Butter, Bourbon and Barrel

Chardonnay

​This week’s wine of the week is a 2015 bourbon barrel aged Chardonnay by Toasted Head. Around 70% of the grapes for this wine are sourced from their vineyards in Dunnigan Hill, AVA, in Yolo County, around 20 miles east of Napa with the rest from Mendocino County in California.
The color was a clear pale lemon. The nose had aromas of apple and bourbon. The palate tasted of oak, vanilla, spice, bourbon and a tad lemon. The mouthfeel was creamy and a little buttery with finish that lasted around 25 seconds.
I paired it with Asian style turkey lettuce wraps, but it competed instead of complemented the food. I know that bourbon barrel aging is all the rage these days, and I really enjoy it when done with coffee beans, however I’m not a fan of this barrel aged wine. The style makes the wine more challenging to pair with food. At the same time, I also opened a 2016 Cupcake Butterkissed Chardonnay from Livermore, California, and enjoyed the flavor and nose so much more. It also paired more easily with the food. 

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