With Wine Magazine no longer in print and all sorts of things happening in the wine industry, Christian Eedes has stepped forward and decided to try something new in compiling his list of top 10 chardonnays. If it works well we may see Christian Eedes’ top 10 of all the cultivars. Then maybe a book and even a movie, who knows?
Who is Christian Eedes, you may ask, that he can do this? Well if you are not in the wine industry, then you might now know who he is, but he has a fairly long and accomplished career in the wine industry. He’s been a wine journalist, a wine competition judge, a wine blogger, and a wine drinker for quite some time. You can read more about him on the ‘About Christian’ page on his blog What I Drank Last Night. If you are in the wine industry, then Christian is the bald guy you see at most events, talking a lot.
Tonight we had the media launch of the 2011 Christian Eedes Chardonnay Report. Christian explained that about 50 wines were judged and the judging was performed by himself and two other judges. The identity of the other judges will remain a secret purely because I can’t remember who they were and the information doesn’t seem to be on Christian’s blog. The tastings were done blind, as they should be, and a top 10 was selected.
Here is the top 10:
Five stars
Ataraxia 2009
Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2009
Oak Valley Elgin 2010
Tokara Reserve Collection Stellenbosch 2010
Tokara Reserve Collection Walker Bay 2009
Four and a half stars
Glen Carlou 2010
Glen Carlou Quartz Stone 2009
Julien Schaal Mountain Vineyards 2010
Laborie Limited Collection 2010
Mulderbosch Barrel Fermented 2009
If you’re a chardonnay fan, you have the opportunity to taste these wines on the 2nd December at the Vineyard hotel. There will be a public tasting starting at 6:30pm and costing R120. There are limited tickets so book soon by calling 083 324 6855 or by sending an email to widlnevents@gmail.com