2023 Tuk Tuk Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley
Gold, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Growing on the Napa side of the Los Carneros region, these vineyards are rooted in sandy loam over clay soils and are subjected to cooling breezes coming off the San Pablo Bay. Dubbed by some as “Napa’s Champagne”, the region is considerably cooler than the rest of Napa Valley, while at the same time warmer than the Sonoma Coast AVA.
Winemaking
Approximately 33% of this wine was barrel fermented in new French oak. The other 66% was fermented in stainless steel. Striving for a balance between richness and acidic verve, we targeted 35% Malolactic fermentation. After fermentation, the wine was aged in a combination of new (33%) and neutral barrels. Bâtonnage was performed regularly to enhance mouthfeel.
The Wine
The 2023 Los Carneros - Napa Valley Chardonnay displays notes of apples, Asian pears, stone fruits, white flowers and lemon curd, alongside juicy pineapple, freshly baked pie dough, marzipan, and fresh cream. The finish moves further into the tropical, with notes of mango and lime coming into the mix. Ready to drink but built to last. Serve at 55 degrees. Yes, that is warm for chardonnay; I made this wine to drink well at more typical “in-the-glass” temperatures. The wine really starts to show off at 60 degrees.
Tuk Tuk Wines donates 5% of all profits to a wide variety of charities focusing on climate change, quality of life for impoverished nations, and the remediation of man-made problems. We also run periodic specials donating significantly more. Join us today: Enjoy wine, made with a conscious effort to reduce our impact on the environment and increase our impact on lives of those less fortunate.
Suggested Pairings: Fish Tacos, Chicken Satay, Green Papaya Salad, Crispy Pork Belly
Specs
100% Chardonnay
Appellation: Napa Valley, Los Carneros (unnamed single vineyard)
Alcohol: 13.6%
TA: 5.2 g/L
pH: 3.47
Cases Produced: 350
Winemaker: David McCluskey
What’s Included
4-bottles:
4x - 2023 Tuk Tuk Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley
Case:
12x - 2023 Tuk Tuk Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley
“Took Took”
A fixture in developing nations around the world, these three wheeled joyrides come in many forms and go by many names: Tuk-Tuk, Rickshaw, Bajaji, Posy. Whatever the local name, they all offer a common experience: a raw, untamed, full-throated experience of the locale, replete with the smells of food stalls, the noise of the city, the rush of the wind, and regular episodes of very real danger. They are the embodiment of “third-world” travel, and an absolute blast - I love them.
I named my winery after these delightful creations with an eye towards maintaining the fun in life, and the fun in wine.
Cheers.
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Tuk Tuk Wines Chardonnay - $60 = 24.99%
Mr Suckling: A soft, straightforward white that’s buttery in aroma and quite ripe and candied in flavor. Aromas of melted butter and baked apples meet sugared apple and coconut flavors. Drink now.4/25
Hey There. The RS is actually .1 g/l. If you don’t speak chemist - that’s bone dry. I never really found suckling’s review to mesh with my own perception of the wine; as such, I don’t really get sugared apples or candied flavors. To me and most of my wino friends, it presents fresher and lighter. There are balances between pH, TA, etc, that can help a wine work well at different temps. Hope that clears things up a bit. - David
Welcome!
Since it’s you first time here, do you mind introducing yourself and function with the winery, while we wait for your badge to be awarded to help identify your association with TukTuk.
@rjquillin@TukTukDavid Thanks… “Pro” (and non pro) reviews, try and throw them out here as a reference point, grain of salt required. This review did seem a tad…over the top perhaps? Anyway, appreciate the info. Do we know if a bottle went out for a community rat review?
Hi everybody - I’m David, and I’m the one-man show who runs Tuk Tuk. I make the wine, I do the accounting, I built the website, created the tech sheet (apparently forgot to list rs, oops ), etc. etc. Happy to answer any questions you might have.
Hey All - First time doing a Lab Rat write up, usually on the producer or purchaser side, and a little later to the party than I planned.
Was excited to receive the wine on Wednesday; a label I had never heard of and a wine/region I don’t often buy, but usually enjoy. My past with Chardonnay is mixed, with a few vintages of producing one, first from Anderson Valley, and more recently from Russian River. I’ve been through Burgundy, tasting with some of our coopers at renowned houses, and gravitated to Chablis for a number of years. Since Russian River and Anderson are more of my stomping grounds, have probably only had a dozen Carneros examples in my life. Mahoney, Frank, Schug, Rombauer, only ones that really come to mind… honestly have had it more often in the form of bubbles. But have always enjoyed them and know the potential, driving through the region many early mornings on the way from the Sonoma side to the Central Valley or mountains.
After looking up the website to research some about the winery, style, and treatment, I opened it on Thursday at “room” temp of 60 degrees. The first aromas I got off the glass reminded me of more tropical flavor - passionfruit and pineapple. Very pleasant, and my winemaker brain chalked it up to the mix of time on lees, perhaps yeasts used, and the choice of barrel influence. Not getting any recognizable woodiness, a hint of creaminess but the citrus keeps it from seeming sweet or oaky at all.
At the 60 degree temperature the wine showed beautifully. Texturally it was pretty seamless, I couldn’t pick up the alcohol that sometimes whites give off at “warmer” temps, and it still had very bright acidity. More of the classic apple and pear on the palate, and a 15 second finish lingering cleanly. The ingredients are listed on the label as grapes, yeast, tartaric acid, and SO2. I love ingredient listing and hopefully remember to start doing that as well.
I put the cork in and stuck it in the fridge after my initial glass, to revisit at fridge temp on Friday. Fresh and lively, and still very enjoyable. Flavors seemed simpler on first pour and taste, but I had well over a glass while I prepped and grilled burgers for the family. It did open back up upon warming and showed just as well as the first day. I switched to a Zin with dinner, but the last sip in the glass I left for clean up, and was pleasant and refreshing after another hour of air at a warmer than room temp…
Here on Saturday morning, finishing putting together the write up from my notes, having another room temp, day 3 taste. Still fresh, if a little more floral/herbal, with some tree blossom, thyme/sage notes more up front than the tropical or stone fruits of the past days. Tells me this wine will hold up for years and probably even develop some more secondary flavors before the fruit fades.
The winemaking toes the lines between oak influence, ML character, and stainless, balancing parts of the methods and byproducts of them. Nothing crazy stands out in your face, but it has a lot going on. It might not satisfy people that enjoy the very oak heavy style of Chard, but I doubt anyone wouldn’t finish a glass and be satisfied if it were served.
Cork geek out warning - The closure is an agglomerated cork called Xpur, which is supplied by Amorim cork company, which it just so happensI have just recently started using on a few of ours wines as well. It a treatment that is thorough at removing the cork compounds for TCA, but also other volatiles and flavors. Not all agglomerated/composite corks are built the same, or produced with the same methods, but this is a good one - not the cheapest, but not too fancy or trying to do too much.
To sum it up, this is a great wine, and a good price. Could pair well with the usual suspects for Chardonnay (took a picture with my “Alfredo” record here for dramatic effect… with my Barbed Wire Sandwich record just to be weird and show off)
I would happily have this any day of the week.
Cheers and good work to the winemaker, and thank you the the WCC folks for letting me try it and give my seven cents (two cents adjusted for inflation/rambling on).
@PetersonWinery excellent…thank you! You’ve convinced me. I don’t like buttery or oaky Chardonnay, and I do like a white that drinks well at closer to room temps. (I eat slowly and my wine is always room temp by the time I get to the bottom of a glass) Some would say I should drink more quickly…but I like to savor.
I think we need more Rats from winemakers.
This is one of the best in quite some time.
Thanks for taking the time and thoroughly describing your process and over-night storage regime; really helps out.
@PetersonWinery Thanks for the review! People look at me sideways when I tell them I made it to drink better warmer, but I also have a lot of people who say “I don’t like chardonnay, but I like yours”… go figure!
As a shameless Peterson fan (or is it a Peterson Shameless fan) I would have never considered Peterson a rat. But his rattage has me in for a case without hesitation! And as a longtime Carneros fan I can’t wait for the Tuk Tuk - thanks for this offer!
@albany14us@TukTukDavid
In the past, directly contacting the winery at times has been known to produce a good outcome.
Not always, but it’s an easy ask.
@albany14us@rjquillin This experience went so fast that I honestly don’t remember what the case price was, but as long as I can ship to your location I’m game.
@albany14us@TukTukDavid
As a volmod, thanks for the reply and accommodation. Hopefully the OP will see this and you two work it all out.
Hope to see you back again; chatter on this one was a bit tame compared to some; and generally producer participation makes a substantial difference. Glad you were here.
2023 Tuk Tuk Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley
Gold, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Winemaking
The Wine
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$576.00/Case for 12x 2023 Tuk Tuk Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley at Tuk Tuk Wines
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 20 - Wednesday, Apr 22
2023 Tuk Tuk Wines Chardonnay
4 bottles for $79.99 $20/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $179.99 $15/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Tuk Tuk Wines Chardonnay - $60 = 24.99%
Mr Suckling: A soft, straightforward white that’s buttery in aroma and quite ripe and candied in flavor. Aromas of melted butter and baked apples meet sugared apple and coconut flavors. Drink now.4/25
fwiw
@kaolis
makes me take notice that RS isn’t something provided
@kaolis @rjquillin
Thinking the same but also surprised that a wine which may be off-dry is said to show best at 55° to 60°.
@chipgreen @kaolis good point
@kaolis @rjquillin
Hey There. The RS is actually .1 g/l. If you don’t speak chemist - that’s bone dry. I never really found suckling’s review to mesh with my own perception of the wine; as such, I don’t really get sugared apples or candied flavors. To me and most of my wino friends, it presents fresher and lighter. There are balances between pH, TA, etc, that can help a wine work well at different temps. Hope that clears things up a bit. - David
@kaolis @TukTukDavid
Welcome!
badge to be awarded to help identify your association with TukTuk.
Since it’s you first time here, do you mind introducing yourself and function with the winery, while we wait for your
@rjquillin @TukTukDavid Thanks… “Pro” (and non pro) reviews, try and throw them out here as a reference point, grain of salt required. This review did seem a tad…over the top perhaps? Anyway, appreciate the info. Do we know if a bottle went out for a community rat review?
@kaolis @rjquillin I don’t actually know, but maybe @rjquillin does?
@kaolis @rjquillin rattage posted. Hopefully not too over the top… Grains of salt usually required for most things.
Hi everybody - I’m David, and I’m the one-man show who runs Tuk Tuk. I make the wine, I do the accounting, I built the website, created the tech sheet (apparently forgot to list rs, oops
), etc. etc. Happy to answer any questions you might have.
Hey All - First time doing a Lab Rat write up, usually on the producer or purchaser side, and a little later to the party than I planned.
Was excited to receive the wine on Wednesday; a label I had never heard of and a wine/region I don’t often buy, but usually enjoy. My past with Chardonnay is mixed, with a few vintages of producing one, first from Anderson Valley, and more recently from Russian River. I’ve been through Burgundy, tasting with some of our coopers at renowned houses, and gravitated to Chablis for a number of years. Since Russian River and Anderson are more of my stomping grounds, have probably only had a dozen Carneros examples in my life. Mahoney, Frank, Schug, Rombauer, only ones that really come to mind… honestly have had it more often in the form of bubbles. But have always enjoyed them and know the potential, driving through the region many early mornings on the way from the Sonoma side to the Central Valley or mountains.
After looking up the website to research some about the winery, style, and treatment, I opened it on Thursday at “room” temp of 60 degrees. The first aromas I got off the glass reminded me of more tropical flavor - passionfruit and pineapple. Very pleasant, and my winemaker brain chalked it up to the mix of time on lees, perhaps yeasts used, and the choice of barrel influence. Not getting any recognizable woodiness, a hint of creaminess but the citrus keeps it from seeming sweet or oaky at all.
At the 60 degree temperature the wine showed beautifully. Texturally it was pretty seamless, I couldn’t pick up the alcohol that sometimes whites give off at “warmer” temps, and it still had very bright acidity. More of the classic apple and pear on the palate, and a 15 second finish lingering cleanly. The ingredients are listed on the label as grapes, yeast, tartaric acid, and SO2. I love ingredient listing and hopefully remember to start doing that as well.
I put the cork in and stuck it in the fridge after my initial glass, to revisit at fridge temp on Friday. Fresh and lively, and still very enjoyable. Flavors seemed simpler on first pour and taste, but I had well over a glass while I prepped and grilled burgers for the family. It did open back up upon warming and showed just as well as the first day. I switched to a Zin with dinner, but the last sip in the glass I left for clean up, and was pleasant and refreshing after another hour of air at a warmer than room temp…
Here on Saturday morning, finishing putting together the write up from my notes, having another room temp, day 3 taste. Still fresh, if a little more floral/herbal, with some tree blossom, thyme/sage notes more up front than the tropical or stone fruits of the past days. Tells me this wine will hold up for years and probably even develop some more secondary flavors before the fruit fades.
The winemaking toes the lines between oak influence, ML character, and stainless, balancing parts of the methods and byproducts of them. Nothing crazy stands out in your face, but it has a lot going on. It might not satisfy people that enjoy the very oak heavy style of Chard, but I doubt anyone wouldn’t finish a glass and be satisfied if it were served.
Cork geek out warning - The closure is an agglomerated cork called Xpur, which is supplied by Amorim cork company, which it just so happensI have just recently started using on a few of ours wines as well. It a treatment that is thorough at removing the cork compounds for TCA, but also other volatiles and flavors. Not all agglomerated/composite corks are built the same, or produced with the same methods, but this is a good one - not the cheapest, but not too fancy or trying to do too much.
To sum it up, this is a great wine, and a good price. Could pair well with the usual suspects for Chardonnay (took a picture with my “Alfredo” record here for dramatic effect… with my Barbed Wire Sandwich record just to be weird and show off)
I would happily have this any day of the week.
Cheers and good work to the winemaker, and thank you the the WCC folks for letting me try it and give my seven cents (two cents adjusted for inflation/rambling on).
@PetersonWinery excellent…thank you! You’ve convinced me.
I don’t like buttery or oaky Chardonnay, and I do like a white that drinks well at closer to room temps. (I eat slowly and my wine is always room temp by the time I get to the bottom of a glass) Some would say I should drink more quickly…but I like to savor. 
@PetersonWinery @winedavid59
I think we need more Rats from winemakers.
This is one of the best in quite some time.
Thanks for taking the time and thoroughly describing your process and over-night storage regime; really helps out.
@PetersonWinery Bravo! thanks very much!!
@PetersonWinery @Winedavid59 Yes…nicely done ty
@PetersonWinery Thanks for the review! People look at me sideways when I tell them I made it to drink better warmer, but I also have a lot of people who say “I don’t like chardonnay, but I like yours”… go figure!
Thanks to @PetersonWinery, I’m in for a case!
/giphy outgoing-healthy-wilderness
Im interested in this one. Anyone in Columbus want to split?
/giphy dysfunctional-internal-back
As a shameless Peterson fan (or is it a Peterson Shameless fan) I would have never considered Peterson a rat. But his rattage has me in for a case without hesitation! And as a longtime Carneros fan I can’t wait for the Tuk Tuk - thanks for this offer!
Now that the offer is gone and done, thinking I should’ve gotten 2 cases (due to sharing).
@albany14us @TukTukDavid
In the past, directly contacting the winery at times has been known to produce a good outcome.
Not always, but it’s an easy ask.
@albany14us @rjquillin This experience went so fast that I honestly don’t remember what the case price was, but as long as I can ship to your location I’m game.
@albany14us @TukTukDavid
As a volmod, thanks for the reply and accommodation. Hopefully the OP will see this and you two work it all out.
Hope to see you back again; chatter on this one was a bit tame compared to some; and generally producer participation makes a substantial difference. Glad you were here.