If you’re one of those wine drinkers who swears they hate chardonnay, I implore you to try a “naked” or un-oaked chardonnay. Or try a few of them as the winemaking can bring out different personalities in this style of wine. But if you fancy yourself a chard-hater, stripping away the oak may change your perspective.
This un-oaked chardonnay comes from Emiliana in the Casablanca Valley in Chile and their Natura brand of organic wines. As I’ve shared here many times, the Casablanca Valley is a cool climate region in Chile. Some exceptional white wines come from this area and it’s the perfect climate to create great chardonnay. And that’s exactly what they did.
There’s a nutty note on the nose of this chardonnay, along with aromas like melon, lemon and green apple. The palate brings crisp apple, melon, pineapple and citrus flavors with good acidity. It finishes with lingering pineapple flavors. It’s a tasty wine that doesn’t hide the flavor of the chardonnay in a bunch of oak, because this one is unoaked.
Wine: Emiliana Natura, Un-oaked Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 88
Price: $10.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
