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The William Walker Monterey Chardonnay 2023 is a $7.99 Aldi exclusive, if the name sounds familiar, the previous Aldi value Chardonnay was the William Wright Chardonnay ($6.99).
This Chardonnay is produced for Aldi by Plata Wine Partners, which has over 60 vineyards totaling 18,000+ acres and a talented winemaking team. They have also produced several very good Trader Joe’s wines. They specialize in grapes from coastal vineyards.
There are no production/tasting notes for the William Walker Monterey Chardonnay 2023, but the back label offers some clues. The flavors listed suggest malolactic fermentation with some sort of oak aging. A creamy texture could be the stirring of the lees (dead yeast and grape residue) during aging.
This figures to be a classic California Chardonnay with an alcohol content of 14.2%.
The William Walker Monterey Chardonnay 2023 Tasting Notes
The color is sunshine yellow. The nose is Anjou pear, melon, apple, peach, faint tropical fruit, soft spice, and lightly floral. The William Walker Monterey Chardonnay 2023 is creamy, fruit-forward, with rounded flavors.
This Chardonnay tastes like apple, vanilla, lemon curd, butterscotch (not sweet), pear, pineapple, guava, and oak spice. This Chardonnay is not flavor-challenged.
The acidity is well-balanced and allows this wine to have a decent length.
The Summary
- The William Walker Monterey Chardonnay 2023 is a quality value-priced ($7.99) California Chardonnay.
- It has plenty of flavors, especially if you enjoy oak-aged Chardonnay.
- I don’t know if the William Wright Monterey Chardonnay is gone, but the William Walker Chardonnay is a worthy replacement.
