IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS

Charles and Charles Chardonnay is light straw in color, with a tint of green. On the nose, the wine is a tad aromatically challenged but there is this cookie dough aroma along with un-popped kernels at the bottom of a bag of buttered popcorn. You know what I mean here, just imagine the kernels at the bottom of the bag with all of the butter and salt glazed over them.

Rather watery, this Columbia Valley-sourced wine offers vague apple notes and a modest slug of wood that punches a bit of vanilla into what is an otherwise workmanlike wine. Touches of lemon and nougat add a bit of curiosity as the wine develops in the glass, but the bitter edges on the finish reveal some character flaws that are ultimately tough to love.