THE results of the inaugural Best Value Chardonnay Tasting convened by Winemag.co.za saw the FAT Bastard Chardonnay 2018 scoring 90 points.
Seeking the best examples of Chardonnay between the R60 and R100 price points, the wines were tasted blind by Winemag.co.za’s qualified panel consisting of Joanne Gibson, Ndaba Dube and Jeanri-Tine van Zyl. Scoring was done according to the 100-point quality scale, with the top-scoring wines going through to a second round of blind tasting and discussion with Christian Eedes (Winemag.co.za editor and roving chair).
Eedes commented on the FAT BastardChardonnay 2018: “On the nose, this wine seduces with ripe stone fruit, tropical melon too, and subtle hints of vanilla. There’s good mid-palate fruit intensity, showing some development, an off-dry impression enhanced by vanilla cream oak notes and a mere hint of burnt butter. Bold but well-rounded and balanced.”
FAT Bastard wines have always been delicious and well-loved since they were created, almost by accident by Thierry and Guy. When tasting an experimental batch of Chardonnay at the back of the cellar, that had been kept in barrel with yeast sediment longer than usualand had developed a very full-bodied taste, Guy exclaimed in delight amongst a bellyful of laughter, “Well, now that’s a FAT bastard,” perfectly describing the wine’s wonderful colour and round, rich palate.
This tradition of creating full-bodied wines to be enjoyed with bellyfuls of laughs continues today. “Much like a glass of FAT Bastard wine, life should be filled to the brim and enjoyed in large, delicious gulps”. This is the voice of Mr. b, the hippo. He’s gold, he’s grand and he lives life at the big end of large! He’s the grand-daddy of FAT Bastard wines, loving them with great gusto.
This high quality, fruit-driven, rich and round, food-friendly range of nine wines includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, The Golden Reserve (Bordeaux-style red blend) and a Rosé, available nationally and retail between R85 and R95 (white wines) and between R110 and R120 (red wines). For more information, click here.