by Andrew Chalk
Grand Cru Burgundy and Texas chardonnay are both chardonnay, but could not be more different in their heritage, recognition, and terroir. Grand Cru Burgundy is acknowledged as the epitome of chardonnay, traded the world over, the subject of numerous books, and served to rockstars and royalty. Texas chardonnay is sold in-state, the most copious writing about it was likely on a sales receipt, and elicits a review of “What?”.
Lazy writers will say “Chardonnay doesn’t grow in Texas” in the erroneous belief that, to grow in Texas, a grape has to have a forbear from a mediterranean climate. If they did the work, they would discover chardonnay examples from Arché, Fall Creek Vineyards, Inwood Estate Vineyards, Llano Estacado Winery, and others. And they would find that, rather than this being because of an errant patch of the grape growing in an idiosyncratic mesoclimate, these wineries source from The Texas High Plains, The Texas Hill Country, North Texas (St. Jo), West Texas (Dell City), and even Dallas.
There are local differences of course. The Grand Cru Burgundy tasted below has the Côte d’Or (Golden Slope). Inwood Estates City of Dallas has D.D. Cleaners and Smoothie King. Carefully grown, chardonnay thrives regardless.
I happened to have two ten-year old Texas chardonnays in my cellar, so I did what anybody in that position would have done, I went to my local fine wine vendor and asked to buy a ten-year old white Grand Cru Burgundy. I took the first one they found, to make the choice essentially random. Obviously, it would have been more scientific to choose a selection of them (anyone with the budget, please contact me).
Here is how it went down.
Inwood Estates Vineyards 2014 Chardonnay, Dallas County.
This wine is from a vineyard on Bear Creek Road in south Dallas County that is, alas, no more. Grubbed up for new housing in Dallas’ fervent expansion to the Rio Grande. Dan Gatlin, the veteran Texas winemaker who founded Inwood Estates Vineyards, was the only winemaker mad enough to buy the grapes for years and think that chardonnay of any consequence could be made from them. The wine was a sell-out every year. One category of buyers being wealthy businessmen who would buy a case to send bottles to their colleagues in France and induce early heart attacks (a French paradox).
NAME: | Inwood Estates 2014 Chardonnay, Dallas County, TX |
APPEARANCE | COMMENTS |
Clarity | clear |
Intensity | deep |
Color | amber |
Other observations | |
NOSE | |
Condition | clean |
Intensity | high |
Aroma characteristics | Distinct oxidized notes and almonds. Like a sherry, but other aromas are not overwhelmed. Honey, oranges, cooked yellow apples, ripe apricots, orange marmalade. |
PALATE | |
Sweetness | dry |
Acidity | medium plus |
Tannin | |
Alcohol | medium plus |
Body | medium plus |
Flavor intensity | high |
Flavor characteristics | Confirmed fruit from the nose. Texture has a prominent phenolic backbone. Fruits are very ripe. |
Other observations | Richness of the fruit makes the wine seem sweeter than it is. |
Finish | Long, nutty, |
CONCLUSION | |
Quality assessment | Very Good. This wine is over the hill but its remaining fruit intensity and variety are testament to its quality. |
Bottle aging | Not suitable. |
Camille Giroud 2014 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, France.
With the impeccable credentials of Corton-Charlemagne, and a house dating back to 1865 this is a recognized world-class wine. Grand cru vineyard land here rarely appears for public sale, but when it does prices are well over $1m/acre.
NAME: | Camille Giroud 2014 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Burgundy, France |
APPEARANCE | COMMENTS |
Clarity | clear |
Intensity | medium |
Color | lemon |
Other observations | |
NOSE | |
Condition | clean |
Intensity | medium |
Aroma characteristics | Lemon, red apple, white peach, bread, ripe character. Notes of vanilla, |
PALATE | |
Sweetness | dry |
Acidity | medium plus |
Tannin | |
Alcohol | medium |
Body | medium |
Flavor intensity | medium plus |
Flavor characteristics | Lemon, white peach, red apples, bread. |
Other observations | A younger character then the age would suggest. |
Finish | medium |
CONCLUSION | |
Quality assessment | Very Good. Reserved fruit and a lack of secondary or tertiary notes prevent this wine scoring higher. |
Bottle aging | Suitable. |
Inwood Estates Vineyards 2014 Chardonnay, City of Dallas.
Chardonnay growing in Dallas? Yes, in a vineyard Gatlin planted in his old back yard near Inwood Road and Lovers Lane. He and his son continue to harvest it today under a covenant with the current owner. Output is miniscule (only about 15 cases a year) from the Dijon 76, 95, and 96 clones, and yields are tiny so it is almost impossible to buy, but it must be the neatest appellation to produce at a dinner of Texas quail with your French friends. All sales are direct-to-consumer except for some loyal restaurants that bought from Gatlin when he started out.
NAME: | Inwood Estates 2014 Chardonnay, City of Dallas, TX |
APPEARANCE | COMMENTS |
Clarity | clear |
Intensity | deep |
Color | amber |
Other observations | |
NOSE | |
Condition | clean |
Intensity | high |
Aroma characteristics | Ripe apricot, ripe yellow apples, ripe oranges, orange marmalade, cling peaches. Almonds. Well baked bread crust. Almonds. |
PALATE | |
Sweetness | dry |
Acidity | medium plus |
Tannin | |
Alcohol | medium plus |
Body | full |
Flavor intensity | high |
Flavor characteristics | Ripe apple, apricot, and orange. Tropical fruit of mango, guava and pineapple. Nutty note of almond. |
Other observations | Rich, vibrant fruit character. |
Finish | long. |
CONCLUSION | |
Quality assessment | Outstanding. The fruit is both massive and complex. Despite the wine's age it is still very alive. At its peak. |
Bottle aging | Not suitable. |
SUMMARY
Astonishing how these Texas wines did, especially the City of Dallas, given that they are on nobody's radar. The Burgundy is a refined master, the Inwood wines are a discovery.
Sample.