Thursday, May 26, 2011

Wines I'm Drinking: 2005 Beni di Batasiolo "Serbato" Langhe Chardonnay

I recently tasted a 2003 Chardonnay from Beni di Batasiolo that I thought interesting but a little over the hill. This is a different bottling from the same producer, from a more recent vintage--the 2005 "Serbato" Langhe Chardonnay. Both wines are from Italy's Piedmont region, the home of better known wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco. Tasting notes below.

A pretty yellow-gold, clear and brilliant. Scents of lemons, wood, and manure. Yes, "manure," but not at all unpleasant. [Perhaps that's a bit harsh. Let's say lemons, wood, and musky animal scents rather than manure.] Lemon and honey on the palate. Bright acidity. Much fresher than its older stable-mate (see above). Sweet on the mid-palate with a nice lemony tartness lingering on a fairly long finish. Conceptually, lemon and musk may be a challenge to reconcile, but we happily consume all manner of meats with lemon squeezed on them, and this wine had something about it that reminded me of lemon chicken--not the sticky, yellow-dyed horrors that pass for lemon chicken in the Chinese restaurants of shopping mall food courts--but a real lemon chicken made with love and fresh ingredients (fond memories of Yaik Sang on Lockhart Rd. in Hong Kong years ago). The "Serbato" Chardonnay is not especially nuanced or profound, but, at only $3.99 a bottle at Grocery Outlet, this is a good value for everyday occasions. I'm likely to buy a few bottles to have on hand for those hot summer days that must surely be on the way.

I have no financial connection with any producer or retailer of wine.


For more wine reviews, use the Wines I'm Drinking label.


3 comments:

  1. Oh that we had $4 wine in Canada. I like the lemon chicken comparison.

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  2. Well, to put this in perspective, Holly, $4 wine is rare here, too, except at Grocery Outlet, which occasionally has amazing deals like this. As noted in some of my reviews of Grocery Outlet wines, it's wonderful when interesting wines have been drastically discounted simply because they weren't popular. At other times, the wines clearly haven't been stored well or they are simply well past their prime. So, you have to be careful--or just willing to accept the duds once in a while....

    If you ever visit this area, let me know. I'll take you to Grocery Outlet (and some more interesting places).

    Colin

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