2008 Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay

In my family Easter means wine. Well, any holiday really. This past Sunday we were all focused on low carb, low cal, high taste goodness and opted for a non-traditional but light and tasty Asian Chicken salad. Crisp, flavorful and delightful, but what to pair? Lucky for me, while the Easter Bunny had loaded me up with Peeps galore, Icon Estates had sent me a lovely bottle of '08 Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay to try. While the table was being set, I sat down to test in earnest this wine. At first glance the color was lovely, a clear golden straw. In fragrance it had a whisper of toasty yeast, a crackle of citrus and hints of dried pineapple and peach. One sip and I tasted yellow grapefruit with an under note of savory tropical fruit and a hint of green honeydew. Smooth and rich, it had a subtle but tasty acidity that made it go well with the Matzo ball Soup (hey, we're ecumenical!) and also served as a great accompaniment to the fresh herbs, crunchy veg and spicy peanuts. Dad and sister-in-law gave two thumbs up...well two empty glasses bottoms up is more like it as Los Tres Winos almost fought over the last golden drops. An easy drinking wine with an easy open screw cap, I found it very tasty. At around $18 it is a great wine to bring to any dinner, lunch or book club as it will appeal to many palates. It should be easy to find, but as always if you need help in your area, ping Vinquire