Complicated Chardonnay 2019
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This Monterey County Chardonnay showcases a beautiful golden straw color. The nose entices with aromas of pear, melon, floral notes, brioche bread and crème brulee, framed by lemon and baking spices. Flavors offer bright, crisp green apple dipped in white chocolate, sweet white peach, lime juice and a hint of vanilla and subtle oak. The aromas and flavors, in combination with a creamy texture and round smooth, lingering finish, make this Chardonnay well-balanced and food friendly. This wine is an outstanding choice to be served with a cheese, fruit and nut-based charcuterie board, simple pastas with butter, pepper and lemon or a light, flaky white fish.
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Aged in both neutral oak (50%) and stainless steel (50%), this wine is sourced from the Amaral and Sweetwater Ranch vineyards, located on opposite sides of the Salinas River. On the west side, the soils of the former are composed of ancient river rock, allowing for excellent drainage and offering crisp minerality and freshness. On the east side, the latter sustains strong, gusty winds that force the roots to go deep and promotes a stronger concentration of fruit flavors. The resulting wine is medium-bodied, with flavors of crunchy yellow peach laced with hints of butterscotch and a finish of juicy Meyer lemon. Winemaker Amanda Ingram suggests pairing it with cacio e pepe or baked chicken marinated in Greek yogurt and lemon.
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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.
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.