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The Le Grand Noir Chardonnay 2022 is 85% Chardonnay and 15% Viognier sourced from several areas of the Languedoc wine region in southwest France. This wine is available at Costco for $9.99 and elsewhere for $10 to $14.
The Le Grand Noir brand has an entire range of French wines as well as Sparkling and organic wines. Le Grand Noir is a wine group that sources their grapes from a comune of over 1000 family growers. This part of France has been growing grapes and producing wine since Roman times. The Le Grand Noir is a large black sheep.
The Le Grand Noir Chardonnay 2022 has Viognier added. Viognier is a wine with excellent acidity and a fragrant aroma, it is one of only a few White wines that are often added to Red wine. If you wish to add a little zip to your wine then Viognier is the grape to use.
30% of the Chardonnay was fermented and aged in French and American oak, the Viognier and the rest of the Chardonnay are unoaked. This should add some rounded fruit flavors to a tart, bright wine along with a little buttercream from the oak.
This is an IGP Vin Pays D’Oc wine with an alcohol content of 13%. This looks to be a French Chardonnay that should appeal to American tastes.
The Le Grand Noir Chardonnay 2022 Tasting Notes
The color is a lemon yellow. The nose is spice, lemon, stone fruit, apple, honey, a hint of cream, and faint melon, with a nice floral edge. The Le Grand Noir Chardonnay 2022 is crisp and tart combined with rounded fruit and sharp spice.
This Chardonnay tastes like lemon, tangerine, a little vanilla, green apple, and dried pineapple. The mid-palate shows apricot, a slap of interesting spice, lime, and tropical fruit.
The acidity is balanced and allows the flavors to unfold fully.
The Summary
- The Le Grand Noir Chardonnay 2022 is tasty and interesting. The Viognier really adds a great deal of interest.
- This is a different version of Chardonnay, not California and not totally French, but well worth seeking out.
