After a spectacular day of spring-like skiing, I was enjoying a glass of white wine on the outdoor deck. It wasn’t the greatest Chardonnay but it was perfectly acceptable and fine for the moment. While there are spectacular Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs for a price, I thought about all of us living on budgets and decided to dedicate this post to my recommendation of the best whites under $20 available at the LCBO. My goal is to pick the right white wine for you to have in the fridge for when friends drop by, or the right wine on budget to bring to a party.
I selected 6 wines: 4 Chardonnays and 2 Sauvignon Blancs – all under $20 at the LCBO.
I tasted the following:
- Jacob’s Creek Reserve Chardonnay 2017, Adelaide Hills, Australia: $ 14.95
- Woodbridge Robert Mondavi Chardonnay, California, 2016: $13.45
- Kim Crawford Chardonnay, New Zealand, 2016: $19.95
- Gnarly Head Chardonnay, California, 2016: $15.95
- Saint Clair Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc, 2016, Marlborough, New Zealand: $17.95
- Errazuriz Estate Series Sauvignon Blanc, 2017, Chile: $13.95
And here’s how they lined up:
First Place - tie:
• Gnarly Head, Chardonnay California, 2016: $15.95
Aroma or “Nose” – For each wine, I poured the wine into my glass, let it sit for a while and then swirled it in the glass, put my nose to the glass, smelled the aromas and rated the aromas that came to me. At first, this wine gave me aromas of mushy peas, asparagus and green veggies – didn’t love it! Then after I let it sit for a bit longer, I went back to it and got light lemon, and creamy vanilla – like creamy vanilla ice cream with a little oak scent, baked apples and a little baked pineapple scent. The taste is oaky, full and fruity – a big mouthful of wine with a nice punch (and I noted it’s better than the Mondavi Woodbridge). This wine would taste even better as an appetizer wine with cheeses. Overall, it’s a great wine for the price.
OR:
• Kim Crawford, Chardonnay, New Zealand, 2016: $19.95
I think this was actually my favourite but it’s more expensive than the Gnarly Head. When I thought about price and taste, I loved the Kim Crawford most, but if my budget only permitted up to $16 then I’d buy the Gnarly Head. The Kim Crawford Chardonnay is by far the nicest of the four Chardonnays I tasted and is listed on many wine menus as a wine by the glass option. When I “nosed” the wine, I smelled aromas of apples, pineapple, light lemon and quite strong, pure vanilla. The wine has a nice, balanced fruity and smooth flavour with a medium-tart aftertaste. This is a really nice choice if you can spend up to $20.
These next two wines are made with the Sauvignon Blanc grape which offers quite a different flavour to the Chardonnay wine. The Chardonnay grape is known for its flavours of apples, melon, pineapple, butter and vanilla. Chardonnay is often aged in oak barrels so the oak imparts aromas and flavours of oak, honey, and vanilla and can give the wine a lovely creamy, buttery texture. Sauvignon Blanc wines are lighter and are known for their fresh, fruity, zesty aromas and flavours of gooseberry, grapefruit, minerals, and citrus fruits.
Second Place:
• Saint Clair Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc, 2016, Marlborough, New Zealand: $17.95
This is a very different wine from the Chardonnay wines. When I “nose” the wine, I get gentle aromas of gooseberry and exotic fruits, subtle citrus fruits like grapefruit, lime and lemon. The taste is light, fresh, balanced, fruity and smooth. This is a lovely Sauvignon Blanc wine to have on hand or to bring to dinner – it’s sophisticated and absolutely presentable.
Third Place:
• Errazuriz Estate Series Sauvignon Blanc, 2017, Chile: $13.95
I wanted to offer up a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile because the country is known for making fruity and balanced Sauvignon Blanc wine due to the great wine-making climate. The Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc offers a big, tart taste full of limes, gooseberry, grapefruit and the freshness of green pepper. This is a more tart and zesty wine than the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc reviewed above. It tastes a lot softer when paired with appetizers like goat cheeses, nuts, olives and dips. The wine offers a nice, balanced finish. We call it smooth with a fruity bite.
Fourth Place:
• Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Chardonnay, California, 2016: $13.25
I chose this wine because it’s generally a passable, basic California Chardonnay and it’s listed on many bar and pub menus as a white wine option. It offers a light, sweet nose with aromas of ripe peach, light pineapple, and pear. After I let it sit for a while I went back to it and got quite a strong vanilla and oak aroma along with some soft lemon. The oak is gentler than the Australian Chardonnay listed below but nothing like as balanced or smooth as the Chardonnays reviewed above. The taste is soft, smooth and sweet with flavours of mango and other tropical fruits and a gentle aftertaste. The Mondavi Woodbridge Chardonnay is a passable, affordable Chardonnay wine – not the greatest but I think I’d still order it over a beer!
Fifth Place:
• Jacob’s Creek Reserve Chardonnay, 2017 Adelaide Hills, Australia: $14.95
I completed the review with a Chardonnay from Australia. The less expensive Chardonnays from Australia tend to have strong oak aromas and flavours that can sometimes be overpowering. At first, the Jacob's Creek Reserve Chardonnay has very light aromas which are difficult to pick out – maybe hints of sweet nectarine and peach and soft lemon/lime. Then after waiting a while, it gave off strong aromas of rough vanilla and oak which I didn’t like. This wine has a harsh, tart oaky taste leaving a bit of a bite after sipping. This was my least favourite of the wines I tasted. I wouldn’t buy it again or choose to drink it from a wine menu.
I hope this short review is helpful. I recommend you go and try a few of these for yourself and let me know which you liked best. Your comments are welcome!
Our selection of Chardonnay wines priced under $20 at the LCBO