4 Really Cheap Chardonnays

Hey Twisted Peeps!

I survived another round of really cheap wine and this time it wasn’t so bad….it wasn’t great either, but at least I didn’t feel the need to brush my teeth afterwards.

I had some help from a Chardonnay Pal and we agreed on all counts.

So here are the results:

Oak Leaf, 12.5% alc, grapes from Ripon/Livermore.

Smell: apple, light honeysuckle

Taste: pear, ripe apple, honey with a little acidic bite

Charles Shaw, 12.5% alc, grapes from Napa/Sonoma.

Smell: petrol, apple, violets

Taste: vanilla, light butter, apple with a bright acidic bite

Three Wishes, 12.5% alc, grapes from Ripon/Livermore.

Smell: apple, white flowers

Taste: vanilla, pear, apple with a bright acidic bite

Winking Owl, 13% alc, grapes from Ripon/Livermore.

Smell: petrol, dirt with a little citrus

Taste: Granny Smith apple, bitter spice of clove/cinnamon and pith of orange/lemon

The Oak Leaf was softer on the palate than the other 3 and more refreshing but it was kind of forgettable.

Charles Shaw & Three Wishes became similar as the wines warmed up. The Three Wishes was a bit lighter in taste than the Charles Shaw. The overall flavors became vanilla and citrus. My Chardonnay Pal said she really had a hard time telling the difference between the two.

The Winking Owl was just tart and bitter.

After getting through the wines, my tongue felt cloying and I had an after taste of tart citrus flavors.

As an added “bonus” wine, I was asked to try Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio.

A friend of mine texted me and said, “I see you having been drinking cheap wine and I have a bottle of Wal-Mart Pinot Grigio”. I love it when friends want to “help” me 😉

Here is my opinion of the Wal-Mart Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio (12.5% alc, grapes from Napa).

Smell: lemon, gravel, pineapple

Taste: pineapple, lemon, parsley, mineral

At first I really didn’t think it was too bad but as I tasted more of it as it warmed up, I began to get a sweet-tart “lock-jaw” sensation. I don’t drink much Pinot Grigio because this is usually what happens to me. So I had a friend who drinks a lot of this varietal try it.

Her first reaction to smelling it was “sharp” and her description of the taste was “furniture polish” and she asked if it could remove paint because it felt like it removed a layer of her tongue.

I really do want to Thank my friends who shared and guided me through the 2nd part of this 3 part post because I was dreading it. I definitely “get by with a little help from my friends”.

So cheap Cabernet Sauvignon…here I come!