As you may know, I simply adore oaky chardonnays which, according to fou-fou wine forums, pretty much makes me the white trash of the wine world. Ok, maybe not “loves white Zinfandel” or pronounces Merlot as “Mer-LOT” wine trash, but wine trash none-the-less. Well guess what? They can suck it!

Today, I give to you my current fave…

Muirwood Chardonnay Arroyo Seco, 2012 – $12.99

Winemaker’s Notes: 

 A full-bodied Chardonnay with a generous helping of Golden Delicious apple and buttered pear flavors. Savory and delicious on its own; an apple-stuffed pork loin would be an ideal food pairing.

Liquor World forum reviews: 

“When Chardonnay comes to mind people generally think of medium/light bodied wines that don’t have overbearing tastes. This wine just has way to strong an Oak taste and is not an overall satisfying taste for most drinkers.” – Polar Vortex   Too strong an oak taste? Oak taste not satisfying for most drinkers? SHUT YOUR PIEHOLE, Polar Vortex! You (and the weather you were named after) can go to Hell.

“I don’t know why the words citrus or tropical are in the description, but if you like a heavier fully bodied chardonnay, this one is worth a try and won’t break the bank. It has a very nice finish that doesn’t leave you wanting a glass of water later, but rather you are content with the flavor of the wine lingering on your pallet.  Usually, I enjoy a white wine but then find myself getting something else to drink later.” – Cab Clown I was right there with you, Cab Clown…but when you got to the part about drinking water instead of wine, quite frankly, I became disoriented and confused. I also felt some anger surfacing.

“You know I almost hate to do this cause when you hit a winner like Muirwood Chardonnay Arroyo Seco you almost want to keep it hush hush it’s THAT GOOD. Kim Crawford used to be my go to Char in the 10 buck club but not now. ~~Waves~~ good bye to Kimmy.”  – AdMan  Oh SNAP, AdMan! Don’t let the door hit you in the ass, Kimmy.

Kim’s Notes: Plump, smooth, and round…everything I imagine an Italian mother to be.

Unlike Polar Vortex, I didn’t find the oak taste to be overbearing.  In fact, I loved it IN SPITE of it not having a super oaky flavor. This is the kind of wine you could drink all night…until you realize that the bottle’s almost gone, so then you cork it and put the last 2 ounces back in the refrigerator just so you can tell yourself “If I had a drinking problem, I would have finished it.” You can trust me on this, I’ve sampled it A LOT.

Pairs well with pork rinds and menstrual cramps.