Ericka @Chef PickyKid and MeNow that we’ve learned about different varietals of wine in our Wine on Wednesday series, we’re going to take a look at wines from different wineries and winemakers to find new wines to try!
Total Wine in one of my favorite places to shop for wine. They have a large selection of wines you won’t find in most stores and they’re always getting new and different wines in stock. Total wine is a great place to go to find new wines. I found one recently that sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try and review it on The Daily Dish.
Bentley is a winemaker from the Napa Valley region, featuring Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. I decided to give the Bentley Reserve Chardonnay a try, because the label described the flavors I tend to prefer in Chardonnay-smooth finish, soft fruit and a hint of vanilla.
The Bentley Chardonnay Reserve had a nice light color, almost like straw. The nose of the wine (which means the aromas you may notice when smelling a wine) were distinctly pineapple, pear and apple.
This wine definitely had the flavor notes described on the label; I tasted initial flavors of caramel and vanilla, then fruit notes of pineapple and melon. The wine started off slightly acidic, but had a nice smooth finish, meaning it didn’t leave a lot of pucker on my lips as I finished tastes of the wine. There was also a slight buttery flavor to the wine.
This wine was described as being a full bodied wine, but I thought it was more of a medium bodied wine. Full bodied wines tend to have a bold flavor and potentially a lot of tannin or acidity (this would be the pucker in your mouth after drinking it), but this wine had a little bit of sweetness in the finish which for me, made it more of a medium bodied wine. And after a few sips of this wine, the sweetness becomes even more noticeable.
Bentley Reserve Chardonnay was a nice balance of fruit with caramel and vanilla notes. It had a strong start and a smooth finish, with just a slight amount of sweetness. This would be a great wine to pair with light chicken dishes, mild cheeses, or even caramel because of the caramel notes in the wine. Bentley Reserve Chardonnay would be a good pick for someone who prefers a wine that isn’t dry but also isn’t too sweet. If you like caramel or vanilla notes in your wine, this is definitely a good choice.
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This sounds delish!