Chardonnay Blackout- A Wine Taster Drops
-Trivento 1999 $7.00
-Concha y Toro Sunrise 1999 $7.50
-Concha y Toro, Casillero de Diablo 1999 $10
-Antonin Rodet Vielles Vignes 1998  $10
-B&G Vin De Pays D'Oc 1999 $7
-Carmen Nativa 1998 $15
-Santa Barbara 1998 $14
-Santa Barbara Reserve 1997  $22
by Charles Westbrook

Editor's Note: While I've known Charles for some time, our relationship is love/hate.  His palate is astonishing, akin to musical perfect pitch.  He's a person who can sit near a fireplace and discern through scent what type of wood is burning. Yet, he isn't a snob.  He appreciates a greasy spoon and so can speak to the great many who are our readers. On the other hand, he is notoriously unreliable.  Ask him to do something (or, more truthfully, he'll ask you for work), and he takes weeks to get it done, if, at all.  It has been almost three months since we assigned these Chardonnays to Charles for review.  After much hounding, we got nothing but a facsimile of notes.  Though they are clearly drunken and do ramble, knowing his palate, I trust that they are right.  Besides, they are amusing.
NOTES OF CHARLES WESTBROOK:
Trivento 1999 (13.5%): The first of the Chile.  Love the label.  Medium body, tastes of citrus (orange/lemon?), bitter finish when cold.  Let warm to room temperature and it finishes nutty but still shows a bit of bitterness.  Very good for serving at crowded gatherings with hors de oeuvres.  (Rating **3/4)
Concha y Toro, Sunrise 1999 (13%): Ack!  Strident orange/citrus note.  Slight bitter on the close.  Might be good if-  no.
Note to self: Goto post office.  Mail back to Chile.  Write local representative.  Demand that future importation be banned until oenologists sort out what's wrong. (Rating **)
Concha y Toro, Casillero de Diablo 1999 (13.5%): Uno mas de Chile. Vegetal- almost sauvignon blanc.  Oak on finish smoothes things. Still vegetal and acidic. Satan carved into neck of bottle.  Does the Heritage Foundation know about this? Limit to those who favor Sauvignon Blanc.  Usual California Chardonnay drinkers will hate it.  (Rating ***)


 		 Antonin Rodet 1998 (12-14%): Mercifully, now the French.  First of two.  Tastefully packaged.  Vegetal beginning with quick move into almond and vanilla.  Again- not an oak laden California Chardonnay Note to self: contact Winesellers LTD. of Skokie Illinois and bluff them to send me 3 cases.  Claim it is for a wedding.  Luminaries will be there.  Right- might work.  (Rating ****)
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B&G Chardonnay Vin De Pays D'Oc 1999 (12.5%):  Je' ma pelle: hammered.  Christ- can't recall French/how to spell.  A Seagrams import.  Sour apple, but not Granny Smith in intensity.  Some vegetal taste.  Pear is dominant. Not for typical American Chardonnay drinker.  Not buried in oak.  Does have underbelly of citrus that seems too much. Nevertheless: Old world.  Better world.  (Rating***)icon
Carmen Nativa 1998 (13%): Back to Chile- swell.  A wine fit for vegans and tree-huggers: all organic portion of Carmen's vineyard [funny word- vine+yard].  No artificial pesticides or fake fertilizers. Jesus- pineapple!  Definitely the oddest of the bunch.  Crazy pineapple on the snozz, and then melon [honeydew] and some soft nuts [sounds lewd] and oak on finish.  Kick ass.  Good God, I'm blabbering like a hillbilly. Little warm on exhalation. Seek and consume and dump into big goblets for friends. (Rating ***3/4)
Santa Barbara Chardonnay 1998 (14.4%): California.  Jesus.  Label is attractive.  Wine is good.  Good.  Adjectives: slight vegetal quickly eclipsed by firm almond and smooth, creamy oak.  A fine example of California Chardonnay, though a little warm on the close [give a year more].  14.4% alcohol- unbelievable.  I would love to get 10 cases of this and throw a party.  people would go nuts.  Good taste/high alcohol.  But also might pair nicely with a demure dinner of salmon (grilled- otherwise would outshine).  Label also suggests pasta primavera.  Yes, pasta- no red sauce.  Would have to be light white sauce or plain with oil.  Yes. 
(Rating ***1/2)
Santa Barbara Chardonnay Reserve 1997 (13.9%) :  Last tango in California.  Good label.  Plain.  Just black ink.  Good color label/paper.  Tan.  Offers gravity but not silly-ly serious.  Just wine, dammit.  Wholly mackerel.  Have I begun speaking like Phil Rizzuto?  O.K.- bolder than other Santa Barb Chard.  But very nuanced and soft.  Almond, vanilla, then nutty close.  Some citrus flush.  Definitely Californian approach, but done with great touch and results. Must stock up on this. (Rating****)