LULI CHARDONNAY 2007

So for those of you who don't know me, I am a wine buyer who is simply bored to tears when it comes to Chardonnay. Unless it's a Premier or Grand Cru from Burgundy (or perhaps one of Ramey's single vineyard beauties), forget it. As a buyer I tasted dozens of Chards on a regular basis, and I am usually not impressed. The majority of them wreak of overtoasted oak, with a melted stick of butter, flabby, glycerol oils and heavy whipping cream aftertastes. Just what I want in a dessert, but not a wine. Where's the damn acid? And what about the fruit, people?!

The Grade: AMAZING. The Mojo: Anyway, a few months back I told you about a wine tasting with Sara Floyd, master sommelier who works for Jorge Ordonez. On top of the massive gamut of Spanish wines we ran through, she happened to show off her little side project from a winery called Bacchant Wines. The Luli Chardonnay 2007 ($17.99) is the result of her alliance with long time friends, the Pisoni family. What they deliver is an un-malo'ed Chard that is bright, lively and expressive of amazing citrus fruit and floral notes that are extremely complimentary to the palate.

Well, New Year's Eve, upon a wonderful night out at Chalk Food + Wine here in Covington, I was once again knocked out by the Luli Chardonnay, which was part of a 5-course tasting menu. Accompanying the Pan-Seared Sturgeon with lobster, pineapple sauce, daikon and ginger cream sauce (Holy Shiitake Mushrooms, Batman!), this pairing was absolute decadence. Aside from the food, this wine was something I could drink all night long - and that's huge praise for a Chardonnay coming from my palate. This wine is everything you really want when finding yourself in the midst of culinary hedonism. It's got gorgeous body, complexity, well-balanced acidity, and it just tastes really good.