Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Wine Wednesday: Liberty School Chardonnay

During our brief instance of sunshine earlier this week, I thought I'd made a lighter meal, intended for warm weather. So, I made an Asian chicken dish served with a cabbage slaw, and to compliment it, I had a Liberty School Chardonnay. The meal was OK. The wine was GREAT!

I found this 2003 wine in a local Food Lion surrounded by, and priced with, the 2005 Liberty School Chardonnays. So for less than $10 I got a wine that was two years older than the others-- sign me up!

At first I was a little concerned, in my experience California Chardonnays tend to hit their peak once they're about 5-7 years old. Since this is 6, it's getting a little long-in-the-tooth. However, I typically like Liberty School wines, and I was curious to see what it would taste like.

What first struck me about this wine, was the deep golden hue -- it's one of the darker Chardonnays that I've seen. I didn't get much out of the smell, since my allergies have been killing me lately, but I thought I got a hint of apple and pear.

Upon tasting, the apple and pear flavors were definitely there. I also tasted a hint of oak and butter, which made me fall head over heels for this wine. Then came the crisp finish with just a hint of acidity.

All in all, a great wine for the warm weather, and a great buy at under $10 -- if you can find it.

Rating: 4/5; If I see it, I'll get it.

Price: $ - $$; I got it for under $10, but it's listed online for $14

Wine Info:
Liberty School
2003 Chardonnay
Paso Robles (Central Coast), California
http://libertyschoolwinery.com/home.php

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