Chardonnay is the ultimate winemaker’s wine. The grapes present a blank canvas on which vintners can apply different techniques and explore varying styles, while also expressing their terroir. “It seems so simple, but Chardonnay responds so well to any input, any decision,” explains winemaker Katie Vogt of Pahlmeyer. • This is an exciting time to survey the California vintners who are redefining Chardonnay in the state. “The wines are as fresh as they’ve ever been,” says winemaker Matt Courtney of Ferren and Arista. He is speaking about his own wines, but he could well be describing the category as a whole. The pendulum has swung back and forth over time, from an extracted style with heavy oak influence to leaner versions that see little or no oak treatment. Now the wines are settling comfortably in the middle. Power and elegance are no longer mutually exclusive, and many of the best examples show both richness and restraint.
Since our previous report on California Chardonnay (“Power & Finesse,” July 31, 2021), former editor Kim Marcus and I have reviewed more than 450 wines in blind tastings at our Napa office, the majority of them earning scores of 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale. Many of the best Chardonnays today are made by the legends profiled in our cover story (beginning on page 37), but plenty of other top-rated examples come from talented winemakers who are destined to become the leaders of tomorrow.
Bu hikaye Wine Spectator dergisinin July 31, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Wine Spectator dergisinin July 31, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Kistler's DARKER SIDE
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THE SPLENDOR OF CHAMPAGNE
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Before Food Network, Top Chef or Yelp ... before the term “foodie\" ... before tomatoes were heirloom and sushi was fast food... back when fancy restaurants were always French... Michael Batterberry and his wife, Ariane, were working to celebrate and elevate the status of American chefs and international cuisine. Julie Mautner, Food Arts' former executive editor, looks at the life and legacy of her late mentor, affectionately known as The Bat.
