The Willam Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2021 is a $6.99 Aldi exclusive produced for them by Scheid Family Vineyards of Monterey, California. Scheid is a large family-owned winery founded in 1972 and they have been Certified Sustainable since 1914. They owned vineyards dotted throughout a 70-mile section of the Salinas Valley and they have 3,000 acres of vines. In addition to being sustainably farmed, they recently had a vineyard Certified Organic.
I don’t typically name the producer of store brand wines, since if the winery does not claim the wine as their own it may not be a wine that is typical to their production. But Sceid lists this wine on their website and offers tasting notes and trade assets. It also looks like the list price for the William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2021 is $9.99 in places that do not sell Aldi wine.
The 2021 vintage does not have production notes available, but the 2020 notes should be similar. The William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2021 is an estate wine, the grapes were pressed whole-cluster and then cold fermented in stainless steel vats. the wine was then aged for a time in/on French oak.
This Chardonnay is available every year and here is a link to our review of the 2019 vintage. A quality $7 Chardonnay is a great bargain so we check in every couple of years to see if this Chardonnay still delivers. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2021 Tasting Notes
The color is golden yellow with a hint of amber. The nose is very pleasing, there is apple, peach, melon, vanilla, soft spice, tropical fruit, and a floral edge. The William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2021 is crisp, fruit-forward, balanced, and rather tasty.
This Chardonnay tastes like lemon, melon, and green apple, followed by French vanilla, a sap of exotic spice, and peach. The mid-palate adds Anjou pear, grapefruit, and nectarine. The acidity is very well-balanced, this is a well-made wine.
The Summary
- The William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2021 is an excellent seven-dollar, everyday bargain wine.
- It sips well and will pair with white sauce pasta and noodle dishes.
- Folks may overlook a $6.99 store-brand wine, but you shouldn’t.
