Adele is a contender for our Chardonnay Of The Year. It comes from a 10-acre block in the well-known Vine Hill Road region of Russian River, source of some of the best Chardonnay produced in California. Kistler is not only embedded in the region, but the Vine Hill Vineyard surrounds the winery! A steal at this price and one of the ...
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Adele is a contender for our Chardonnay Of The Year. It comes from a 10-acre block in the well-known Vine Hill Road region of Russian River, source of some of the best Chardonnay produced in California. Kistler is not only embedded in the region, but the Vine Hill Vineyard surrounds the winery! A steal at this price and one of the best value California Chardonnays of the vintage, the wine drinks like it is 3x the price. Apple, pear, hints of toasted butter and great acidity frame this smooth and full bodied Chardonnay. Kick yourself if you don't snatch this up by the case....or more.
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This may very well be the greatest steal of 2015. This is Vine Hill Road sourced fruit and undeniable quality. We can say with confidence that this is one doozy of a Chardonnay.
You should kick yourself if you don't buy this wine by the case. It's not often you get $75 fruit for $20 bucks. Only the finest Chardonnay comes from the Vine Hill Road district and draws premier producers to the region.
In fact, one of the most iconic California Chardonnay producers, Kistler, not only produces a Vine Hill cuvee, but is surrounded by the Vine Hill Vineyard itself!
Last night I enjoyed the luscious 2013 Adele Chardonnay with pan-seared prawns in garlic and olive oil all of which were tossed in fresh angel hair pasta. A truly delicious pairing!
The wine boasts apple, pear, hints of toasted butter and great acidity, which frame this smooth and full-bodied Chardonnay. Mild and well integrated oak allows the minerality to shine through. It's not often we get excited about a $20 Chardonnay, but this is a gift from the Russian River Valley.
And, just in case we minced our words and didn't already stress it enough, you'll kick yourself if you don't snatch this up by the case...or more.Read More »
This may very well be the greatest steal of 2015. This is Vine Hill Road sourced fruit and undeniable quality. We can say with confidence that this is one doozy of a Chardonnay.
You should kick yourself if you don't buy this wine by the case. It's not often you get $75 fruit for $20 bucks. Only the finest Chardonnay comes from the Vine Hill Road district and draws premier producers to the region.
In fact, one of the most iconic California Chardonnay producers, Kistler, not only produces a Vine Hill cuvee, but is surrounded by the Vine Hill Vineyard itself!
Last night I enjoyed the luscious 2013 Adele Chardonnay with pan-seared prawns in garlic and olive oil all of which were tossed in fresh angel hair pasta. A truly delicious pairing!
The wine boasts apple, pear, hints of toasted butter and great acidity, which frame this smooth and full-bodied Chardonnay. Mild and well integrated oak allows the minerality to shine through. It's not often we get excited about a $20 Chardonnay, but this is a gift from the Russian River Valley.
And, just in case we minced our words and didn't already stress it enough, you'll kick yourself if you don't snatch this up by the case...or more.Read Less »
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the most popular white wine grape grown throughout the world. The most prized Chardonnay growing regions are Burgundy, Champagne and California. The Chardonnays of Burgundy tend to produce dry, elegant wines wit ...
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Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the most popular white wine grape grown throughout the world. The most prized Chardonnay growing regions are Burgundy, Champagne and California. The Chardonnays of Burgundy tend to produce dry, elegant wines with vibrant acidity and minerality; little or no oak is imparted into the wine for these "Old World" beauties and allows the essence of the Chardonnay grape to reveal itself. On the other hand, the New World Chardonnay producers of California (Oregon, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand as well) tend to use new oak. These wines are often described as being "buttery" given their oak influence. Some Italian Chardonnays fall somewhere in between Old and New World. They too tend to be quite expressive and retain some of the best qualities of both Old and New World Chardonnays.
Chardonnay's weight and texture can be very different depending on the terroir and amount of oak used. Sometimes the oak is new and sometimes, in the case of Burgundy, the oak is used. If oak casks have been used, they impart less of an influence on the Chardonnay grapes. These wines tend to have mild oak notes in the wine and can often represent itself as roasted nut flavors. Yet no matter where Chardonnay is grown, there are some common threads that reveal themselves: apple, pear, honey, lemon and butterscotch.
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California
The largest domestic wine growing region in the United States is by far California. California wines took international recognition in the 1976 competition known as "The Judgement Of Paris." In this famous blind tasting, California wines were pu ...
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California
The largest domestic wine growing region in the United States is by far California. California wines took international recognition in the 1976 competition known as "The Judgement Of Paris." In this famous blind tasting, California wines were put up against the best wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux - and won.
Today, California wines are among some of the finest made throughout the world. For California red wines, grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot and Syrah are among the most popular. California "meritages" have also become quite popular. These red "blends" commonly use the classic Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, though many winemakers blend with other varietals. For California white wines, grapes such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are the most popular - as they are throughout the rest of the wine world. Whether red or white wine, the most popular wine AVA's (American Viticultural Areas) in California are the wine subregions of Napa Valley, Russian River Valley and Sonoma.
California wines are often referred to as "New World" wines (as opposed to "Old World"). New World wines tend to be fruit forward and have new oak barrel influence, while Old World wines tend to be more mineral driven and have less oak influence. Today, there is an emerging trend among California wineamakers to use less oak influence in their wines allowing the grapes' characteristics to better express themselves.
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