You may not recognize this wine as Chardonnay if you’ve only been exposed to the heavy oak and butter first popularized by some California wineries. Made without oak aging or malolactic fermentation, it is more like a new white varietal, and an alternative to dry whites such as Sauvignon blanc or Pinot grigio. This is pale, metallic, and straw-colored but quite clear. That color carries through in another sense on the nose with slight dry straw and additional citrusy hints. Grapefruit, pineapple, and hints of other fruits ranging from tangy to tropical in concert with mineral notes. On the palate it is fruity at the front, mouth-filling in the middle, with a crisp acetic flourish at the back. Leaving the wine in contact with its lees (yeast sediment) for four months gives this Chardonnay its pleasurable mouth feel. 239 cases produced. Read the full review on Simple Hedonisms.
WHO: kopriva wine
WHAT: Chardonnay
WHERE: Carneros, California
WHEN: 2008
HOW MUCH: $17 (Media sample)
