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Bodega Elena de Mendoza
Style: Chardonnay
Vintage year: 2010
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Alcohol: 13.7%
Price: $2.99
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Most people think of Malbecs when you mention Mendoza Argentina. In fact, Malbec is the most profitable grape varietal for Argentina, but Chardonnay is the 2nd most profitable. The bottles of Chardonnay from this region are under-appreciated, and haven’t got much press, in my experience. But, that is what make the Bodega Elena an amazing buy. Plus, this wine has a great story…
Bodega Elena de Mendoza is named after the family’s
matriarch, Elena Napoli, whose parents immigrated from Italy to the heart of
Argentina's wine country in the 19th century. They're bold beautiful wines take
full advantage of the altitude, eternally sunny skies and the Mountain Water
unique to their home of the foot of the Andes.
Not Too Cool, Please:
This Chardonnay is perfect for a warm spring day. It is a
crisp white wine, but you don’t want to drink it too cold. The overwhelming
amount of alcohol punches your palette up front and the aromas are deadened.
This can cause the wine to appear tasteless and flat, which is not a good
thing. For drinking white wines, I like a cool 58 degrees for perfect tasting temp.
Now for The Taste:
Straight out of the bottle you get a lot of green apple,
some hints of honey on the nose. The wine is a pale straw color and has long
lasting legs when you swirl. This wine is crisp, good fruit on the front end
and rather dry. This wine is well crafted and surprisingly easy to drink for a
white with so much alcohol. You can easily drink this wine by itself, or pair
it with a rosemary roasted chicken and parsnip puree. It is quite a delight to
drink, especially a relaxing spring day!
A Bit of Wine’s Tastings Results
Flavor Profile: 7
Drinkability: 5
Affordability: 10
Total: 7.3
Affordability: 10
Total: 7.3
Believe it or not, we like this out-of-the-box choice of
wine from Mendoza. It’s a little high maintenance to get the temperature just
right (remember, not too cold). But for only $2.99 a bottle affordability makes
this a great every day table wine to have on hand through the spring and summer
months.
What do you drink when the weather turns warm?
Cheers!
Keith
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