Wine Outlook

I must say, I’ve never had so much fun with a Wine Blogging Wednesday before. (Many thanks to the guys at The Wine Cask for the theme.)

Having already decided I would use wines from the Thomas Fogarty tasting menu– due to budget constraints– it seemed obvious (suddenly, as a light bulb went off on a foggy Saturday afternoon) to enlist the help of customers who came in. Therefore, I made the comparison between the 2003 Thomas Fogarty Chardonnay and the 2003 Thomas Fogarty Reserve Chardonnay a blind one for myself and my guinea pigs.

I chose those particular Santa Cruz Mountains wines–even though it was the last random bottle of the regular and the reserve’s almost gone–because they were the best controlled comparison. The two wines were both blended from the same four vineyards on our mountaintop estate. Both went through malolactic fermentation and were stirred on the lees regularly.The regular version ($26) was aged for 12 months in American and French oak–with 2/3 finished in stainless steel– and was the winner of gold and silver medals at various competitions. The reserve ($38), aged in French oak for about 14 months, was a much smaller production and a winery exclusive.

So what’s the verdict?

The regular is a solid wine. Pear, apple, and a lingering crispness make it a better food wine. It often pleases the palates of people who normally don’t drink Chardonnay. However, the first time I ever tasted the reserve, I thought to myself I’d actually buy a bottle of that which I’ve never said about any Chardonnay. It was so perfectly balanced: the acidity, alcohol, fruit flavors, minerality, and rich mouth feel. Lovely to drink without food and perfect with scallops or crab….I have to admit I was partial to this one going into the survey.

Upon initial tasting, I was struck by the lack of flavor in what I guessed to be the reserve. The first few people I asked concurred, and deciding the bottle might have been a little off, I opened a second one, which was noticably better.

Not always remembering or having time to ask, the final tally was 15 in favor of the reserve and 8 for the regular…disregarding the votes before the discarded bottle. Those who liked the regular told me it was “more refreshing” (club members in after a bike ride) and “more ready to drink.” Those who preferred the reserve indicated it was smoother and had more body. One woman told me it just “felt better in my mouth.”

Conducting a wine experiment was a truly enjoyable way to spend Easter Sunday in the tasting room. Thanks to everyone who humored me and helped show that, at least with the Thomas Fogarty Chardonnays, there really is a difference between the regular and the reserve.

Wine Blogging Wednesday, 2003 Thomas Fogarty Chardonnay, 2003 Thomas Fogarty Reserve Chardonnay, blind Chardonnay tasting

….Farley Walker