The 2013 Septima Chardonnay is sourced from (50%) two areas in the Uco Vally (one of the elite growing regions in Argentina) and (50%) vineyards near the region of Agrelo in the Lujan de Cuyo district inside the larger Mendoza grape growing area of Argentina. One thing I commonly hear when people talk about Chardonnay is that they do not like oaked Chardonnay. It is not that simple, Chardonnay is the wine-makers wine, more goes into the production that just oak or no oak. With the Septima, they chose grapes from two different soil types grown on slopes in the Uco Valley and added grapes with tropical aromas from Lujan de Cuyo. 90% of the Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel vats and did not undergo malolactic fermentation (changes the natural tart tasting acid to a more rounded tasting acid). The remaining 10% was fermented in oak barrels and underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged an extra 3 months then blended and bottled. And I didn’t even get into how the grapes were crushed and at what temperatures and the types of yeasts used for fermentation, Chardonnay is far more complicated than oak or no oak. The Septima Chardonnay has an alcohol content of 13.5%.
The color is a pale gold with an almost silver tint. The nose is lime, honey, apricot and apple. This Chardonnay has some body to it, along with tart citrus balanced by delicious fruit flavors. It tastes of both tart and more rounded juicy apple, grapefruit, pear and lemon, with hints of lime and a nice creamy vanilla mid-palate. The balance is very good, the citrus, the fruit and the acidity all seem to find their place. The finish is crisp, clean and of good length.
The Septima Chardonnay is a very solid wine, not as lean as a French Chardonnay and not as plump as a California or Washington Chardonnay, it splits the difference, which is a very tasty place to be. Well-made with bold, interesting flavors, the Septima is versatile as a food wine, enough acidity to do battle with spicy foods and more than enough flavor to inspire some interesting recipes. The Septima is a quality, value priced Chardonnay from Argentina with just enough oak to add some depth and flavor, but not enough to turn off the “no oak” Chardonnay crowd,
