Wine Recommendation
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Wine Recommendation

Wine:St. Julian Wine Co. 2005 ST. J Chardonnay  (Lake Michigan Shore)

St. Julian Wine Co.

2005 ST. J Chardonnay
(Lake Michigan Shore)



St. Julian Winery that uses “St. J” as a brand tier, purchases grapes from 100 growers in southwest Michigan, within a 45-mile radius of the town of Paw Paw, and within the Lake Michigan Shore AVA.

A blending potential from a vast array of growers allows the winery to craft a fresh, bright and crisp rendition of Chardonnay that's a superb value among the scores of Chardonnay on the planet. Aromas are marked by green apple, tropical fruit and lemony notes with oak accents. Interesting ripe peach and apricot flavors add complex notes to a well-structured wine with a generous medium body.

So many Chardonnays have been criticized as food unfriendly. Not this one because of its nicely tart character in a dry version. It's particularly suited to first courses, such as risotto with asparagus, pasta salads, or a fleshy white fish such as Orange Roughy. Its "won't blow the budget" price makes it an everyday wine you can be proud to serve to dinner guests -- or as a well-chilled sipper on its own.

Reviewed July 17, 2007 by Eleanor & Ray Heald.

The Wine

Winery: St. Julian Wine Co.
Vintage: 2005
Wine: ST. J Chardonnay
Appellation: Lake Michigan Shore
Grape: Chardonnay
Price: 750ml $8.99

Review Date: 7/17/2007

The Reviewer

Eleanor & Ray Heald

The Healds have been writing about wine since 1978 and have focused on appellation significance in many of their world beat writings. They value recognizing site personality (terroir) within an appellation's wines. They praise balance and elegance in wines styled to pair well with food and eschew over-extraction, high alcohol and heavy-handed oak. “Delicious” is their favorite descriptor for a great, well-made wine.