Fast facts:
- 2020 Chardonnay, Esprit des Lieux Mâcon-Verzé, Mâconnais,France ($9.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California)
Usually when you are buying a bottle of French Chardonnay and it says Vin de Bourgone on the label, you would be paying more than $10. A lot more.
After all, white Burgundy is one of the most sought after wines in the world.
And while this particular wine is not from the high rent district of France’s esteemed Burgundy region, it is nonetheless and really nice wine with an impressive Quality to Price Ratio. You know how we love a high QPR!
The Mâconnais district from which this wine hails is located in the south of the Burgundy region. It takes its name from the town of Mâcon. It is best known as a source of good value white wines made from the Chardonnay grape; the wines from Pouilly-Fuissé are particularly sought-after. Almost all the wine made in the Mâconnais is white wine. Chardonnay is the main grape grown in the district—in fact, there is a village of that name in the far north of the region. This particular bottling is 100% Chardonnay, and 100% delicious.
Tasting Notes:
I don’t normally do this, but I am going to unabashedly lift the tasting notes off of the back label of the bottle. That is because this is a rare case where the notes are spot on. “The vineyards, grown on calcareous clay and chalky limestone with east and west exposures, produce a lively wine with a floral, fruity and lemony bouquet. Serve chilled as a pre-dinner drink with salty finger foods, crab cakes, seafood risottos, grilled fish, sushi and goat cheese.” You had me at crab cakes…
This Chardonnay falls between the flinty, chalky renditions from Chablis and the rivers of more full bodied, buttery ones made here in California. It’s a wine that could convert those staunchly in the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) Camp.
We reviewed the 2019 vintage of this wine favorably in August of 2020 and although the price has gone up a buck, it is still a solid wine in our beloved sub-$10 category. Spring and summer are coming, they always do, and this is one to stock up on!
More Wine Picks from Trader Joe’s – or Costco?
If your search for this wine lands you in Trader Joe’s, take along our handy Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine here.
And if your wine shopping excursions land you in Costco, prepare by grazing our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list.
Happy hunting.
Cheers!
This has been my house white for several years. It is an outstanding value for its price!
I couldn’t agree more with your description. It should find a great following among those who appreciate the terroir of the southernmost Burgundy region as well as those who heretofore were strict domestic Chardonnay lovers due to the increased body and unctious mouthfeel of this offering. A terrific value at $9.99!