2012 William Hardy Chardonnay

Norm’s Tasting Notes

By: Norm Bentley

North Georgia Wine Advisor

normwine@bellsouth.net

2012 William Hardy Chardonnay

#nb-07-14

The "Chardonnay Queen" loves Chardonnay, and I like it quite a lot also.  Over the years we have sampled a variety of wines made from the same grape, with style differences that represent a pretty broad spectrum of taste.  The trend during the last decade among Chardonnays is to lessen the oak, and increase the fruit presence for a somewhat less dry wine.  For me the basic taste of Chardonnay has always been a blend of apple and pear, with subtle hints of tropical fruit, and or citrus.  I also like good acidity backed up by a little oak.

We recently sampled the 2012 William Hardy Chardonnay from Australia, which had very little of these flavors present in its makeup.  I read several different descriptions of this wine which included the words, honeydew melon, peach, apricot, and banana.  Now let me say that I found the wine to be quite pleasant, but very non-typical of what I have come to expect of a Chardonnay.

The nose was floral, and very fragrant, leading into flavors of peach and melon, with a touch of spice.  The finish was clean with a suggestion of vanilla.  The alcohol content was 13.5%.  As I said, the wine was not typical of Chardonnay, but very pleasant.  If Chardonnay is not your favorite wine, you might enjoy the different aspects of this one.  It would definitely be an enjoyable summertime wine.

Score: 85

Price: $11-$16

Norm

Norm’s Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm’s Tasting Notes available online at either:

http://pineisland-eagle.com/

http://cumminghome.com/

http://dawsontimes.com/

Also on "The Patch" at Dunwoody, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, and others:

dunwoody.patch.com/‎

WINE – God’s Proof of his love for humanity