An introduction to the Vasanti Estate Winery Chardonnay

Elevate your wine experience with Vasanti Estate Winery’s handcrafted selection of their most cherished creations. Featuring today the Vasanti Chardonnay, each bottle is a masterpiece that tells a tale of passion and precision. Discover this new favourite wine!

Nestled in the Similkameen Valley, Jagger Rock Vineyard thrives beneath a mountain rich in limestone. The vineyard’s rocky terrain promotes warmth around the clock, cultivating grapes that yield a delightful flavour profile.

I enjoyed the Vasanti Chardonnay over the past few days, taking in the warm, sunny, last days of summer and the cool nights of fall. The Chardonnay was the perfect patio sipper when I first poured it into my casual wine glasses to share with a friend. A day or two later the Vasanti Chardonnay became the perfect pairing for a Miso Shrimp dish at dinner. On both occasions the wine was a standout.

2022 Chardonnay

Similkameen Valley BC VQA

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Lemon zest, green apple, fresh pear, and a subtle hint of pineapple and minerality.
Palate: Dry, crisp, green apple, anjou pear with a subtle hint of lemon, pineapple, and minerality.

Serving Recommendations:

Serving Temperature: 10-13C / 49-55F
Serving Glass: White Wine Glass
Cellar Recommendation: 0 to 2 years

Winemaker’s Notes

Vineyard Notes

Jagger Rock Vineyard is located in Cawston, B.C. alongside a mountain that is rich in limestone deposits. These limestone deposits provide calcium minerals to deposit into the soil in the vineyard. Allowing for exceptional vine root development for better nutrient exchange for the vines and for optimal sugar and acidity development in the grapes. Also great for water sustainability. The remaining terrain of the vineyard is composed of rock and shale which provide a warming effect around the clock.

Production Notes

All of these grapes were harvested at 23 Brix
Fermented and aged in stainless steel
Unoaked

As someone who is slowly learning to appreciate the Chardonnay grape it is always a challenge. First I want to taste the wine on it’s own to fully understand the nuances of the wine, in the glass and on the palate.

The Vasanti Chardonnay was soft on the nose with delicate floral notes, violets and tea roses. These scents are followed by tropical notes mixed with lime zest. Pleasant and also subtle. An inviting introduction to this pleasing Chardonnay. 

In the mouth another pleasant surprise, not a hint of buttery but rather an exciting level of acidity that raises the specter of enjoyability of the wine. Pink grapefruit, ight stone fruits like apricot, white peach and an essence of pineapple underlie the delight that I found in this Chardonnay.

A Chardonnay that perfectly suits both lovers and skeptics of the varietal. Not a buttery note to be found, and that’s a good thing.

Pairing: I didn’t give this wine a break when it came to the pairing. The dish was a combination of a sweet stone fruit, a mellow Miso, and of course, garlic, wrapped in a sauce finished with a splash of wine and honey. I knew the shrimp would present no challenge so the test was in the sauce, which had also served as marinate. 

The Chardonnay is subtle but not one that accepts a background position. The wine presented more boldly when paired with the sweet and tangy sauce and enhanced the delicate shrimp. 

This is a wine that makes a lovely stand-alone option as well as works with a dish that is rich and flavourful. Although I’m not a fan of too much spice I think this dish would have also worked well with a more vibrant version with perhaps a heavier hand of garlic, and an addition of ginger and red pepper flakes.

A very enjoyable, versatile wine that refreshes and enhances the wine experience.

$29.99 online and at the winery. Currently available at $24.74 (10% off) until October 3.*