LCBO Sale Wine of the Week: May 4

Beringer Founders' Estate 2013 Chardonnay (California)

Sale $15.70, Regular $18.20
Discount (until May 21): $2.50
LCBO #534230 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: Fresh apple, pear, peach and pineapple with a touch of oak vanilla.
Pairs with: White meats, raw fish (or cooked), cream sauces and even some earthy things like mushroom risotto and herb-grilled salmon.
Good for: Rewarding yourself after a bout of Spring cleaning. Better get two bottles.
Alcohol: 13.9%
Drink: Now to 2018.

Why we're drinking this
This is a remarkable little wine for the price. Little, but not so little. It has that California heft, but at just under 14% alcohol it’s not quite a brute. Beringer has been remarkably consistent with this wine over the years, putting a lot of value in the bottle. And they do this across their entire range. If you ever get to drink some of the pricier wines, you’ll know. But this Founder’s Estate Chardonnay will do just fine.

Tasting note
Good wine, good price... what more do you need? This is a nice California Chardonnay with the requisite mid-weight and a touch of sweet oak. It’s very clean and precise with its green apple, pear, peach and pineapple fruit. Most of the grapes were fermented in stainless steel, with a small percentage seeing a range of oak (French, Hungarian and American). So you can taste a little of that vanilla oak sweetness, but not too much. The fruit comes through loud and pure. Tough to do better than this for under $20.

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