The AC/DC Thunderstruck Chardonnay 
2011 is sourced from vineyards in the Cowra district of the New South Wales (Sydney) grape growing region in Australia. Cowra is a relatively small growing region, by Australian standards, and is know for growing full flavored Chardonnay grapes. The AC/DC wines are produced by Warburn Estate (and is available from Vinport), who have been making a full line of wines since 1995. They don’t give much information on the making of the AC/DC wines, nothing about oak cask aging or malolactic fermentation, but that does not matter, because you are not just drinking any Chardonnay, you are drinking AC/DC THUNDERSTRUCK Chardonnay, that is all that matters. The alcohol content is 13%.
The color is pale golden yellow. The nose is a mix of pineapple and grapefruit, with a soft touch of honey and green apple. This is a Chardonnay with a prominent mineral edge and a strong, but balanced dose of acidity. It starts with Sierra Mist (but not soda pop sweet), sliced peaches and tart grapefruit. The mid palate brings San Pellegrino mineral water, Anjou pear and tart lemon curd. The acidity is strong, but does not go overboard, the AC/DC THUNDERSTRUCK Chardonnay is definitely a food wine. It may seem like an odd choice to take to your favorite spicy Asian BYOB, but this is a bottle that would really work well.
The 2011 AC/DC THUNDERSTRUCK Chardonnay is an Australian Chardonnay by way of Burgundy, France. Instead of down and dirty, it is elegant and classy, this is not simply a celebrity wine, it is an interesting Chardonnay worth experiencing. I guess back in the Back in Black days, I wouldn’t accept any AC/DC wine that was not at least 18% alcohol, a wine to stand up to a cranked stack of Marshall amps. But today, I am listening to A Whole Lotta Rosie on my Ipod thru earbuds and a lean elegant Chardonnay is maybe a better choice, but I do miss those Back In Black days.
