Monday

The Harbor 2008 Chardonnay - ~$6

Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay is one of the reliably consistent values in white wine. Year in and year out it's a tasty wine that offers varietal characteristics (i.e. no overbearing oak or vanilla sweetness) for ~$8.

The Chardonnay in Fresh & Easy's recently added "The Harbor" line of wines reminds me of the Lindemans Bin 65. Both are sourced from the massive grape empire that is South Eastern Australia, and both aim for a similar style as well, emphasizing fresh peach and passion fruit, and featuring a glycerine mouthfeel balanced by nice acidity. The Harbor Chardonnay strikes me as a bit leaner than the Lindemans, but it's a fairly close call.

Priced at ~$6 it's a good everyday wine for anyone who likes the fruit-forward style of [budget] Australian Chardonnay.

Score

Drinkability: 8/10
Price: 4.5/5
Total value: 12.5/15

1 comment:

  1. Having lived in France for 5 years, (& thus some experience of drinking wine) this wine when chilled is wicked! It is exceptional value and doesn't have that chalky after taste some chardonnay's possess. In short, what an excellent wine! I'd buy this again over a Kendall Jackson or a Robert Mondavi chardonnay's.

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