Chardonnay Mudgee and Pemberton
Richard Best – THE FRUGAL OENOPHILE'S BLOG, February 2011
Wine of the week. Look for delicate aromas of tropical fruits, apple, pear, and melon with just a hint of mineral. Obvious oak on the palate, with more tropical fruits, a whiff of smoke and a crisp acidic close. Very good body and length. Juicy yet mellow and flavourful - very approachable. Try with BBQ bird, ocean fish, or pork.
Gord Stimmell – www.thestar.com, February 2011
89 points We're always on the hunt for pleasantly oaked chardonnays under $15. New to general list is Tic Tok, with smoky apple, lime, lemongrass and peach aromas. The flavours are mellow, with ripe apple, lime and lemon. The finish shows a classy balance of ripe fruit and palate cleansing acidity.
Selected as "One of best wines to always have on hand". Here's a Chardonnay with lovely green apple and butterscotch notes that's still bright and lievely with mouth-watering acidity. Finishes clean. Yum! Pair with shellfish, chicken and lighter meats.
RECOMMENDED. I've spoken about the Robert Oatley Vineyards wines from Australia that have been successful in Vintages. A new line for general list is named after the man who established the family Down Under and was originally a clockmaker, hence the Tic Tok. If you like size in a Chardonnay and fleshy, exotic, tropical flavours, this is for you. It's rich and ripe, yet balanced, showing pineapple, passion fruit, papaya and orange peel angles.
Best Medium White Wine, Vancouver Magazine's International Wine Competition, 2010
3.5 Stars - well worth trying. Apple, pear with hints of melon and toast on the nose, this is mid weight with good mouth feel and a mid-length aftertaste that's quite crisp and refreshing. Look for citrus and orchard fruit—apple, pear and white peach—on the palate and finish. This is uncomplicated and straightforward pouring well alongside supermarket take-away, rotisserie chicken.
"Take the James Oatley 'Tic Tok' series from Australia, one of which is reviewed today. Besides the sauvignon blanc, there's a chardonnay, a shiraz and a cabernet sauvignon, all blends from smaller wine regions in Australia and all delivering excellent quality and value. In the Chile section, look for Lapostolle winery's new 'Casa' wines: a cabernet sauvignon and a carmenère (which I'll review in another column). Again, they're very good wines and very good value. The Oatley and Lapostolle wines are examples of very smart buying decisions by the LCBO, and they're a step up in the wines available to us. Of course, smart buying doesn't mean only looking for new wines, but retaining many of the excellent wines already on the General List. This full-flavoured chardonnay from two Australian regions is one of several successful 'Tic Tok' wines in the LCBO. Look for well-defined and complex fruit and great balance, and enjoy it with richer poultry, pork and seafood dishes. 12.8-per-cent alcohol; $14.95 (187104)"
Bronze Medal, Intervin, November 2010
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2011
90 Points. Light straw-green; unexpectedly, there is considerable synergy between the Mudgee and Pemberton components, perhaps due to riper Mudgee stone fruit and a citrussy shaft from Pemberton. Whatever, works well. Screwcap. 12.8% alc.
John Lewis, Newcastle Herald, March 2010, Australia
4 glasses. This is a mix of 66 per cent Mudgee and 33 per cent Pemberton, Western Australia, chardonnay and it's very good value drinking. It is light gold with green tints and has tropical fruit salad aromas. Ripe white peach flavour shows on the front of the palate and passionfruit, melon and shortbread fruit characters integrate with cashew-like oak on the middle palate. Flinty acid comes through at the finish. It can be found in wine stores or at the Robert Oatley Vineyards' cellar door in Mudgee.
89 & Good Value Wine Pick - Lovely green apple and butterscotch notes yet bright and lively with mouth-watering acidity. Finishes clean. Yum! Food matches: fish, shellfish, chicken, lighter meats.