Comments on: White Wine Review: Toasted Head Chardonnay 2004

By: Groverpants

Groverpants — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:10:51 +0000

Since I started to get rosacea a few years back, I’ve had to limit my consumption of red wine to the odd glass, which has been a challenge for me. So although I do like all different kinds of white wines, sometimes nothing but a great big one will do, and it’s comforting to have something like Toasted Head to fall back on because it is fairly easy to find in stores. Although it definitely has a lot of butterscotch to it, it isn’t literally sweet – it’s still a zero. Oak or no oak, I’m a fan of wines that have a lot of fruit and body without actually being sweet. Anyway, I didn’t find this review to be biased or unbalanced, and thought the reviewer was simply being honest by admitting to preconceptions.

By: Ron Martin

Ron Martin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:06:34 +0000

I picked up a bottle of the 2010 Chard and it was awful, I ended up pouring it down the sink. Perhaps it was a bad bottle but the cost (here in Canada) indicated a better than average wine. It wasn’t. Never again with Toasted Head.

By: Morgan

Morgan — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 01:36:37 +0000

Hey dumb dumbs.. oak never goes with fish. There are thousands of chardonnays that aren’t aged in oak barrels (even from California) which is probably why you had one or two that went nicely with your salmon. And spit buckets aren’t for snobs. You try tasting 50 plus wines to buy for your wine list at your restaurant.

By: sheila

sheila — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 20:16:59 +0000

I ONLY drink Toasted Head Chardonnay if I hae a choice. I discovered it a dozen years ago and fell in love with it. It’s the only white wine that doesn’t taste acidic to me. I don’t care how big its parent company is. My current second choice is Salmon Creek. It goes so well with salmon, they named the wine after the fish!

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:29:18 +0000

quoting BeachBumC: “For someone who is supposed to be an expert, you didn’t do very well with this one. Even a novice wine drinker knows to pair Pinot Noir, not Chardonnay, with salmon”

I would have to disagree with your generalization on this one. A crisp chard with salmon – I agree, not my taste – but a full bodied buttery chard is heaven with salmon. I would go so far as to say: close to a perfect pairing, at least for me. I am a big fan of stuffed salmon so when I see it on the menu I tend to gavitate towards so as an old hand I was more than a little thrown the first time a creamy chard was the recomended pairing for stuffed salmon… I have not looked back since. I’m already salivating thinking about my next trip to Seattle – fresh salmon and buttery chard – mmmmm!

By: vinojoe

vinojoe — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:12:25 +0000

Hey Suz, thanks for the 2 cents … I need all the money I can get these days!

As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, a friend recommended this wine to me — and there are many, many others who love it, so you’re not alone!

That’s the great thing about wine — you can’t be wrong, because what YOU like, is what you like.

By: Suz

Suz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:42:19 +0000

Well I am a red wine drinker almost exclusively but I decided to try this Chardonnay. I LOVED it. But then again I am a big oak fan. This is probably one of my favorite white wines! Just my 2 cents.

By: Wine Weekly Admin

Wine Weekly Admin — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:27:41 +0000

Hey BeachBum, thanks for the feedback.

First of all, I think I made clear I’m no expert when it comes to California. Secondly, I HAVE had many Chardonnays from California that were NOT overly oaked, but I’ve also had enough to know that the flavor profile runs rampant on the shelves.

Secondly, I routinely match Chardonnays with salmon and many work well. Chards, Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs, and all types of wine go well with simply prepared salmon — there’s no reason to get pigeon-holed in wine matching.

Finally, I did try the Toasted Head again, on its own, and still found it pretty darn oaky. But that’s me — I tend to prefer wines that allow the fruit to be the focus.

By: BeachBumC

BeachBumC — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:42:06 +0000

For someone who is supposed to be an expert, you didn’t do very well with this one. Even a novice wine drinker knows to pair Pinot Noir, not Chardonnay, with salmon. Chardonnays typically pair well with lighter meats, white fish, summer salads, etc and this one is no exception.

Add to that your preconceptions and expection of it to be overly oaked and you were not going to enjoy this wine regardless of the flavor. I’ve had several California Chardonnays that were not overly oaked and actually quite light and crisp. I’m even a red wine (Cabs & Shiraz mostly) lover and I was quite impressed by this wine.

The Toasted Head does certainly have an oaky flavor but I find that it’s a very smooth flavor with hints of vanilla and a very nice buttery mouthfeel that make it quite enjoyable and refreshing, especially if paired with the right food.

Next time, try it with a food that matches well and leave your preconceptions behind with the spit bucket snobs. And if you think THIS wine was oaky, you should try Smoking Loon. That Chard is as oaky and dry as they come!

By: Wine Weekly Admin

Wine Weekly Admin — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 01:29:05 +0000

Thank you for the kind words. I’m all about semi-negativity, when it’s warranted . Hope you continue to enjoy the site!