Apropos anniversary post: Wakefield Promised Land Unwooded Chardonnay '07

Country: Australia
Thoughts: Wow, can you believe it's been a year since we started this thing? It started 365 days ago with a simple mission statement: "Simply, I want a place I can go back to and find what I liked when I'm in need of a glass." If you've been with us for any length of time, you know it's more than just that. Each wine we've tried, all 133 of them, has a story: Tried with friends or family or during a special event or just relaxing at home. I tried to make that point with little anecdotes here and there. It's amazing to me how this has grown; I don't mean in terms of readership - it's not exactly WashingtonPost.com, but it never was about that anyway - but how my curiosity about wine has increased. I recently added a link on the side there for Snooth. I posted an introductory note in their forum that described it like this: "One bottle turned into another. Which led to me wondering how a pinot was different than a sauv. Which led to me wondering how an Oregon pinot was different than an Italian pinot, and how a Cali sauv was different than an Australian sauv. Which further led to me starting a blog so I could keep track of what I liked." My wine knowledge has grown exponentially, yet I know I'm far from an expert. Is it the promised land? Not yet, but maybe in a few years. So thanks to all of you for playing along; I won't go through the whole list like I did back with Wine 100, but the sentiment and deep appreciation to all remains. Anyway, on with it: This was a curious pick from Whole Foods, where I stopped to ensure I'd have something new to write about for tonight's special happenings. Really, in the whole Australia section, there were three different unoaked chardonnays - with label specifically saying so - that I could have tried. This one, however, caught my attention first, so it made the ride home with me. (Plus it had the most unusual description of being unwooded, which invites all manner of dick jokes. I'll leave it to you to make up your own.) The nose was powerful and evident from the start; I had barely gotten the screw cap off when the wine announced its presence. Upon closer inspection, it was exactly what you'd expect: flowery with a hint of fruitiness. Initially, the wine had a dose of sweetness on the tongue, but it dried out quickly. Proportionality was always maintained, however, and I never felt like I was sucking a lemon. The finish was also dry in that sparkly sort of way. It's a good sipper of a wine, one that can be enjoyed over the course of an evening (though it's good enough that it probably won't last very long). Despite the overpowering nose, which wasn't in line with how mellow the wine itself was, it was a rather enjoyable drink. It's chardonnay, the way it oughta be.
Do-over? Right price, right taste, so yes
Final Grade: B+