Taste it Again: Lailey 2008 Canadian Oak Chardonnay
18 Jun 2015- Details
- Category: Lost & Found / Taste it Again
(March 13, 2015) ... This bottle of Lailey 2008 Canadian Oak Chardonnay originally picked up four-and-a-half stars from me and I drank it on a night where I also had a bottle of California Chardonnay, which was past its prime. Unlike its American counterpart the Canadian wine (aged in Canadian derived oak might I add) had a pleasant pineapple, coconut, and apple aroma followed on the palate by peach schnapps, apple core, coconut husk, peach pit, a decent amount of minerality, and a pinch of vanilla. The acidity has held up well and continues to be the backbone of this wine along with its long finish. The real surprise here was that after some 6+ years (from vintage date) the wine still maintains a certain element of freshness. There does not seem to be a rush to drink this one, but it sure does taste pretty good right now.
(March 1, 2015) ... Back in 2007, if you can think that far back, the weather was gorgeous, the winters were mild, and the grapes were aplenty. That's the vintage that this beauty of a Gamay was produced in and it has aged exceptionally gracefully. The nose here is black cherry and licorice with subtle violet nuances ... Palate shows off white pepper, black cherry, and anise with a long finish that brings everything together. The wine comes across as still vibrant, the majority of which is still fruited with cassis, black cherry, along with anise and cedar lingering in the background. Speaking of lingering,. I lingered over this one and within an hour the wine turns into a mainly black cherry number laced with hints of anise, with a really rich mouth feel and touches of cedar on finish. The good news about this one is that doesn't seem to back off and show its age. A stellar job by 13th Street on this one - not sure when it'll fall apart but I'm thinking it'll hold another 2 years.
