The only thing better than drinking California chardonnay is not drinking it for a long time and then coming back to it.
Thanks to a secret pact among wine lovers these days to drink ABC: Anything But Chardonnay (or Cabernet, if you're really fed up with conformity), I had been off chardonnay for a year at least.
After a decade of super-oaky-buttery-toasty banana split chardonnays in my diet, I spent four seasons drinking everything else: white Bordeaux, white wines from Alsace, nutty Spanish whites like Albarino, pinot gris from Oregon, riesling, Scheurebe, white Rhones, and even South American Viognier.
Chardonnay is a member of the "pinot" family. It is genetically related to pinot blanc, pinot gris, and pinot noir. Before World War II, chardonnay was known as "pinot chardonnay," and even today you'll find the odd rustic bottle with the old nomenclature.
Almost every other white wine has more acidity, zip, and zing than chardonnay. The pitch, or frequency, of my wine diet got into the higher registers, at least where white wines were concerned. They were generally cleaner, lighter, fresher, and more bracing than what I'd been drinking before.
I confess I had chardonnay a couple of times during my hiatus, but it was always French white Burgundy or Aussie chard, very different animals, treated with much less oak and caramel sauce.
Now that I've come back to California chardonnays, I find myself asking, "Where have you been all my life?" As it turns out, I've been missing the delicious vanilla, the yummy cinnamon bun flavors, and the smooth buttery richness of creme brulee in a bottle.
With two or three banana splits under my belt I might feel different, but for now, November is California chardonnay homecoming month.
2000 Carmody McKnight "Select Blend" Chardonnay (about $12, at Marty's in Newton and Allston, Fifth Ave. in Framingham, and Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge) Owner Gary Conway (of "Land Of The Giants" fame) grows grapes on volcanic and limestone soils in Paso Robles between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The BATF-approved label calls them "the most mineral and nutrient rich in the world," and certain Japanese restaurants are crazy for them thanks to that distinction.
This chardonnay smells subtle and flowery. First come soft, fresh fruit flavors of melon and white peach, then a hint of vanilla, and finally a rush of spicy cinnamon and allspice. The finish is incredibly rich and clean with great bright acidity. The "Select Blend" sees a bit of time in American and Hungarian oak barrels. Carmody McKnight makes another chardonnay that's entirely un-oaked as well, and that will be coming to market next year.
At $12, this is a bargain, better in quality than the ubiquitous Kendall-Jackson at the same price and more interesting than Sonoma-Cutrer for twice the money. It is the best California chardonnay I have had since the delicious and impossible-to-find Sonoma-Loeb.
Around Town...
2000 Bordeaux tasting, Thursday, Nov. 7, 5-8 pm at Fifth Ave. in Framingham. Call 508-872-7777 for more information.
© 1988-2002 by Jonathon Alsop
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