Cellar Notes

Un-Oaked Chardonnay

Ethan Prater, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Everybody seems to hold a grudge against oaky chardonnays. So what is the alternative? Al looks into some very drinkable un-oaked chards.

Price key: $=less than $20 $$= $20-40 $$$=$40-60 $$$$=above $60
Quality key: * = decent wine ** = very good wine *** = superb wine ****= elite
VALUE = exceptional quality for the money

WINE OF THE WEEK:
Horizon de Bichot Chardonnay, Limoux, France ’20 **1/2 $
(Unoaked, with a ton of flavor, pineapple, yellow pear, good acidity)

Toad Hollow Chardonnay (unoaked) Mendocino ’22 **1/2 $ VALUE
(Lean and rich, soft texture balances pronounced acidity, lemon zest)

Copain “Les Voisins” Chardonnay, Anderson Valley ’17 **1/2 $$
(Aged in the bottle, very impressive chard that checks all the boxes)

ALL OF THESE WINES CAN BE PURCHASED AT KENILWORTH WINE AND SPIRITS.

Cellar Notes

Al Spoler

Al Spoler, well known to WYPR listeners as the wine-loving co-host of "Cellar Notes" has had a long-standing parallel interest in cooking as well. Al has said, the moment he started getting serious about Sunday night dinners was the same moment he started getting serious about wine. Over the years, he has benefited greatly from being a member of the Cork and Fork Society of Baltimore, a gentlemen's dining club that serves black tie meals cooked by the members themselves who are some of Baltimore's most accomplished amateur cooks.

See stories by Al Spoler

Hugh Sisson

As General Partner of Clipper City Brewing Company, L.P., Hugh J. Sisson is among Baltimore's premier authorities on craft brewing and a former manager of the state's first pub brewery, Sissons, located in Federal Hill. A fifth generation Baltimorean, Hugh has been involved in all aspects of craft brewing.

See stories by Hugh Sisson