Disclaimer first up. I helped Michael O’Brien at the Taste of Tasmania when he had a couple of staff that were not able to assist him pour tastings and sell his wine. I tried this wine prior to this event.
The word ‘unoaked’ before Chardonnay has, and always will be, a concern to me. Most that I have tried have been like a sheet of white A4 paper. One dimensional, quite flat and uninteresting. Maybe I’ve tried the wrong wines. That’s probably my fault for not seeking out the right wines.
So, what can I tell you about this one. To start with it was a tad subdued but with a little help became fresh and lively on the nose. Same same on the palate where it also shows some citrus characters (similar to Riesling I thought) then add a nice smooth texture, a bit of length and it’s a pretty cool package.
Now, I’m not saying this one will knock your socks off because that is not what you should expect from an unoaked Chardonnay. This is the perfect, easy drinking, ‘crack it, share it and relax with it’ summer afternoon drink.
Region: Upper Derwent Valley, Tasmania Price: $36 Source: Wine Show Tasting
Words from a Wine Glass 