So, there I was, little ol' me in the wine store. I was innocently just walking around the store minding my own business when a store clerk whom I had talked to a lot prior came up and asked me if I needed any help. I responded, "Who, me, The Desert Wine Guy"? I'm just joking, I said "sure". This store employee saw me looking at a Chardonnay and quickly pointed out another Chardonnay and said that I need to try it. This employee and I have talked before about my feelings on American Chardonnay as well as other wine varietals so I assumed she knew my preferred style(s) so I figured why not? Do you guys have anyone at your local wine store that offers to help choose your wines? Sometimes an employee who has your tastes can really help out and actually save you money as you won't be wasting your money on a bad wine, at least that's the theory anyway. 
My experience with this theory has been hit or miss in reality but I always try to listen to others when it seems that our palates are alike. What is your experience guys, if you have someone you go to in your local wine shop, how have their recommendations worked out for you? Well, I guess it's time to see what I think about the wine suggested to me so let's get to it.
Today I will be reviewing the 2020 Tassajara, Chardonnay. The wine cost me $14.99 and it's alcohol percentage comes in at 13.5%. The grapes for this wine are all estate grown which can be a very good thing but in the end is no guarantee of a good wine. The bottle by the way is screw cap sealed.
Taking a look at the label on this wine, I think it is nicely done and seems to give off the perceptions of elegance and that there is a very refined white wine in the bottle waiting for me. l love the plant on the label and just how it offers up a sense of freshness and cleanness.
As for the bouquet, it is fresh and lively. I am picking up a big note of Vanilla followed up by notes of baked apple and butterscotch.
Now onto the palate I go. Okay so the wine is very proud (too proud) of throwing out a big time note of vanilla, an over the top, big time note of vanilla. This vanilla overshadows everything else the wine has or at least tries to offer up. This vanilla ends in a slight bitterness and overall, right up front, I am not liking it. Unfortunately a big time note of baked apple is intermixed here as well and in my opinion both notes are just massively overdone. I am getting a butterscotch note here as well and...yeah, not to my liking. Adding to all of this as you would expect is an oak note and that is the last thing this wine needs guys, I promise.
This oak note just puts a knife into a wine that had in reality already been killed a long time ago. This is a terrible wine and sadly I am not (simply can't) even going to go on with this review, I'll see you in the next paragraph to wrap this review up.
Alright Chardonnay lovers, I'll just come straight out and tell you that this wine sucks...big time. This wine is made by the Scheid Family winery and in my humble opinion, they should be ashamed of themselves. This to me is a jug wine repackaged into a smaller bottle in order to make more money, a lot more money. If you love your Chardonnays doctored with the notes I have mentioned in the body of my review then go for it but, if you are looking for a Chardonnay that is even the least bit clean, crisp or shows real fruit offered up with real thought, this is not the wine for you. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale I am giving this wine not a number but a label and the label I am giving it says "undrinkable".
The Desert Wine Guy
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