Posted on: July 8, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

I had no clue before looking at the promotional one-sheet that Luke Donald was a golfer. Terlato Wine has entered into an agreement with Donald to brand a number of their efforts with eir name, and we received a bottle of the 2007 Chardonnay for review. After draining this bottle, we learned two things. First, the heaviness of the glass used to bottle this wine is such that one could cause some pretty heavy damage if they so chose.

The second lesson that we learned was that this Chardonnay is one of the best that we’ve had the chance to sample, both in terms of the varietal and in wines generally. The wine will immediately touch imbibers with earthy and floral notes, before moving into more of an apple meets creamy (butterscotch, vanilla) flavor. Where some types of Chardonnay have a more crisp flavor, I feel that this is more accessible and more desirable in flavor than those other Chardonnays. It is this softer and kinder flavor that brings it into a role that goes beyond other wines; there is not a meat dish present that would not be benefitted by the inclusion of this wine, while more fruit-focused dishes would be bolstered by the complex tastes here.

The wine’s flavor is not extinguished easily, ensuring that this 2007 vintage does not go lightly into that long night. On all sides, whether it be nose, taste, body, or overall applicability to different roles, the Luke Donald 2007 Chardonnay succeeds with nary a fault. So, if you like the work of Luke Donald or just want to purchase a great wine, go to your local wine store (I’m not sure if Terlato has been able to penetrate most normal mega-marts yet) and pick a bottle of their earlier Claret or this.

Rating: 8.4/10

Luke Donald 2007 Chardonnay Carneros (28.4 Proof) / Wine / http://www.terlatowines.com

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