Regular readers will recall that I've already reviewed both the Dahlia Pinot Noirs. There are two Chardonnays too; as with the Pinots the 'Reserve' has a black label while the other has a white label. All the wines were made by Bill Brosseau of Testarossa from fruit sourced in Monterey.The other day I sat down to watch the new season of Top Gear with a glass of the 2008 Dahlia Chardonnay. Frankly it tasted exactly like Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, which is boring as hell and a damn sight cheaper. As I struggled to think of anything good to say about the wine, an idea came to me. Why don't I review the wine in the style of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson? Now if you haven't seen the show, Clarkson has an amazingly arrogant, condescending attitude. I then spent altogether too much time wondering how he would describe the wine: This is a wine that would appeal to people (pause, look at the camera) who wear hats. Or maybe If this wine were a car, it would be a Geo Metro. (pause) In beige.
I was all set to write the review when my wife returned home from her tennis match. Now I supply the wines for her team so I always pick wines that I'd be happy to drink myself. Partly it's for the image, but mostly it's because she brings whatever is left home with her. Recently we've all been enjoying Clos LaChance's hummingbird series unoaked Chardonnay ($6.50 at Safeway) and Merlot ($5 at Trader Joe's). However on my last trip to Safeway I'd picked up a bottle of Meridian Chardonnay to see if it was any good.
The team had drunk all the Merlot, but had left most of the Meridian; after one sip I could see why. This was an uttery soul-less wine, the very epitome of mass-produced supermarket dross. There was nothing particularly wrong with it; technically it was sound, but there was no pleasure at all in drinking it. I realised I'd underestimated the Dahlia. It wasn't mass-produced supermarket dross after all, it was better than that.
Just not very much. 82 $20 ($13 with loyalty card.)
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