ST Wine of the Week-The Blackstone Paddock Limited Release chardonnay 2018
* From the Archives Original review was done in 2020
Review by Axel Ritenis, Wine Editor,Sydney Times
Sydney Times Publisher and Wine writer Axel sampling the ALDI tasting stock
At a time when we are all in Summer Holiday mode,..visiting friends and spending time with our loved ones,…and also consuming vast amounts of Seafood both crustaceans and fish,.I really can’t think of a better white in terms of price to quality ratio then this wine from ALDI!
Now I would be the first to admit that there are numerous great Chardonnays that originate in this marvellous winemaking region,..such as Cape Mentelle,…Pierro,.Watershed,…Plantaganet, Vasse Felix and Leeuwin Estate to name but a few..and the list goes on.. but the point is the Price point of all these great wines is generally over $30 dollars and some reaching the dreaded $50 dollar mark!,..Yet here is this humble ALDI Margaret River Chardonnay that actually sits in the same league as these great wines!l
As one commentator on the web put it
“A humble chardonnay that sells for less than $15 at Aldi stores has knocked off some of Australia’s finest chardonnays at the Wine Show of WA.!”
The Blackstone Paddock wine is the truest expression of this variety, and the fruit selected from the finest Margaret River vineyards. When you combine with great winemaking techniques you end up with a mouthwatering wine. According to all reports, the 2018 vintage was a “tour de force” for Margaret River chardonnay.
“The nose is distinctly flinty with layers of stonefruit and honeysuckle blossom.I reckon I detected a bit of grapefruit or citrus freshness and apparently this varies from vintage to vintage,..which adds complexity. I was blown away by the palate,.. which is fine and long with an excellent structure supported by French oak. Flavours of stonefruit abound on the palate with a rich yet mouth cleansing acidity,..keeps it fresh and long. I agree with ALDI,..this is contemporary style chardonnay at its best.!”
A humble chardonnay that sells for less than $15 at Aldi stores has knocked off some of Australia’s finest chardonnays at the Wine Show of WA.
The pedigree of the 2018 wine is beyond dispute,…“The Blackstone Paddock Limited Release Chardonnay 2017, which sells for $14.99, beat a hot field of WA chardonnays that included other more famous gold medal winners such as Vasse Felix Heytesbury, Flametree SRS Wallcliffe, Xanadu Stevens Road and Deep Woods Estate SV in winning the best chardonnay and best white wine of the show.”
The show, which is held in Mt Barker, is the biggest competition for WA wines !
Wine manager Jason Bowyer and German retailer Aldi have again proven that its previous honours on the national wine show circuit were no flash-in-the-pan wins.
This is a very smart chardonnay and an astonishing bargain at the price. Screw-cap; 13 per cent alcohol Drink now to five years.
