Wine of the Week: Un-oaked Chard for the Fourth
Sometimes we call it “un-oaked,” sometimes we call it “un-wooded,” or as Yellow Tail now calls it, “Tree Free” Chardonnay, this wine, with no barrel fermentation or barrel aging, has become a real fad.
You know it’s a trend when Kendall Jackson, the prototype of the oak and butter style of Chardonnay, comes out with a new Avant Chardonnay ($13 a bottle) and describes the wine as being fruit-forward, soft and light.
Winemaking using barrel fermentation and barrel aging can create a soft, buttery mouth-feel and mellowed acidity. Not everybody likes that viscous texture, so voila, we have “un-oaked” Chardonnay.
Even Mer et Soleil, another butter and oak, barrel-fermented Chardonnay has created their “Silver” line of Chardonnay (about $20 a bottle) with a back label full of “un-oaked” code words.
So has our love affair with the wood ended? Never, but there needs to be different strokes for different folks, and that’s what the “un-oaked” phenomenon reveals.
I think many of us have been burned by “oak-affected” Chards that tasted more like wood chips dumped in a stainless steel fermentation tank, rather than real barrel fermentation and aging.
Many feel that letting the fruit speak for itself made a more appealing and food-friendly wine.
Paradise Sound from Lodi says “Un-oaked” Chardonnay right on the label, and it is soft and creamy on the palate, even without barrel fermentation, and finishes with tart green apple or quince.
When we tasted it out last week, I had numerous people respond, “I don’t like Chardonnay, but I like this one.”
These are refreshing wines that can work perfectly by the pool for the Fourth of July, unpaired, but these are Chards that can pair with grilled fish and barbecue chicken, or with a nice cheese board or crudité platter.
“Un-oaked” Chardonnay has a refreshing palate that can feel more cooling than the old woody stuff, so make it your choice for the upcoming holiday and unending season of heat. Enjoy the flavors of the fruit and not just the barrel. Cheers!
-Daniel Eddy, Fine Wine Consultant at ABC Fine Wines and Spirits, Newberry Road
