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Wine Recommendation
De Tierra Vineyards
2005 Chardonnay, Coast View Vineyard(Monterey)
Coast View Vineyard is in the Gavilan Mountains above the town of Chualar. The site is at 2,300 feet, making it the highest-elevation vineyard in Monterey County. Winemaker David Coventry notes that Coast View has the same limestone and granite soils as the Chalone AVA (which Coventry knows well, having worked at Chalone Vineyard), but it’s also 25 miles north of Chalone and has a much cooler climate. “It’s the best of all possible worlds,” Coventry says. “It’s one of the top three Chardonnay vineyards I’ve ever seen.”
Certainly, the site has produced a Chardonnay that’s delicious and distinctive. The wine – which sells for $35 – is rich and fleshy, with creamy tropical fruit, great minerality and a taut core of acid. The wine has a wonderful texture and a long finish. Coventry barrel-ferments the wine at a cold temperature, then ages it for nine months in French oak, 40 percent of it new. One hundred percent of the blend goes through malolactic fermentation, but the acidity is high enough that the wine hasn’t lost its freshness. The wine is big enough to stand up to rich dishes, with sufficient acidity to cut through that richness.
Reviewed May 3, 2007 by Laurie Daniel.
Other reviewed wines from De Tierra Vineyards
The Wine
Winery: De Tierra Vineyards |
The Reviewer
Laurie Daniel
Laurie Daniel, wine columnist for the San Jose Mercury News, has been reviewing wine for more than 10 years. She doesn’t use numbers, preferring to describe her recommended wines and let consumers decide for themselves. Laurie believes that bigger isn’t necessarily better; she’s partial to wines of balance, finesse and character. Her particular interests are Pinot Noir (versions that really taste like Pinot, that is) and aromatic whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. |