2007 Estancia Reserve Monterey Chardonnay

When very cold, there’s not too much vanilla in this typical chardonnay nose, but as soon as the wine warms up, the vanilla is pretty overwhelming in both aroma and flavor. In fact, the winery recommends this chard with foods as sweet as peanut brittle. While cooking dinner, I noticed tomato aromas seemed to meld very well with the vanilla scent of the wine. And when I paired the food and the wine, the tomato cuts the vanilla nicely. This wine has a medium body and enough structural acidity to hold up with some hearty, simple dishes. Classic pasta or pizza, maybe? Recommended with reservations. BSE

WHO: Estancia
WHAT: Chardonnay
WHERE: Monterey, California
WHEN: 2007
HOW MUCH: $19.99 SRP (media sample)