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Our 2006 wine relies most heavily on Mendocino County fruit (43%), along with the usualfine Chardonnay-producing areas of Monterey County (22%), Clarksburg (25%), and Sonoma County (10%). Mendocino gave us a base of lusciously ripe wine with pear and apple fruit character, nicely complemented by the floral liveliness of the Clarksburg fraction. For further depth of flavor and generous texture, we included a creamy/leesy component of Monterey County fruit (from the Soledad area), and the Russian River AVA provided us with a stylish, refined element which brought the whole blend into focus.
Eighty-three percent of the blend was fermented on oak (roughly 75% American and 25% (French); this same percentage saw a further 5 months on oak. It was only a portion of the Clarksburg component that saw no oak at all; this was the same portion which did not undergo malolactic fermentation—the other fractions are all ML complete.
The blend was assembled in March and bottled in April of 2007.
Bright aromas of pear, peach and white flowers take the lead in the wine’s aromas, supported by gentle vanilla oak tones and a note of fresh cream. It’s mouth feel is generous without being heavy, carrying the flavors of pear and juicy stone fruits across the palate, ending with a touch of apple pie spice. Enjoy the wine with most any seafood dish, grilled poultry or pork loin; also excellent with semi-soft cheeses like Port Salut.
“The tasty 2006 Chardonnay offers orange blossom, lemon oil, and tropical fruit notes, medium body, crisp acidity, and fine purity as well as freshness. There is no evidence of oak in this lovely Chardonnay. These are all excellent values! One of the premium purveyors of value-priced California wines (believe me, there are not many that offer high quality at low prices), Cartlidge & Browne continues to provide rewarding and surprisingly tasty drinking.”
87 Points – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate.
Eighty-three percent of the blend was fermented on oak (roughly 75% American and 25% (French); this same percentage saw a further 5 months on oak. It was only a portion of the Clarksburg component that saw no oak at all; this was the same portion which did not undergo malolactic fermentation—the other fractions are all ML complete.
The blend was assembled in March and bottled in April of 2007.
Bright aromas of pear, peach and white flowers take the lead in the wine’s aromas, supported by gentle vanilla oak tones and a note of fresh cream. It’s mouth feel is generous without being heavy, carrying the flavors of pear and juicy stone fruits across the palate, ending with a touch of apple pie spice. Enjoy the wine with most any seafood dish, grilled poultry or pork loin; also excellent with semi-soft cheeses like Port Salut.
“The tasty 2006 Chardonnay offers orange blossom, lemon oil, and tropical fruit notes, medium body, crisp acidity, and fine purity as well as freshness. There is no evidence of oak in this lovely Chardonnay. These are all excellent values! One of the premium purveyors of value-priced California wines (believe me, there are not many that offer high quality at low prices), Cartlidge & Browne continues to provide rewarding and surprisingly tasty drinking.”
87 Points – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate.