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| A Perfectly Matched Wine Pairing - Chardonnay Friendly Pasta - 10/7/2008 |
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| Menu
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Chicken and Mushrooms with Penne
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| Wine
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Talley Chardonnay 2006
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| Comments
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The Chardonnay selected for this meal came from grapes sustainably grown in southern San Luis Obispo county of California. A rich complex of fruit flavors were quickly eclipsed by creamy smooth oak with an aggressive close of dry, crisp acids. Vibrant and different, there was also a distinct note of herbal anise that created a delicious mouth filling contrast. JJ and I both liked this light golden wine immediately.
The one dish pasta meal was a combination of chicken, tender mushrooms, caramelized onions, mascarpone and toasted pine nuts blended in a rich creamy sauce. This Chardonnay friendly combo matched perfectly with our rich creamy wine creating a meal of pure eating pleasure. The vibrant minerals and acids provided the right finish and refreshment between the heavy complex flavors of the pasta. We both agreed that this minerality and the unusual herbal notes are what made the pairing special as we settled down to just eat and enjoy.
After the plates were cleared, we again sampled the wine to find that the acids, now finished with their mealtime job, had settled back into balance. Mouth filling creamy oak and a smooth finish now combined with notes of pineapple and warm citrus, providing a very satisfying finish to a delicious meal.
A note of interest: JJ and I always do our ratings separately from each other. Usually we are within a point of two of each other and occasionally we heartily disagree, but rarely do we match our scores perfectly as we did with this meal. Neither one of us could remember doing that before.
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