All the Ways to Chardonnay

There are few things I enjoy more than a guided, nerdy wine tasting. And thankfully, a few weeks ago, that's exactly the type of tasting I had the pleasure of co-hosting with the folks of Symposium Wines in Atlanta.

Symposium Wines is located in the heart of Atlanta across from the iconic Mary Mac's Tea Room

They are a relatively new shop on the scene in downtown ATL, but I've been super impressed with the quality and knowledge they bring to the table (and to their shelves). I've been working with them for the past few months promoting and co-hosting their weekly $10 drop-in tastings with importers/winemakers/distributors, but after sensing an increasing interest from their customer base to have a more elevated wine tasting experience...we decided to host a seated, guided tasting for a select group of self-proclaimed wine nerds. Compared to bigger retailers, they have the flexibility of being a small, local business with enough autonomy to be creative in their offerings. What does the customer get in return? Unique, creative, and exclusive events.

Symposium's tasting area facilitates intimate discussion and ultimate wine nerdiness

First, we all met for a brainstorming session to determine the structure and format that would be the most appealing to our audience. Given the space, we knew we could accommodate ~10-15 people around a table for an open and informal yet semi-guided tasting session. Back when I managed the winery in Virginia, we often hosted similar higher-level tasting class sessions to study specific aspects of the wines such as vintage (in a vertical tasting format), varietal (comparing soils and growing techniques), or regions (comparing styles and flavors). This is the type of setting that really facilitates nerdy wine knowledge to flourish, and it's incredible how much exploration occurs when given the chance to discuss and share tasting notes.

The guided tasting experience is unique and coveted - it's like school plus wine

Next, we decided to shine the spotlight Chardonnay. How many times do people simply forget about or disregard Chardonnay these days? Too many. But how many of those people have had the opportunity to taste really high-quality Chardonnay from all over the world? Not enough. We felt it was time to reintroduce a small lucky group of people to the diverse, complex flavor profile of American Chardonnay versus French Chardonnay. And with that, along with setting a date and time, our idea came to fruition and a wine tasting class was born.

The tasting map, tasting notebook, and multiple wine glasses created a classroom-like atmosphere

Upon arrival, guests were welcomed to their spot at the table with a tasting map, a note-taking booklet, and three wine glasses. The Chardonnays were showcased in two groups: Three from France followed by three from America. Personally, I'm pretty dumb when it comes to knowing my French wines (and the only French words I know are names of French grape varietals...) so I was pretty pumped to have a chance to taste the nuances of regions I'd yet to discover. Our hosts poured the first set of French wines, and we all grabbed our pens waiting patiently (or not?...because I pretty much noshed on all the cheese and meat to distract me from preemptively sipping the wine) for class to begin. After a brief introduction of each wine, we had the opportunity to sip, chat, and take notes on the first flight from France. Full disclose: I made so many typos while typing the names of these wines so it took me forever, and please don't make me pronounce them because I have absolutely no clue how to do so.

Someday I will use a map to actually travel to all these wine-growing regions of France

1) 2012 Domaine de Cornasse - Chablis ($28.99): Aged for 6 months on the lees (read: dead yeast cells, gives it buttery texture) and 6 months in new French oak, I would have guessed this was Sauvignon Blanc in a blind tasting. It comes from Burgundy in an area with white, chalky soil and seashell bedrock which gives it a mineral nose with a crisp, bright acidity. It's balanced with a bit of effervescence and delicately layered. Sidenote: The gentleman seated across from me made sure that I new if the "r" was removed from "Cornasse" then it would translate to "Dumbass". Good to know, and I giggled.

2) 2012 Chalet de Pouilly - Pouilly Fuisee ($37.99): Aged for 18 months on old French oak with minimal time on the lees, this wine exploded with a huge, oaky, smoky nose. It comes from an area of Burgundy known for Chardonnay because that's all they can legally grow. It had medium plus body with rounded, full acidity. I loved that it was structured and interesting - it even tasted a little bit like hazelnuts? In summary, STUNNING. And my favorite of the whole night. It now has a home in my wine fridge until I come upon the perfect moment or food pairing to legitimize opening it.

3) 2013 Domaine Maratray Dubril - Bourgogne Blanc ($28.99): This is a compellation of grapes grown on three multiple vineyards in a general appellation of Burgundy. Aged for 12 months on old and new French oak, this has a very dead nose (or lack there of?) and tasted a bit flat in terms of layers or complexity. Not my favorite, and certainly not a contender especially when next in line after the Pouilly Fuisee...

The three French contenders

After a trip overseas (which I really hope to do someday soon when I can afford a plane ticket and time off from my day job...) it was back to the homeland Chardonnays of California. An no, I didn't have a hard time typing these names, and yes, I can actually pronounce them correctly:

The American trio

4) 2013 Macrostie - Sonoma Coast ($24.99): This wine comes from grapes grown on multiple vineyards and fermented using wild yeast which yields a bit more flavor. It's aged and barrel-fermented for 6 months in oak. Approaching it with just my nose, it smelled like a classic California Chardonnay which to me means "oak and pears". There was a slight bit of vanilla on the palate, and the fruit-forwardness created a slightly sweet finish. I'd serve this to anyone who has never tried Chardonnay and say "this is Chardonnay".

5) 2012 Trione - Russian River ($38): I alllllmost stopped to visit this tasting room when I was in Sonoma last February, and now I'm kicking myself for passing it up. Of the California wines, this was by far my favorite of the trio. As a winery, Trione is known for their balance of oak and acidity. They also have bocce courts onsite, so, they win. Aged in 40% new oak, this has a HUGE nose with hints of sweetness. In fact, I said out loud to the group that it "smelled like pineapple upside down cake"...no joke, it really does! There is a lot of acid with a sweet orange-like finish that lingers on the palate. If it hadn't been for the oaky, smoky Pouilly Fuisee in the first round, this one would have taken the cake (err...the pineapple upside down cake?)

6) 2011 Domaine Eden - Santa Cruz Mountains ($31.99): This wine is grown in a small AVA further south along the California coast, and it is aged in 30% new French oak after sitting on the lees for 11 months in the barrel. It truly smells like oak - but not smoky oak - and has a very rich mouthfeel and full-bodied palate followed by a heavy vanilla, sweet finish. Even though it was not a standout of the night for me personally, I enjoyed hearing everyone at the table exclaim "vanilla!" almost in unison upon tasting it.

So the winner? Well that's a loaded question so let me explain. If I picked a favorite it would be the smoky, oaky French Pouilly Fuisee (which I've learned how to say correctly out loud since the tasting because I want to be able to ask for it at restaurants and retail shops...) but as an overall flight, I'd say that California out-played France. The richer flavors and fuller textures set them apart from the more delicate and subtle Chardonnays of France.

This California-wine-girl was shocked that a French Pouilly Fuisee won her heart as favorite of the night

I left the table that night feeling like I learned as much in two hours about wine as I used to learn about exercise physiology in two hours of graduate school. My brain was full, my heart was happy, and my wine collection grew by one. I look forward to planning more guided tastings with Symposium in the near future because let's be honest, the only class you'll ever see me in post-college is one involving wine.