Cellar Craft Chardonnay kit recommendations

[Tripplett]

I've spent hours looking for data on Chardonnays here on the forum and elsewhere. I don't know much about white wines and I'm on my third batch since starting winemaking. The first was a red kit and the second was a quad berry DB.
The wife asked that I do a Chardonnay next time. She doesn't know much about wine either so she can't answer questions like oak, buttery, and boldness. After spending a great deal of time reading dozens of posts I'm leaning toward the Cellar Craft Premium Global Cuvée Chardonnay/Semillon. Is it is listed as full bodied yet soft and lush mouthfeel. She doesn't like a real oaky flavor with a bunch of aftertaste but a flat flavor would be out obviously.
The second one on my list is the CC showcase Yakima Chardonnay. Ricky's recommendation as well as other comments list these as good choices however I'm open to recommendations.

 

[RJB]

I did the CC Showcase Yakima Chardonnay about 18 months back. Personally I preferred the Showcase Viognier (more body, and a bit sweeter), but the ladies like the Chards, and it didn't last long - seems to me it started to disappear after about 6 months.
I will probably do it again this year. It is not oakey.
regards, Bob

 

[ibglowin]

I have made the CC Showcase Yakima Valley Chardonnay. Would make this guy again in a heartbeat, wife loved it, best white I ever made in her opinion and....... she doesn't like Chardonnay!

 

[Tripplett]

After reading all the reviews I decided to go with the CC Yakima Valley Chardonnay. I've ordered this from George's site today. The only question that remains is to make it per the kit directions or to do battonage or to change any other items or steps in the kit. I'd love to hear from others who have made this kit. Thanks for the help, I can't wait to get this going in the primary.

 

[ibglowin]

Battonage makes it taste sorta similar to an buttery or MLF Chardonnay. This kit was designed from the ground up to be fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit forward. It you wanted to do a battonage you probably should have gone with one of the Aussie Chards with lots of oak on board. Thats my $0.02

 

[Wade E]

I agree with above post. Not a great kit choice to do Battonage.

 

[Tripplett]

The idea was to make it smoother, creamier, not to loose the fruitiness that I believe my wife wants. No battonage for me then. What about some comments I've read about throwing the cubes into the primary? I believe the kit directions say to put them in the secondary.

 

[ibglowin]

This kit comes with Acacia wood. You can toss them in primary but you will need to transfer them to secondary when the time comes. Acacia wood adds floral characteristics to white wines, with added structural mouthfeel. There’s no oak flavors, it’s just the fruit with a floral nose and great mouthfeel. It supports the backbone of the wine with more spice and flavor, but none of the vanilla and false sweetness of oak.

 

[robie]

Surlies/battonage will take away a lot of the fruitiness of that CC Yakima Chard. That Chard is a nice, soft Chardonnay already. I would make it per instructions.

Next time try some other Chard kit. That way you can compare.

The Mosti Mondiale Ren. Australian Chard kit (grapes are really from California) is a much heavier chardonnay, likely for a very warm region, in order to get the darker wine, and heavier taste.

Both kits make a nice Chardonnay, just a little different.

 

[TonyP]

To be clear, CC Showcase Chardonnay is made with Hungarian Oak, not Acacia any longer - irrespective of their literature. Here's a link to a prior post:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f84/chardonnay-yakima-valley-33473/

 

[SouthernChemist]

To be clear, CC Showcase Chardonnay is made with Hungarian Oak, not Acacia any longer - irrespective of their literature. Here's a link to a prior post:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f84/chardonnay-yakima-valley-33473/

Was going to say that my Yakima Chardonnay (started beginning of last April) came with oak. Although I wouldn't call the oak excessive by any means based on how it tastes so far.

 

[ibglowin]

Well then tweak to your hearts content if you like. I would make as is the first time then tweak the 2nd time around if desired. Honestly this is such great juice. We are lucky to be getting it still.