3 white wines

[pirate]

A comment by Brad Ballinger comes to mind as I drank three white wines with food in the past coupleof weeks, Ballinger states:

"For example, I personally don’t care for many of the extracted and heavily oaked wines being produced lately – primarily in North American and Australia"

I agree.

I had a

2001 Kistler Camp Meeting Ridge Chardonnay

2002 Planeta Chardonnay

2002 Schiopetto Piano Bianco

on 3 separate occasions.

I bought the Kistler after reading about the Flowers vineyard. It was big, alcoholic and over oaked

and really not very good with food. The Planeta and especially the Schiopetto went very well with food and the Schiopetto was certainly the best pinot bianco I've ever had. Both greatly preferable to the Kistler. For best chardonnay, it's the Lefaive Chevalier Montrachet. The Kistler costs more than twice as much as either of the other wines.

[Brad Ballinger]

Planeta can also produced wines with amped up oak. I'm not against oak as a rule, but I am when it gets to the point of distraction. Many white Burgundy wines also see oak, but come across much more balanced than that Kistler you've had. Regarding that wine, I think you and I might be in the minority. I've never had a Kistler I've liked even in a room surrounding by others raving about it.

The Schiopetto, by the way, is also aged in oak. But it is likely older and bigger barrels. The winery is now being run by the second generation. Hopefully they will continue to make wine in the style of the father, Mario.

[LOS]

Regarding that wine, I think you and I might be in the minority.  I've never had a Kistler I've liked even in a room surrounding by others raving about it.

Yeah, been there, done that -- too many times to count. I'm frankly finding that even Cote D'Or whites are too heavy for the food I'm eating. I used to make Chicken Dijon and fish in cream or mustard sauces a whole lot more often. Those big white burgs are just sitting in the basement. I may end up auctioning those with a good resale value.