Full Review

William Wright

William Wright
2020 Chardonnay, Monterey County

Pair this wine with:
Chicken Shellfish Turkey

Category: Chardonnay

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.5%
87 Points
Silver Medal
Highly Recommended
$6.99
Best Buy

William Wright
2020 Chardonnay, Monterey County

Pair this wine with:
Chicken Shellfish Turkey

Category: Chardonnay

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.5%
Ruby color. Aromas and flavors of vanilla creme fraiche, candied flowers, dried apricot, and baking spices with a round, bright, bone-dry medium body and a silky, delightful, medium finish that shows overtones of vanilla sweet cream, yellow apple, and apple sauce with light oak flavor. A rich and sunshine filled Chardonnay; this is a wine that will please the classic California Chardonnay drinker.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Spicy & Complex
Aroma Aroma: vanilla creme fraiche, candied flowers, dried apricot, and baking spices
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with overtones of vanilla sweet cream, yellow apple, and apple sauce
Sweetness Sweetness: Bone-Dry
Enjoy Enjoy: Now
Recipes Pairing: Turkey, Roasted Chicken, Boiled Lobster
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A rich and sunshine filled Chardonnay; this is a wine that will please the classic California Chardonnay drinker.

The Retailer

Aldi Inc.

The Retailer
1200 North Kirk Road
Batavia, IL 60510
USA
1 630-425-7394

Their Portfolio

92 3 REIN 2020 Never Tame Red Blend, Columbia Valley 13.2% (USA) $7.99.
90 30 Miles 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 15% (USA) $14.99.
88 30 Miles 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 14.1% (USA) $14.99.
87 Bear Bros 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, California 13.5% (USA) $8.99.
88 Bear Bros 2021 Rosé, Sonoma Coast 13% (USA) $7.99.
87 Bear Bros 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, California 13.5% (USA) $8.99.
93 Belletti NV Extra Dry, Prosecco DOC 11% (Italy) $9.99.
87 Elementalist 2020 Pinot Grigio, California 12% (USA) $6.99.
90 Elementalist 2021 Pinot Grigio, Mendocino County 12% (USA) $6.99.
90 Evanta 2021 Malbec, Argentina 13% (Argentina) $4.49.
88 Exquisite Collection 2020 Rosé, Côtes de Provence 12.5% (France) $9.99.
87 Exquisite Collection 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 12.5% (New Zealand) $8.99.
88 Fancy Flock 2019 Red Blend, Valdepenas 13% (Spain) $3.99.
88 Flora & Stone 2021 Merlot, Mendocino County 13.5% (USA) $6.99.
93 Holland Lager 1839 5.0% (Netherlands)
88 Holland Lager 1839 5% (Netherlands)
88 Hopping Nomad Session IPA 4.5% (USA)
92 Independence Harbor Amber Ale 5.5% (USA)
92 Locken’s Tropical Pineapple Kolsch 4.5% (USA)
91 Maguires Draught Stout 4.2% (USA)
87 Merchants Keep IPA 6% (USA)
89 Outlander 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.9% (USA) $8.99.
89 Outlander 2019 Meritage, Paso Robles 13.9% (USA) $7.99.
92 Peaks & Tides 2018 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 13.9% (USA) $12.99.
89 Peaks & Tides 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County 13.9% (USA) $11.99.
88 Peaks & Tides 2019 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 13.9% (USA) $12.99.
93 Peaks & Tides 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County 13.9% (USA) $11.99.
87 Peaks & Tides 2021 Chardonnay, Sonoma County 13.8% (USA) $9.99.
88 Peaks & Tides 2021 Pinot Noir, Sonoma County 14.2% (USA) $12.99.
88 Peaks & Tides 2022 Chardonnay, Sonoma County 13.8% (USA) $9.00.
87 Quarter Cut 2020 Bourbon-Barrel Aged, Cabernet Sauvignon, California 14.5% (USA) $9.99.
87 Quarter Cut 2020 Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Blend, California 14.5% (USA) $9.99.
87 Quarter Cut 2021 Bourbon Barrel-Aged, Cabernet Sauvignon, California 13.9% (USA) $9.99.
87 Quarter Cut 2021 Bourbon Barrel-Aged Red Blend, California 13.9% (USA) $9.99.
88 Sargent Canyon 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast 13.5% (USA) $6.99.
90 Scarlet Path 2019 Zinfandel, Lodi 13.5% (USA) $8.99.
87 Scarlet Path 2020 Zinfandel, Lodi 13.8% (USA) $8.99.
90 Shuteye Peak Pale Ale 5.6% (USA)
88 Specially Selected 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $14.99.
91 Specially Selected NV Brut Rosé, France 11.5% (France) $10.99.
88 State of Brewing Pumpkin Ale 6% (USA)
87 State of Brewing Pumpkin Pie Cider 5.0% (USA) $7.99.
90 Sunshine Bay 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 12.5% (New Zealand) $7.95.
88 Tailslide 2019 Pinot Noir, California 13.7% (USA) $6.99.
87 Tailslide 2021 Pinot Noir, California 13.7% (USA) $6.99.
88 Villanella 2020 Pinot Grigio, Alto-Adige 12.5% (Italy) $9.99.
88 Vista Bay Hard Seltzer Lemonade 5% (USA)
93 Vve Monsigny NV Brut, Champagne 12% (France) $19.99.
92 Wernesgrüner Brauerei Pils Legende 4.9% (Germany)
90 White Tide Belgian White Ale 5.4% (USA)
87 Wicked Grove Pearsecco Bubbly Dry Cider 5% (USA) $7.99.
92 Wicked Grove Hard Cider 5.0% (USA) $7.99.
88 Wild Range IPA 6.9% (USA)
92 Wild Range Hazy IPA 6.9% (USA)
89 William Wright 2019 William Wright Reserve, Pinot Noir, Monterey County 13.5% (USA) $9.99.
89 William Wright 2020 Reserve Lot, Pinot Noir, Monterey County 13.5% (USA) $9.99.
87 William Wright 2020 Chardonnay, Monterey County 13.5% (USA) $6.99.
87 William Wright 2021 Chardonnay, Monterey County 13.5% (USA) $6.99.
87 Zarita Margarita RTD, California 13.9% (USA) $13.99.

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.