Game 7: Up at the Cottage: Chardonnay

Ah yes, to be at a cottage in the sweet month of September. With the leaves just starting to turn and the lakes of Haliburton cool but refreshingly swimmable - what a place to go for a wine tasting. Thank you to the gracious Pinot Paul for hosting.

Here was the line-up for night number one - a tasting of Chardonnays - our second consecutive tasting of that varietal:

A-Franciscan Chardonnay 2006 Napa Valley $25 13.5% alc
B- Natura Chardonnay Valle Casablanca 2007 $15.95 Chile (Organic) 14% alc
C-Torlesse Chardonnay Waipara, New Zealand 2006 $11.95 14% alc
D-Muga Rioja Spain 2007 $16 13% alc
E-Balnaves Coonawarra Chardonnay 2005 $37 13% alc
F-Chablis Grand Cru Bougros William Fevre 2006 $66 13% alc
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And here's how the Wine Leaguers voted:
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Pinot Paul:
1-D-Muga Rioja Spain 2007 $16 13% alc
2-A-Franciscan Chardonnay 2006 Napa Valley $25 13.5% alc
3-C-Torlesse Chardonnay Waipara, New Zealand 2006 $11.95 14% alc
4-B- Natura Chardonnay Valle Casablanca 2007 $15.95 Chile (Organic) 14% alc
5-E-Balnaves Coonawarra Chardonnay 2005 $37 13% alc
6-F-Chablis Grand Cru Bougros William Fevre 2006 $66 13%
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Stevie Sancere:
1-B- Natura Chardonnay Valle Casablanca 2007 $15.95 Chile (Organic) 14% alc
2-C-Torlesse Chardonnay Waipara, New Zealand 2006 $11.95 14% alc
3-A-Franciscan Chardonnay 2006 Napa Valley $25 13.5% alc
4-F-Chablis Grand Cru Bougros William Fevre 2006 $66 13%
5-E-Balnaves Coonawarra Chardonnay 2005 $37 13% alc
6-D-Muga Rioja Spain 2007 $16 13% alc
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Johnny Vinovich:
1-E-Balnaves Coonawarra Chardonnay 2005 $37 13% alc
2-F-Chablis Grand Cru Bougros William Fevre 2006 $66 13%
3-A-Franciscan Chardonnay 2006 Napa Valley $25 13.5% alc
4-B- Natura Chardonnay Valle Casablanca 2007 $15.95 Chile (Organic) 14% alc
5-C-Torlesse Chardonnay Waipara, New Zealand 2006 $11.95 14% alc
6-D-Muga Rioja Spain 2007 $16 13% alc
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Cabernet Chris:
1-A-Franciscan Chardonnay 2006 Napa Valley $25 13.5% alc
2-C-Torlesse Chardonnay Waipara, New Zealand 2006 $11.95 14% alc
3-B- Natura Chardonnay Valle Casablanca 2007 $15.95 Chile (Organic) 14% alc
4-F-Chablis Grand Cru Bougros William Fevre 2006 $66 13%
5-E-Balnaves Coonawarra Chardonnay 2005 $37 13% alc
6-D-Muga Rioja Spain 2007 $16 13% alc
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Languedoc Lloyd:
1-B- Natura Chardonnay Valle Casablanca 2007 $15.95 Chile (Organic) 14% alc
2-F-Chablis Grand Cru Bougros William Fevre 2006 $66 13%
3-E-Balnaves Coonawarra Chardonnay 2005 $37 13% alc
4-A-Franciscan Chardonnay 2006 Napa Valley $25 13.5% alc
5-D-Muga Rioja Spain 2007 $16 13% alc
6-C-Torlesse Chardonnay Waipara, New Zealand 2006 $11.95 14% alc

***

The overall results show that the group preferred the Franciscan from Napa at $25 and the Casablanca Organic from Chile at $15.95. No one picked the $66 Chablis at number one, though Lloyd and Johnny had it at number two. Three people had the Muga Rioja at number six - though clearly the Muga was the ringer and definitely not a Chard.
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This tasting was fun, if not raucous. We stayed up late, took numerous dips in the cool lake, sauna-ed and of course drank and talked and laughed.
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And to think - after all that joy - there was another tasting to come - Bordeaux - and another Wine Leaguer to arrive - Father Kev.