After tasting Big Sur Vineyards flagship red blend, BSV Red Wine, it was clear to me that this little winery has a passion for big, bold flavors. So I will preface this post with a bit of a warning: when it comes to their Chardonnay, there’s no exception to that passion. Certainly, this is a white wine one must be in the mood for. For me, that mood came along on a crisp Fall evening when I wanted to warm myself from the inside out with a glass of wine — but was in the mood for a white wine. Enter a warm hug from Big Sur Vineyards 2015 Chardonnay.
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Tag: Chardonnay
Hahn Family Wines 2016 Chardonnay
It’s Tuesday and you want a glass of wine. It’s Friday night and you’ve just ordered a pizza and — want a glass of wine. It’s Sunday and you’re having a few guests over for brunch who may just, well, want a glass of wine. Casual, everyday situations call for a glass of wine, but you don’t want to necessarily open something “special.” You want to open, what I call, a reliable “daily drinker.” And here is where Hahn excels: While they produce some magnificently refined single-vineyard expressions of their flagship varietals, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they also dedicate their simply stated Hahn line of wines to the daily drinker.
“I want to make wines that everybody enjoys,” says Hahn winemaker Paul Clifton. And, indeed, he does. From the elegantly balanced Lone Oak Vineyard Chardonnay under the Lucienne label, to the exclusive “tasting-room-only” Smith and Hook Cabernet — and this, supermarket staple Hahn Monterey County Chardonnay.
Hahn SLH 2015 Chardonnay
The Santa Lucia Highlands can create some interesting wines — from almost meaty Pinot Noir, to downright angry Syrah. The Hahn SLH Chardonnay hails from higher elevation vineyards that reach, at top level, 1,200 feet and are planted atop sandy loam soils. Sitting neatly above the fog line and amongst the well-draining soil, the Chardonnay receives ample amount of sunlight and receive just enough water to force the vines to work. The result is good, fully ripened fruit bursting at the seams to become wine. But the expression in that wine, well, that depends on the winemaker…
Corner 103 2014 Chardonnay
You know when you’re in that head space — the one that makes you feel like you just want to be alone, listening to music, doing your own thing? It’s that solitary seclusion from the rest of the world that somehow makes you feel more connected to it. I’ve got a wine pairing for that…
Ammunition Wine 2016 Un-Oaked Chardonnay
The story of Ammunition Wine is the story of two friends who wanted to fight the battle against pretentious wine. Good wine, quality wine, doesn’t have to come with a high price tag, and affordable wine doesn’t have to come from a mass producer. These are the goals Andy Wahl and Bill Kerr set out for themselves when they created Ammunition. “The taste of freedom” is what it says on the back of every Ammunition bottle. So breathe a sigh of relief, your heroes have arrived, and they’ve come with their guns loaded…with wine.
