Brick & Mortar Cougar Rock Chardonnay 2014
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This is a tremendously, remarkably and memorably bright and tangy wine, floral on the nose and delicious on the palate. Blood orange, lithe minerality and sparks of lemon and lime highlight the experience, the grapes grown on Atlas Peak.
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Suckling
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Enthusiast
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Suckling
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Brick & Mortar produces single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from high elevation sites in Napa Valley, Sonoma Coast and Mendocino Ridge AVA. They produce Old world style, balanced wines that are bright and structured with low/moderate alcohol and distinct site characteristics. Owners Matt, Alexis and Troy Iaconis also specialize in a highly-acclaimed rosé as well as two unique blends of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both picked the same day from the same two vineyards, comprised of the exact same blend percentage between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – one as a white wine (Vin Clair) and one as a red wine (Vin Rubis). brick & mortar’s first single vineyard sparkling wine is set to be released in 2019.
The name brick & mortar was founded on the fact the 2011 Pinot Noir would be the foundational wine of the winery. Given that Matt had spent the summer of 2011 in Burgundy, he fell in love with Pinot Noir and the cobblestone towns. When exploring names for the winery, he mentioned that when one goes through difficult times, a strong foundation is needed – and considering the foundation of some of the world’s longest standing buildings is made from many different variations of brick & mortar, the name was a perfect fit.
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.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.