In this extension of the dreaded California chardonnay week, we review Morgan Metallico 2008 chardonnay, at $18.
Bias alert! I’m doing this series because I don’t generally like California chardonnays — so if I can recommend one, it’s probably good enough for most people. I am not a normal, impartial judge of this kind of wine.
Hey! Maybe I should figure out exactly WHY I hate all California chards!? Maybe it’s the oak? That’s why I bought this Morgan: the “Metallico” is named for the metal containers used instead of oak barrells in fermentation. It’s from Monterey, which is yielding some delicious wines these days.
Great! No oak! But, I didn’t like it. It tasted a little weird, on day 1 and day 2. Tart citrus combines with sweet tropical flavors, which seems like a great balance. But the tartness verges on sour. And the sweetness verges on — well, just weird.
I keep complaining that California chards are too oaky and too buttery. Morgan says that it addressed both problems here. No oak barrells. And — surprisingly — no “malo-lactic fermentation,” which gives buttery taste by converting malic acid to lactic acid. (This mutes the naturally tart malic acid in chardonnay grapes.) But it still tasted a little buttery, somehow.
Maybe I’m just too hard to please. Maybe I’m just a total jerk. But whatever the reason, unfortunately, this oakless wonder is:
Not recommended.
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