Synopsis, Our Opinion: A good predictable grocery store Chardonnay at this price point.
Producer/Winery: Columbia Crest, Patterson, Washington.
Grape Variety: Chardonnay.
Geographic Appellation, Region, Country: Columbia Valley, Washington.
Vintage: 2019
Price: $6.83 (with a 25% mixed case discount)
Purchased From: Harris Teeter Grocery Store; Kernersville, North Carolina.
Paired With: Roast turkey, dressing and gravy with acorn squash and green peas.
Tasting:
Note: Every now and again, when we find a good sale, we purchase wine we know nothing about from the grocery store. This is one of those sale-price “pig in a poke” grocery store wines; however in this case we were familiar with this wine having had it about 10-years ago (see: Columbia-Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay 2010) and it has changed dramatically. Our first review reported it as HEAVILY OAKED, consistently produced in large quantities, recognzed in Wine Spactator’s top 100 wines and a very popular inexpensive Chardonnay.
Chilled before drinking. Clear, very light wheat straw color, but some people could easily call it colorless. Fresh melon and ripe apple aromas. (We were surprised and happy to find the heavy oak tastes missing from this 2019 vintage.) Quite neutral and unadorned mouthfeel, medium body and a 100-grit texture. Flavors of mostly tart apple with traces of lemon, pineapple and uncooked Kieffer pears. Bright acidity that really established the character of the wine and a long tart apple finish. Very easy drinking, inexpensive, and every bottle is probably very consistent. It’s very ovious that this Chardonnay has moved away from the very oaky tastes that were popular years ago. The easy-drinking character and good balance resulted in a “Not Bad” Chardonnay at a very low grocery store price point. For what it is we both said this is a good predictable grocery store Chardonnay at this price point.
Photo from Columbia Crest.
Comments: Learn more about Columbia Crest and their wines.
See our reviews of other Columbia Creest wines.
Alcohol Content: 13.5%
Closure: Aluminum covered Uncovered 45mm natural cork.
UPC Code: 0 88586 49895 4
Imported by: Not applicable.