Peller Estates Chardonnay 2011 | VQA British Columbia, Canada

As a follow-up to the post on Inniskillin Pinot Grigio, my personal somm offered me two Chardonnays from Canada — one on the high end, one on the low end. This one was on the low end of the spectrum. But don’t take that the wrong way — this was no dog.

Peller Estates Chardonnay has an expressive nose of spicy vanilla oak, ripe pear, and honeysuckle. With that nose I was expecting an in-your-face, fat, sugary, over-oaked blast of tree bark on the palate, but that was not the case. Rather, there was plenty of bright acidity balancing ample ripe fruit, and the spice flavor was more toward something exotic like ginger or cardamom than the typical vanilla extract we’re used to tasting in cheap California Chardonnays. The finish was well-balanced and even had a hint of tannin. A nice solo drinker, and it would likely match with roasted or grilled pork.

Unfortunately, I think this wine will be difficult if not impossible to find in the USA, but if you live in Canada, you can find it at a retailer near you using Wine-Searcher

If you find yourself in the Niagara, Ontario area of Canada, check out the winery personally — for more info, visit the Peller Estates website.

By the way, yes I realize the winery is in Ontario and the wine is from British Columbia, which is a pretty far distance. If anyone has more information on how the wine is produced, please elaborate in the comments. Thank you.

We’ll soon review the Chardonnay that was on the higher end — stay tuned.