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Wine Recommendation
Summerland Winery
2004 Chardonnay, Bien Nacido Vineyard (Block U)(Santa Maria Valley)
One of the thrusts of Summerland Winery is to seek out and source unique vineyard sites to showcase in their limited production Single Vineyard Collection. Winemaker Etienne Terlinden wants the wines to reflect the terroir of the individual vineyard, thus he seeks to preserve the integrity of the grapes through his minimal intervention winemaker techniques.
The 2004 Chardonnay, from Bien Nacido Vineyard’s Block U, shows soft and pleasant aromas of honeysuckle, apple and pear, along with a dusting of talcum powder/baby powder (and I mean that in a good, soothing way). Baked apple and pear flavors are built on a moderately structured frame and are in sync with its weight in the mouth. It’s not a big, boisterous Chardonnay but it was not meant to be, all the better to pair with a wider variety of food. The ripe fruit does a slow fade on the back palate, leaving a very harmonious impression.
Purchase this wine as part of the Bien Nacido Vineyards Collector’s Case, a unique offering of 12 vineyard designated wines from 12 different winemakers.
Reviewed April 3, 2007 by Dennis Schaefer.
The Wine
Winery: Summerland Winery |
The Reviewer
Dennis Schaefer
Dennis Schaefer has been tasting and writing about wine for over 30 years, propelled by a continuing curiosity and burgeoning enthusiasm for discovering what’s in the bottle. Blessed with catholic tastes, he enjoys everything from the obvious to the sublime. A major requirement is that the vineyard, winery and winemaker consistently perform well and fulfill their potential. Balance, concentration and complexity are key to the tasting experience but, in the end, the purpose of wine is simply to give pleasure. |