Full Review

Fox Hollow Vineyards

Fox Hollow Vineyards
2018 Chardonnay, New Jersey

Pair this wine with:
Fish Shellfish

Category: Chardonnay

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13% RS: <1%
88 Points
Silver Medal
Highly Recommended
$22

Fox Hollow Vineyards
2018 Chardonnay, New Jersey

Pair this wine with:
Fish Shellfish

Category: Chardonnay

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13% RS: <1%
Golden straw color. Interesting aromas and flavors of pickled green pineapple, wintergreen and jasmine, lime peel and bay leaf, and burnt sugar with a silky, crisp, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a compelling, medium-long finish revealing notes of apple-onion marmalade on raisin toast, spiced nectarine and green tomato, and nut skin with fine, fruit tannins and a suggestion of oak flavor. An intriguing Chardonnay with lots of unexpected flavor twists and turns; try with spicy seafood.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Crisp & Lively, Funky, New World, Savory & Spicy & Complex
Aroma Aroma: pickled green pineapple, wintergreen and jasmine, lime peel and bay leaf, and burnt sugar
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with notes of apple-onion marmalade on raisin toast, spiced nectarine and green tomato, and nut skin
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry-yet-Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Sautéed Fish With Plantains, Jambalaya, Boiled Lobster
Bottom Line Bottom Line: An intriguing chardonnay with lots of unexpected flavor twists and turns; try with spicy seafood.

The Producer

Fox Hollow Vineyards

The Producer
939 Holmdel Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733
USA
1 732-7720330

Chardonnay

Wine Glass White.jpg
Serve in a White Wine Glass
Chardonnay is arguably the world’s most famous white variety, thanks to its success in France’s Burgundy region as well as throughout much of California. Chardonnay on its own has rather straightforward, pleasant aromas of apple and pear, but when aged (and sometimes fermented) in small oak barrels, the wines take on extra richness as well as notes of toasted almond, vanilla and yeast.

The most renowned examples of Chardonnay are from small villages and vineyards in Burgundy, such as Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. These wines are very powerful with ample spicy notes and very good acidity; they age very well, sometimes as long as 20-25 years. Another part of Burgundy, Chablis, is home to more restrained style of Chardonnay. Certain areas of California, especially Russian River Valley in Sonoma and Santa Barbara County are also home to many distinguished examples of Chardonnay, with those from the latter region often displaying tropical fruit flavors.

Given that most Chardonnnays are aged in small oak barrels, there has been a movement as of late to give consumers a mored delicate style of Chardonnay, without all the spicy and toasty flavors. Thus there are now many producers that produce non-oak aged Chardonnays; this has been seen from many producers from Australia as well as a few in California as well.

Chardonnay, especially oak-aged versions, are quite rich and need seafood of equal richness at the dinner table. Thus lobster, halibut and swordfish are ideal food pairings.