Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net
2008 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay
#nb-21-10
This one gets the stamp of approval from my wife, Mary, "The Chardonnay Queen"!
It also gets 89 points from Robert Parker, 89 points from Stephen Tanzer, and 88 points from "The Wine Spectator". I am however going to up the score to a 90, since it was so delicious when served as a companion to my fabulous Coq au Vin!
The 2008 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay is a superlative wine and almost perfect with a dish like Coq Au Vin. Our dinner consisted of the Coq au Vin, which was boneless chicken breast cooked in red wine (Merlot), fresh garlic, and butter. For this meal we added wild and long grain rice, and asparagus cooked in olive oil with sea salt, and alongside was fresh warm French bread.
The aroma of the Napa Chardonnay literaly leaped out of the glass with an abundance of fragrant tropical scents. The flavor was true to Chardonnay, with lots of apple and pear, but there was also a wonderful spiciness, which suggested roasted pineapple with a hint of cinnamon. This was a fruit forward wine with lush overtones and a clean and crisp finish which really stood up to the wine and garlic flavors of the chicken.
The quote from Robert Parker was, "A sleeper of the vintage as well as a stunning value, the 2008 Chardonnay Napa ranks alongside some of the great bargains in California." I truly enjoyed this wonderful Chardonnay, and would suggest it for your Thanksgiving Dinner, which is only a few weeks away. Norm's score is 90.
Price - $11 - $15
Score - 90
Norm
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