Tag: Chardonnay


Jul
2018

Prescription Vineyards 2016 Clarksburg Chardonnay

categories: Booze, Wine

I’m going to be honest, I have no idea where this wine came from. Ok, I mean, I know who sent it to me, but it’s one of those scenarios of winemaker and grapegrower getting together for a little side project, not telling anyone, and then wam! wine! And I have the utmost respect for that. Winemakers, like many of us, have creative juices flowing in them all the time. Sometimes, what they’re “day job” requires of them may not exactly scratch that itch. So it’s fun when he or she can take a step back and say, “Here, this is just for me. But I made enough for you too. If you want some.” (Read the full story.)

Prescription is just that. It’s filled with whit and whimsey; fun and flavor. It’s a wine you can pull out in a pinch and just drink. And that’s kind of what I just did…

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Jul
2018

Clos du Val 2016 Estate Chardonnay

categories: Booze, Wine

There are so many different styles of Chardonnay — from the crisp and refreshing, a result from 100% stainless steel fermentation and aging, to the full-out butter-bombs that occur from an abundant use of fresh oak and 100% malolactic fermentation. And then everything in between. How a Chardonnay tastes and feels is almost exclusively determined by the winemaker’s chosen process. Which Chardonnay you enjoy, well that is ultimately up to your personal palate. What I love about this Clos du Val Chardonnay is that it’s for the folks who are going to Dante’s fourth circle — the folks who can’t make up their minds. Soft palate, vibrant acidity, and depending on the temperature as milky (or not!) as you like.

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Jun
2018

Smith-Madrone 2015 Chardonnay

categories: Booze, Wine

When it comes to Napa, is Chardonnay the first grape variety that comes to mind? Well, it is the second most widely planted grape in the county, at 6,397 acres/2,588 hectares it makes up just 15% of the county’s vineyards. No surprise, Cabernet Sauvignon leads the race with 20,342 acres/8,232 hectares planted, making up 47% of Napa’s wine grapes. But as a consumer, at least in my little world, when I think Chardonnay I think about the “other” side of the mountain range (Sonoma). But Smith-Madrone, once again with the care and attention to the vines and the very minimalistic and naturalistic approach to winemaking, proves that even white wine has its place in the land of “big red.”

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Jun
2018

Stinson Vineyards 2015 Chardonnay

categories: Booze, Wine

After the fun rosé I experienced from Stinson Vineyards, I was curious and hopeful about what their Chardonnay would present. Chardonnay is something I’m not stranger to. It’s the most widely planted wine grape here in California. Styles span a whole spectrum — from oaky, creamy “butterbombs,” to crystal clear and crisp. How a Chardonnay presents relies almost entirely on the winemaker and less so on the soil. But a chance to taste from the east coast doesn’t present itself very often. So I was eager to taste what the other side of our States had so say about California’s great white grape.

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Jun
2018

Stony Hill 2013 Napa Valley Chardonnay

categories: Booze, Wine

Oh Stony Hill — another winery to cross off my bucket list! The original Stony Hill Vineyard, located in Napa’s Spring Mountain AVA, was purchased by Fred and Eleanor McCrea back in the early 1940s. The first vines were planted in 1948 and by 1954 the couple already had a reputation for crafting fine Napa wines. When Fred passed in the late 1970s, assistant winemaker Mike Chelini took the winemaking reigns, and he’s held on tight to those ropes for over 40 years now. The bulk of the business remains in the family, with Fred and Eleanor’s son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Willinda, running the day-to-day operations and with their daughter, Sarah, taking over as president as of 2011.

According to the winery, Fred and Eleanor loved the white wines of Burgundy and would have loved to have planted their entire vineyard to Chardonnay. Well, they didn’t plant the whole vineyard to Chardonnay. But I can say that Fred and Eleanor would be proud that their family does great honor to the fruit that founding couple held in such high esteem.

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