Oak Leaf Chardonnay

Oak Leaf Chardonnay

Walmart

$2.97

When I first started my foray into the budget wine scene, my initial goal was to find the cheapest wine possible. The apparent winner was Walmart's Oak Leaf line at a stunning $2.97.  $3 for a bottle of wine?  What's the worst that could happen?    

In the glass, it's your typical chardonnay with its standard light golden color.  The wine has some fruit on the nose, mostly peaches and apples.  I found it difficult to pick out anything more specific because of a noticeable scent of alcohol. 

On the first sips, there is the taste of apples and a bite of alcohol that kind of overshadows anything else.  The end is typical of a chardonnay, smoothing out into something more mellow.  The finish is short and nearly non existent, but not entirely unpleasant.  I forgot what I just sipped and have to take another to remind myself.  It does have a slight oak flavor to it, but it's nothing spectacular.

This honestly isn't the worst chardonnay I've tasted (I'm looking at you, Most Recent Bottle Of Barefoot).  Drink it in one sitting if you can.  I tried saving mine for later consumption and the flavor just turned sharp and sour.

If you're on a very tight budget, but still want to drink a glass of of wine with dinner every now and then, no harm in picking this up.  And if you find that it isn't for you... hell, it's only $3.  People spend more than that on parking around here.

SCORE: 5/10

Yellow Tail Chardonnay

Yellow Tail Chardonnay

Harris Teeter

2 for $10 (on special)

I'd always put off buying Yellow Tail because it was one of those 'mainstream mass produced' wines; something I foolishly avoid due to my affection for American wines and those from small local wineries...

(like "You've probably never heard of it" Vineyards)

But then I got over myself.

A recent bad experience with a questionable bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay had me running for the hills and searching for something different and upon finding a 2 for $10 special at my neighborhood Harris Teeter, I jumped on it.  I picked up a bottle of Chardonnay and Cab Sauv to try.

The wine is a light golden straw color with a clean fruity nose of peaches, pineapples, and oranges.

The first sip was a bit sharp and acidic and seemed to overwhelm my taste buds, but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it smoothed out.  Most affordable chardonnays that I've tried are fermented in stainless steel so I might expect a crisp flavor with only slight hints of vanilla at the very end and not much else.  This chardonnay has a long finish that's creamy with a hint of smoky oak that lingers on the tongue.  Now I don't know if they ferment their chardonnay in oak, but it certainly tastes like they do.

It's a little sweet for a chardonnay and that makes for easy drinking.  While not one of the best I've ever tasted, it's definitely not the worst.  In conclusion, Yellow Tail Chardonnay is a pleasant and refreshing wine; great to accompany a weekday meal or just to sip on the porch.

SCORE: 6/10