LCBO Sale Pick of the Week: March 12

Stoneleigh 2013 Chardonnay (Marlborough, New Zealand)

Sale $14.95, Regular $16.95
Discount (until March 29): $2.00
LCBO # 288795 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: Superbly clean apple, herbs and a whiff of oak toast.
Pairs with: Chicken in all its glory. Or flip an herbed salmon on the grill.
Good for: Pretending tomorrow doesn’t exist. It doesn’t exist!
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink: Now.

Why we’re drinking this
We’ve recommend Stoneleigh before—the Sauvignon Blanc, which is kind of the winery’s calling card wine, is a good, solid, well-made wine. This Chardonnay is much the same. Except it’s in a Sauvignon Blanc-style bottle, aka the Bordeaux bottle, which is either cool or annoying depending on your level of Francophilia and wine geekery. Stoneleigh is owned by massive drinks company Pernod-Ricard, which is either cool or annoying depending on your love of world domination.

Tasting note
A good wine at a very good price, even pre-discount. This is resolutely a New Zealand wine. Sure it’s a ripe, big-brand Chardonnay and sure it’s had a fair share of oak barrels. A portion of the blend has even been barrel-fermented and aged in French and Hungarian oak. That’s some pricey handwork, there, and not cheap to do. This is a clean Chard, with apple and a hint of oak toast on the nose. Then you get herbal and apple on the palate, with lovely tropical fruit, indicating some nice ripeness. The oak speaks with a bit of wood toast and vanilla. Stock this kwäf-worthy wine now—it’s the one you’ll want to give spring a cheer once you can get back on your patio.

Find it at your LCBO
Check availability on the LCBO website!

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This week's selection by kwäf Taste Bud Dick Snyder