Portal 2 Labrat NoCo Stainless Chardonnay 2009

I had my first opportunity to Labrat for Wine.Woot. So I did it Portal 2 style.


Portal 2 Labrat 

I woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. How long had I been asleep? I noticed a box at my door. I opened it. A bottle of wine? Had I ordered it before going to bed? Did it arrive through some kind of dimensional shift? Does Aperture Science make wine? A voice said please chill the bottle for a few hours and go back to sleep. Not knowing what else to do, I followed the instructions. 

Upon waking, the whole place seemed like it was falling apart. A voice spoke again saying all this was because of me--is that you GLaDOS? Then it said testing would begin. 

Test 1--In viewing the label, I noticed this was a 2009 California Chardonnay (North Coast--hence the name NoCo). The back of the label clearly stated this was "grown wine" not "bulk wine" and that it was fermented with wild yeasts in 100% stainless steel tanks. NO OAK. That will be interesting, as my past experience with un-oaked Chards has been mixed. 

Test 2--Opening the bottle was a simple task. Just a slight twist at the top and it was ready to pour. So far, these tests are easy--is the real challenge yet to come? 

Test 3--In the glass, the wine had a very clear, pale straw appearance. Not nearly as golden as most Chardonnays I'm used to. 

Test 4--OK, now things are getting more challenging. The nose is pretty vibrant. I'm noticing mostly floral components with some peaches. I like the nose and excitement starts to build for tasting it. 

Test 5--Immediately, I'm surprised with a pretty bitter beginning. There is very little acid to speak of. The floral components come through again along with red apples (sweet, not tart). The mouth feel is very light. The finish is medium-length, but is probably the best part about this. No alcohol coming through and hints of blueberry at the end. Is that blueberry pie? It must be--the cake is a lie. 

Test 6--Yet to be completed. Under Vacu Vin for the night, I'll try again tomorrow with some fish. 

My overall impression is that this is interesting and definitely worth trying. While I don't like much oak in my reds, I do like it in Chardonnay--so steel Chards don't usually do it for me. I'm glad I was able to have a bottle and it would make a great summer wine. However, it fails the buy test for me, but did I pass (I'm still alive)?


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NoCo Chardonnay 2009 discussion