Ok, to preserve some sort of credibility I only had one 12 ounce can of Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale and my lovely bride had one 16 ounce pour of Stella before popping this. And it was a good 45 minutes after that this was sampled.
Out of the fridge, opened and poured a couple of glasses. 54.6 degrees F. Last pour was at 64.3 F. A glass or so left for tomorrow.
My first sniff: Whoa, this is old style CA (as in reminded me of some Mondavi chards back in the mid 80ās) in your face chardonnay. I donāt drink much domestic chardonnay fwiw. On the domestic geeky side Ceritas chardonnay is way too lean for me. Love the recent Kutch. Rochioli single vineyard can work. Marcassin rocks, but not all of the time
On the not too geeky side I really am enjoying the Fossil Point chard offered here previously.
Annnnnyway, I knew this was in my lovely brideās wheelhouse way more than mine.
So, I said, Doll, donāt overthink, just me give me the quick and dirty. (she knew nothing of the wine, read nothing, heck I just bought this a few hours ago)
Her quotes:
āRich. Creamy. Has legs (which to her means a bit of punch, her words, nothing to do with legs streaming down a glass).
Has some nice body to it. Not oaky. Ok, some oak, but not oaky.ā
Bottom line, not something Iām interested in, but my brideās notes are pretty spot on. And she would purchase. I will say it calmed down a bit with some air.
My only other comment is that the PopcornCellars rep stated that the wine is crisp. I respectfully disagree.
Oh, and our daughter is a millennial, but we are not!
@Winedavid49 Oh, youāre a tricky one!
And my pleasure, and not necessary, doesnāt take much to convince me to buy a bottle of wine. All in the interest of science right?
Cheers!
Saw one of these on the shelf whilst grocery shopping today. Think Iāll go sully my palate with a couple of pale ales while it cools down. Will report back a bit later.
Iāve always thought overly oakey chards tasted like buttered popcorn. Love that they are just running with it. You do you, people who like really oakey white wine!
@quantumturk Iāve never liked overly oaky Chardonnay. The California Chardonnays I grew up with were largely unoaked - Wente from the early ā60s, Stony Hill, and others. Thank Ambassador Zellerbach who started Hanzel with the use of oak, attempting to make more Burgundian Chardonnay in California. But, a little oak is not the same thing as overwhelming oak.
While even in French wines made from Chardonnay I prefer less oak rather than more - Iād rather drink a premier cru or grand cru Chablis than most White Burgundies - the real key is restraint even in the use of oak. Neutral or almost neutral oak barrels are fine, new American oak isnāt. Staves and chips, which is what oaks most bargain Chardonnays that are actually made and āagedā in stainless steel, arenāt fine.
To each his own, tho. For me, if I want the taste of buttered popcorn (which I sometimes do), I make popcorn and pour some melted butter over it.
@quantumturk@rpm This is indeed rich and creamy. It is not however the taste of buttered popcorn. Are your comments based on actually drinking this wine or just a supposition based on the label. I would hope itās not the latter.
Cheers!
@kaolis@quantumturk My comment was (I thought clearly) general in nature and not a specific judgment on this wine. I have to admit, though, the label would almost certainly lead me (or SWMBO who hates oaky Chardonnay) to give it a pass. At the price point you apparently paid for it, I canāt think of any California Chardonnays Iād be likely to buy here on the East Coast, where for $14 I can get a fairly wide choice of very drinkable, well-made AOC Macon Villages.
We picked individual Chardonnay vineyard blocks with the perfect balance between ripeness, sweetness, acidity and flavor. Fermented and aged separately, each lot went through an almost-complete malo-lactic fermentation to impart richness while retaining an important portion of the wineās natural acidity. The lots were then oak-aged in a combination of medium and medium-plus French oak. Aromas of sweet tropical fruits, lemon zest and ripe apple paired with a creamy vanilla show the nuanced oak treatment. There is freshness yet balance in the flavors of mango, pineapple, pear and light caramel notes which give way to an incredibly long finish.
This Chardonnay has a light golden hue and shows aromas of lemon custard, rich vanilla, cream and toasted oak. The palate is rich and generous, layered with tropical notes of mango, papaya and pineapple. Flavors of ripe apples and pears integrate seamlessly with subtle toffee and caramel notes. This wine is lush and complex but relies on the natural acidity of cool-climate Santa Lucia Highlands fruit to maintain an exquisite balance.
Pairs perfectly with lobster with fresh herbs and drawn butter or Pan Roasted Salmon with Grilled Asparagus
Specifications
Vintage: 2015
Appellation: California
Vineyard Sourcing: California Coastal Vineyards including Santa Lucia Highlands
The Popcorn wine brand was developed by chef and pioneer of āInfusion Cuisineā, Chef R.C. Mills. The consulting winemakers are veterans Richard Bruno and Alison Crowe.
The scent of the herbs and spices are still present in my memory. My Dad had me smell and taste every herb present at the market. Some 37 years later, in my experience of cooking all over the world, unique scents are what create memories of love and euphoria. This is why our wines will always be unique with style and depth. Think of the colors of the Caribbean, the ocean, the breeze, the trees, the land, the people and the carnivalā¦
To me this is what wines are supposed to be. Alive, harmonious enjoyment
- R.C. Mills
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
@kaolis demonstrating yet again the worthlessness of points ratings, especially when given by those likely lacking any idea, much less training, how to properly score wine.
Really really like it? Sure. 98~98 points and I need a head-scratch emoji.
Kudos; they identified their demo and seemingly nailed the product.
@gtcharlie
Lab Rats would be nice, especially since the description doesnāt match the image portrayed by the name and label. Unless creamy = buttery to some people.
@chipgreen Yep. Boggles my mind that a wine that has no history on the site doesnāt get sent out to get tasted. Always makes me a little suspicious which might not be fair but will definitely limit my purchases. Obviously if it is just the matter of an untasted vintage of something like a Wellington or Meeker I am more that willing to take a chance. This is a little different even at this price point.
Although I appreciate WD securing this deal I am not sure this platform is the proper one for this wine. My guess is millenials gravitate to ātrendierā online wine stores
@knlprez I meant to add āmostā before āmillenialsā. I donāt know the exact numbers but my guess is that Approximately 75 percent of casemateers are 40+
Ok, to preserve some sort of credibility I only had one 12 ounce can of Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale and my lovely bride had one 16 ounce pour of Stella before popping this. And it was a good 45 minutes after that this was sampled.
Out of the fridge, opened and poured a couple of glasses. 54.6 degrees F. Last pour was at 64.3 F. A glass or so left for tomorrow.
My first sniff: Whoa, this is old style CA (as in reminded me of some Mondavi chards back in the mid 80ās) in your face chardonnay. I donāt drink much domestic chardonnay fwiw. On the domestic geeky side Ceritas chardonnay is way too lean for me. Love the recent Kutch. Rochioli single vineyard can work. Marcassin rocks, but not all of the time
On the not too geeky side I really am enjoying the Fossil Point chard offered here previously.
Annnnnyway, I knew this was in my lovely brideās wheelhouse way more than mine.
So, I said, Doll, donāt overthink, just me give me the quick and dirty. (she knew nothing of the wine, read nothing, heck I just bought this a few hours ago)
Her quotes:
āRich. Creamy. Has legs (which to her means a bit of punch, her words, nothing to do with legs streaming down a glass).
Has some nice body to it. Not oaky. Ok, some oak, but not oaky.ā
Bottom line, not something Iām interested in, but my brideās notes are pretty spot on. And she would purchase. I will say it calmed down a bit with some air.
My only other comment is that the PopcornCellars rep stated that the wine is crisp. I respectfully disagree.
Oh, and our daughter is a millennial, but we are not!
@kaolis
Nice review! Just what I thought a tweener.
@ScottW58 tweener leading toward the richer side of things to be sure
@kaolis Well done; above and beyond.
Where did you find it?
@rjquillin Caputoās, a local (Chicago 'burbs) Italian grocer.
Thanks a ton Kaolis! above and beyond.
weāll be sure to send something (expiring august 31!)
@Winedavid49 Oh, youāre a tricky one!
And my pleasure, and not necessary, doesnāt take much to convince me to buy a bottle of wine. All in the interest of science right?
Cheers!
Saw one of these on the shelf whilst grocery shopping today. Think Iāll go sully my palate with a couple of pale ales while it cools down. Will report back a bit later.
@kaolis Thank you! Unfortunately, despite multiple attempts we were not able to get Lab Rat bottles out.
Popcorn Chardonnay
6 bottles for $54.99 $9.17/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $84.99 $7.08/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2015 Popcorn Chardonnay
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2015 Popcorn Chardonnay - $25 = 22.72%
Iāve always thought overly oakey chards tasted like buttered popcorn. Love that they are just running with it. You do you, people who like really oakey white wine!
@quantumturk Iāve never liked overly oaky Chardonnay. The California Chardonnays I grew up with were largely unoaked - Wente from the early ā60s, Stony Hill, and others. Thank Ambassador Zellerbach who started Hanzel with the use of oak, attempting to make more Burgundian Chardonnay in California. But, a little oak is not the same thing as overwhelming oak.
While even in French wines made from Chardonnay I prefer less oak rather than more - Iād rather drink a premier cru or grand cru Chablis than most White Burgundies - the real key is restraint even in the use of oak. Neutral or almost neutral oak barrels are fine, new American oak isnāt. Staves and chips, which is what oaks most bargain Chardonnays that are actually made and āagedā in stainless steel, arenāt fine.
To each his own, tho. For me, if I want the taste of buttered popcorn (which I sometimes do), I make popcorn and pour some melted butter over it.
@quantumturk @rpm This is indeed rich and creamy. It is not however the taste of buttered popcorn. Are your comments based on actually drinking this wine or just a supposition based on the label. I would hope itās not the latter.
Cheers!
@kaolis @quantumturk My comment was (I thought clearly) general in nature and not a specific judgment on this wine. I have to admit, though, the label would almost certainly lead me (or SWMBO who hates oaky Chardonnay) to give it a pass. At the price point you apparently paid for it, I canāt think of any California Chardonnays Iād be likely to buy here on the East Coast, where for $14 I can get a fairly wide choice of very drinkable, well-made AOC Macon Villages.
This wine is crisp and NOT TOO OAKYā¦try it you will like it!
We feel our wine transcends specific cohorts and appeals to all of drinking age
Tasting Notes
We picked individual Chardonnay vineyard blocks with the perfect balance between ripeness, sweetness, acidity and flavor. Fermented and aged separately, each lot went through an almost-complete malo-lactic fermentation to impart richness while retaining an important portion of the wineās natural acidity. The lots were then oak-aged in a combination of medium and medium-plus French oak. Aromas of sweet tropical fruits, lemon zest and ripe apple paired with a creamy vanilla show the nuanced oak treatment. There is freshness yet balance in the flavors of mango, pineapple, pear and light caramel notes which give way to an incredibly long finish.
This Chardonnay has a light golden hue and shows aromas of lemon custard, rich vanilla, cream and toasted oak. The palate is rich and generous, layered with tropical notes of mango, papaya and pineapple. Flavors of ripe apples and pears integrate seamlessly with subtle toffee and caramel notes. This wine is lush and complex but relies on the natural acidity of cool-climate Santa Lucia Highlands fruit to maintain an exquisite balance.
Pairs perfectly with lobster with fresh herbs and drawn butter or Pan Roasted Salmon with Grilled Asparagus
Specifications
Price Comparison
$159.28/case at VineOcean.com (including shipping)
About The Winery
Winery: Popcorn Cellars
The Popcorn wine brand was developed by chef and pioneer of āInfusion Cuisineā, Chef R.C. Mills. The consulting winemakers are veterans Richard Bruno and Alison Crowe.
- R.C. Mills
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Friday, August 31st - Tuesday, September 4th
A little background:
https://www.wineindustryadvisor.com/2016/08/02/popcorn-chardonnay-pop-off-shelves
@kaolis demonstrating yet again the worthlessness of points ratings, especially when given by those likely lacking any idea, much less training, how to properly score wine.
Really really like it? Sure. 98~98 points and I need a head-scratch emoji.
Kudos; they identified their demo and seemingly nailed the product.
@kaolis @rjquillin
Focus Group Chardonnay
The name scares me. How oaky is this wine? Hopefully a lab rat appears.
@gtcharlie
Lab Rats would be nice, especially since the description doesnāt match the image portrayed by the name and label. Unless creamy = buttery to some people.
@chipgreen Yep. Boggles my mind that a wine that has no history on the site doesnāt get sent out to get tasted. Always makes me a little suspicious which might not be fair but will definitely limit my purchases. Obviously if it is just the matter of an untasted vintage of something like a Wellington or Meeker I am more that willing to take a chance. This is a little different even at this price point.
@chipgreen Wow, Iād forgotten that one! Part of the soundtrack of my youth. Thanks for the memories, and for an earworm that I can live with.
Although I appreciate WD securing this deal I am not sure this platform is the proper one for this wine. My guess is millenials gravitate to ātrendierā online wine stores
@losthighwayz as one of said millennials, I would like to add
/gify not all millennials
@losthighwayz whoops. Nice syntax thereā¦
/giphy not all millennials
@losthighwayz maybe so. pretty good juice for that price, FWIW.
@losthighwayz haha as one of those millennials, I would like to point out we usually associate buttery chards with old people
@knlprez I meant to add āmostā before āmillenialsā. I donāt know the exact numbers but my guess is that Approximately 75 percent of casemateers are 40+
@CruelMelody please define old people
@losthighwayz I just enjoy giving people a hard time, there was no offense taken. And honestly, you are probably correct about the distribution!
Oh, and I paid 13.99 for this. Which Iām sure Iāll see that credit on my next Casemates order. Which will be in Octoberā¦ha!