(Jan. 8, 2014) — Let’s ring in the new year with a change of tone. Usually we build our tastings with wines from the club’s long-term storage cellar, but all of these Chardonnays are currently available at Vintages (though some are now in very limited supply). Instead of our usual practice of ranking 8 wines plus a mystery wine, we’ll blind taste all 9 with only our usual palate cleansers, bread and water; and then we’ll re-taste with food.

The wines range in price from $26.95 to $67.00, and we hope that your favourites may still be available in January. In ascending order of price, we begin in California’s fog-cooled Russian River Valley with Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay and its flavours that feature “tropical fruit, roasted hazelnut, citrus and butter.” We cross the Pacific for New Zealand’s 2010 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay for “aromas of fresh peaches, melon and honeysuckle with hints of guava and cedar.” We re-cross the ocean to Canada’s Okanagan Valley for 2011 Burrowing Owl Chardonnay with its subtle oak and “lingering buttery flavours of tangerine and apple.”

Argentina’s Mendoza region is the source of 2011 Catena Alta “Historic Rows” Chardonnay which is “rich and full-bodied … a luscious package” with a “long finish that leaves you looking for a top up.” We hop north to Niagara for the 2011 Bachelder Saunders Vineyard Chardonnay, a “hedonistically delicious” and complex “show stopper” with “aromas of spiced-pear and baked apple.” Another complex beauty is the 2011 Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay. Its nose “melds stone fruits, musky lees, flowers, spices and a truffley, gamey quality.”

From France we have Domaine Latour-Giraud Cuvée Charles Maxime Meursault with “sexy aromas of lemon, lime and hazelnut.” And just a short drive down the road brings us to another fine Burgundy, the 2010 Seguin-Manuel Vieilles Vignes Chassagne-Montrachet with its “lifted, almond scented bouquet with a touch of dried apricot.” The priciest wine of the evening brings us full circle to California. The 2009 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains was ranked #26 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2012, and it should improve in bottle for at least another decade.

If you’re in a buying mood, join us for the January Chardonnays before rushing to the LCBO the next morning. If you’re not, join us anyway. The wines should be delicious. Bring more than one guest and we’ll discount the guest price. Happy New Year and Happy Chardonnay Tasting.

As always with our tastings, this event will be strictly non-smoking, and we request your cooperation in not wearing any scented after-shave or perfume. Using public transit is strongly encouraged.

Cancellations accepted up to January 3, 2014. See the event form for cancellation contact details. No reservations by phone, please. No confirmations will be issued — you will be contacted only if we are sold out. First come basis. Non-members may attend at guest rates, but preference will be given to members.

Download the event form if you wish to mail in your reservation cheque.