Tasting - Bonterra Chardonnay

Name: Bonterra Chardonnay
Variety of Grape(s): Chardonnay
Country of Origin: United States of America
Region of Origin: Mendocino, California
Vintage Year: 2022
Price: $16

Following the disaster that was the previous wine on tonight's tasting menu (Bay Bridge Chardonnay), I was really hoping that my experience could only improve. Looking at the nice artwork and clean layout of the label, along with the ~5x cost increase, my hopes were high for the Bonterra Chardonnay.

According to Wine Folly, Chardonnays typically have strong fruity characteristics, with some sweetness and butter notes on top (Page 96). Flavors can range from tropical fruits to tree fruits, to citrus fruits, with some nice earthy and woody notes brought out through aging in oak barrels (Page 97).

Wine Critic Review: According to Matrix on Vivino.com (1480 ratings on the site and 143rd highest in Sweden):

"3.9 - lovely flowery Californian Chardonnay to grilled chicken and mango avocado salad. Tropical aromas on the nose, peach and apple on the palate. #willbuyagain #caribbean"

The first thing I noticed when smelling the aromas of this wine was the similarity to the previous one. It still starts with a strong green apple, citrusy smell with a hint of yeastiness, but it was much more mild without the odd funk of the Bay Bridge. There was a nice mild oaky finish to the scent that left a nice cozy feeling and had me wanting a second sniff.

The initial taste nicely followed the aromas starting off with citrus and tree fruits, but with a very nice sweet finish of oaky, buttery vanilla. Overall, the wine tasted well balanced with minimal harshness and an overall mild flavor. It felt a bit viscous, with the buttery flavor lingering long past the fruity flavors. Overall, it was a very nice, smooth experience overall.

This Bonterra reminded me why Chardonnay was my favorite wine and dispelled the nausea I had going into this second tasting of the night following the Bay Bridge tasting. I rate it a 4/5 and overall a really great experience. Personally, I'd prefer if it was a bit less acidic on the front end, but I felt the finish was very nice and smooth. This is the kind of wine I would love to sip over the course of an evening, or pair with a nice fish. Instead of fish, I ordered a Papa John's large Hawaiian pizza, that arrived just in time to finish my glass with. I was honestly surprised by the way the two complimented each other. I felt the greasiness of the pizza masked some of the butteriness of the wine to allow the fruity flavors to show stronger for longer. With the addition of the pineapple, I was able to key in to some of the tropical flavors of the chardonnay, and I felt I was able to appreciate more complexity in the fruity flavors than I had before. I was honestly shocked by this pairing and I am eager to pair a higher quality pizza with other wines to explore more flavor combinations.