($32): This wine represents a dilemma for wine critics.  It’s not a style of Chardonnay that I like personally, but it is well made and will appeal to a broad range of consumers, especially those who prefer bold Chardonnay.  The wine making team used the usual techniques for amping-up the profile:  Ripe grapes translating to a 14.5 percent-stated alcohol, fermentation and aging in the barrel, and malolactic fermentation (which converts harsher malic acid to a creamier lactic acid).  The result is a rich, buttery-style of Chardonnay that would be good as a stand-alone pre-dinner drink or to accompany veal in a cream sauce.  It took a double gold medal at this year’s San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
90 Michael Apstein Mar 28, 2017