied and semi explosive wine. Chardonnay lovers, this is an aggressive wine without any doubt and I would venture to say that you have never had a Chardonnay quite like this, ever. Weirdly, even though this is a White wine there is a sense of Earth incorporated in here that really works quite well and is simply another Note which is consistently exposing itself on the Palate. Let me go ahead and add in a decent touch of Grapefruit which lies just before Mid-Palate and intermingles so lovely with everything else that this wine has to offer. Throughout the wine's entire presentation there is never a sense of conflict between the different Notes and they all flatter the palate in a very pleasing manner. Everything works so wonderfully together and nothing gets in the way of a fabulous presentation. What is presented on the Opening is what needs to be presented on the opening. What presents itself at Mid-palate and the Finish belongs there as well and all are appreciated for being where they are.

That Quince that I picked up on the Nose comes barreling through into the mix here as well and does not wish to be overlooked as it is just as in your face (or Palate) as those other notes are which is nice and straight forward. The Granny Smith Apple that I got on the Nose is noticeable here as well on the Mouth but thankfully does not bring a lot of sweetness to this wine as the wine in its entirety is not a sweet fruit bomb of a wine, the wine has class, carries itself appropriately and is very representative of a great Chardonnay. The Granny Smith Apple does bring a slight tang to the wine which works just amazingly with the Lemon.
   As I wrap this review up guys I must tell you that this is a BIG wine, make no mistake about it. In my opinion, Mrs. Chattan has created an absolute masterpiece folks. As I stated earlier, I promise you, you have never tasted a Chardonnay quite like this Chardonnay. The Notes of tropicalnesss are ever-present yet diffused in a proper way that limits their overall sweet presentation in a much needed and necessary way. This diffusion doesn't allow the wine a chance to become overdone with sweetness and I would have to say that overall as far as sweetness goes the wine does a great job with allowing just a bit to get through while still maintaining its integrity. Simply put, the wine is great Ladies & Gentleman and one that is worthy of you buying at least four (4) bottles of, especially at $9.99 a bottle. Remember that Spring Time is coming very soon even though some of you may still have snow on the ground right now so keep that in mind. This is a small Boutique wine guys and as such I know they don't create large amounts of it so I would recommend that you buy those bottles right now. I do need to issue a word of caution however, this is not a gentle or soft Chardonnay. This is not a wine which is just content being "liked", or simply enjoyed, it wants to be loved and I for one did love it. As I like my Cabernet Sauvignon I like my Chardonnay, full-bodied and in your face so to speak. I love wine which pushes the envelope and this wine certainly does push the envelope while still holding true to its varietal. In closing, I want to say that should Mrs. Chattan choose to she can go right back into making wine for the elite, as a matter of fact, she could easily rebrand this wine, triple the price of it and still be successful. I think that as wine lovers we should be glad that Mrs. Chattan has chosen to make small-batch wines and sell them at the prices she does. The bottom line here is I think we should just sit back and enjoy this wine. On The Dessert Wine Guy rating scale, I am giving this wine a very solid 93 points.

                                                                                                                                The Desert Wine Guy

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The Desert Wine Guy - 2018 J Lohr, Chardonnay

Ahhh J Lohr......yeah. Before you guys get on me for my choice of producer, please let allow me to  first explain. Ya see I was at Walmart today and I wanted to get home quickly but I also wanted a wine to review tonight. As I carefully looked over my choices I noticed that there were wines on the shelves that I would NEVER choose no matter what, wines on the shelves that I could possibly choose, in a pinch (hello J Lohr) and wines on the shelves that I had at one time or another already reviewed. I decided to choose a wine that based on my past experiences with the winery I knew already was likely to be bad but I was hoping that this particular offering would begin to change my feelings about them. Anyway, I bought the wine and when I got home, quickly threw it in the Freezer for about forty five minutes in order for it to chill and now here I am.
   Today's review is on the 2018 J Lohr, Chardonnay. The wine is 100% Chardonnay and the grapes are from their Riverstone Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco area of Los Angeles County. The winery brags about the many different Clones that are used in the making of the wine and says that these Clones bring out complexity of flavors, textures and acidity in the wine. Once again, based on my previous experiences with the winery, we shall see. The wine is Cork sealed and comes in at 14% Alcohol.

   As I check out the label now I rather like it. I love the Crest and how it is wedged into the main label. I think it is unique and presents the wine in a sharp & classy way. The back label is even something to talk about. This label appeared big and said a lot as it told about the family and the vineyards. Font or Script wise the label has it nailed down for a white wine with no complaints from me. I have to say that whomever designed the label is talented indeed.  
   Let's get to the Bouquet now. Ripe Nectarine and oak come screaming through onto the Nose. Following these two notes up is one of White Peach and a slightly more then moderate Note of an at least perceived butter/oily texture which when mixed in with the other Notes right away had me screaming "danger Will Robinson". I am getting the perception here of a sweet & overly bright and fruity tropical wine. If what I get on the Nose turns out to be exposed on the Palate perhaps the producers should rethink calling this a Chardonnay or perhaps throw it into a big Jug to be mixed at a later date with some sort of juice, it is too early to tell for sure however. Legs were fairly thick yet dripped quickly.

   Right off the bat as I first taste the wine I have to tell you that I am getting big time evidence of Malactic Fermentation (MLF) which of course means that the wine presents a pretty big buttery/oily Palate presentation. I am also getting more then a good bit of the feared fruit sweetness on the Palate as well as some moderate oak. Alright guys, thanks for reading this review and I will see you next time. In all seriousness guys this wine is .......I guess...... Okay, I should stop and back this review up a bit huh? Let's tackle that Malactic Fermentation first. Malactic Fermentation is not really a Fermentation because it doesn’t use yeast. Instead of yeast the Winemaker uses a special kind of bacteria called Oenoccocus Oeni along with a few other Lactobacillus strains that eat the Malic Acid in the wine and poop out lactic acid. This is where a wine can get its buttery/oily like texture in the Mouth. While that may sound gross, if done correctly and in moderation it can help create a great Chardonnay. Where it seems a lot of people differ is in their interpretation of what "moderation" is. My tolerance for MLF is not too high at all and thankfully the Chardonnays I have reviewed recently (2018 Ondine Chattan - Chardonnay) have not even come close to pushing that limit. In this wine the buttery/oily type texture is unfortunately very in your face. As I said earlier, the wine also expresses a BIG time note of sweetness on the Palate and neither is a good thing here as this is supposed to be a Chardonnay and there is no way the varietal should be putting off any of these overdone notes. Guys as I sip further on this wine I'll tell you that the buttery/oily notes comes across from just after Mid-Palate and follows through all the way to the Finish and it seems even after. In my humble opinion the level of the Notes the wine presents are all overblown and all offensive. I believe that if you have any sense of what the varietal is supposed to taste like, you will feel the same way as well. Moving on now, there are big sweet notes of over ripe White Peach & sweet Apricot as well and they simply just add to the wines overpowering sweetness and overall overly fruity Palate brightness. The wine also presents a really big note of crème brûlée as well and overall I didn't appreciate it. There was absolutely no crispness, dryness or minerality to the wine and I thought these Notes were very much needed due to the varietal. Come on folks, this is a Chardonnay and I don't want, need, nor should there be any overly bright, ripe, sweet, tropical fruit, dominatingly buttery/oily Notes present. in it. I also don't need any crème brûlée in my Chardonnay thank you. What little there was that was good to say about the wine was indeed very limited and short lived. In one sentence I'll tell you what the positive was. The wine had a big note of Stone. There I did it. What was good ended up bad as that Stone Note it is like.....coated by that darn MLF and what it offered up. Another thing which killed the Stone was of course the overall big time sweetness. On the back end is a sudden bit of acidity which just hits me as being out of place in the wine and therefore on the Palate, like for real. One last Note that is exposed just as the Finish completes is a slight burn of Alcohol, not good.

   Look guys, it seems that everyone loves this wine from the reviews I have read as well as the J Lohr line of wines themselves as a whole. Perhaps I am wrong but I think the wine SUCKS, there, I finally said it! I have to end this review as I have already spent way too much time on a J Lohr wine and the sink is waiting. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale I give this wine 81 points which means "Not recommended, drink water instead."

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