Wannabe Wino

I can't even begin to explain how happy I am to again be drinking wine after wine that I am enjoying so much. Between being sick for a week and getting a string of so-so bottles my palate was in desperate need of some good juice. And this last bottle continued the winning streak of excellent bottles.

We drank a bottle of 2004 Marimar Estate Acero Chardonnay. The wine cost us $30, came in a club shipment, checked in at 13.5% alcohol by volume and had a real cork closure.

This Marimar is steel fermented and is drinking fabulously now. On the nose I found pineapple, tropical fruit and a hint of exotic spices. It was a wonderful smell. In the mouth it displayed crisp lime and green apple tones.

The finish was very long and an excellent taste lingered in my mouth. I could picture myself drinking this on the patio in the summer. Too bad this was our only bottle! Overall, the structure was well done and I love the way the steel fermentation allows the characteristics of the grape to show through. I served this with leftovers last night, which probably didn't do it much justice, but it worked fairly well with my leftover fish and chicken soup. I don't think I can say the same for Matt's leftover ravioli and pasta sauce though....