The story behind Mi Sueño Winery is truly one of the American dream realized. Owner and winemaker Rolando Herrera, Mexican immigrant, worked his way up the wine industry food chain. He started as a simple dishwasher for the famed Auberge du Soleil restaurant in Napa Valley back in 1982. Fifteen years later in 1997, after working various positions at several big-name wineries, Rolando, along with his wife Lorena, founded Mi Sueno Winery — it was the same years as their marriage. Indeed the two really did embark on a new life together that year. And so it is that they say their story is one of “love, passion, and deep understanding” — for each other, for their region, for the grapes they harvest, and the wines they make.
About the Wine: The Mi Sueño 2015 Estate Chardonnay is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes harvested from the Tierra Blanca vineyard located in the Los Carneros AVA of Napa Valley. The wine aged sur lies for 18 months in 100% French oak barrels (38% new).
14.5% ABV
Flavor Profile: Open the bottle of the Mi Sueño 2015 Estate Chardonnay and find scents of apples, vanilla, caramel and sweet corn wafting right out. The Chardonnay pours very clearly, but is a luminous, golden straw yellow in the glass. Initial aromas are of citrus curd, pollen, and a faint sea-breeze. A deep breath in reveals certain acidity. Swirl and find that sweet corn scent once more, a clear salinity in the form of that ocean air, and soft notes of apples.
The palate of the Mi Sueño 2015 Estate Chardonnay is predominantly smooth, with just a tinge of acidity that surrounds the edges of the tongue. But the wine, as a whole, is just so calming. Dominant flavors are of (yes) that sweet corn, vanilla, perfume, blood orange citrus zest, blonde caramel, apple, and just a dusting of coriander on the finish.
Food Pairing: I paired the Mi Sueño 2015 Estate Chardonnay with a cheese quesadilla with a spinach and tomato side salad. The acidity in the tomato, along with the balsamic dressing, rounded out the mouthfeel of the Chardonnay, while simultaneously highlighting, very specifically, the apple notes. The cheese (the copious amounts of cheese) perfectly highlighted the herbaceous quality in the wine, mostly in the form of florals and the sea. The burnt bits of the quesadilla (you know what I’m talking about), brought out the savory elements of the wine. And the wine, for its part, made the whole cheesy experience more unctuous.
More Info: I received the Mi Sueño 2015 Estate Chardonnay as a sample for review. (Cheers Rolando!) Price: $42. For more information about Mi Sueño Winery, their wines, and to purchase wines directly, please visit the Mi Sueño Winery website.
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