Vine Cliff Los Carneros Chardonnay 2009
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Sweet lemon and peach at entry, with a core of passionfruit, grilled pineapple and red apple. The flavor builds with layers of vanilla, whipped cream and brown sugar. Rich and concentrated flavors finish smooth with a hint of lingering nutmeg spice.
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Vine Cliff consistently produces one of the best Chardonnays in Napa Valley, and here’s another one. The cool vintage gives it refreshing acidity, while the flavors are ripe and frankly delicious, suggesting pineapple and Key lime pie, vanilla custard, buttered toast, vanilla and dusty pie spices. A girding of minerality helps the dry structure. Really complex, and a joy to drink.
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One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.