Foley Steel Chardonnay, 2009, Santa Rita Hills

I used to be firmly against oaky, buttery chardonnays. The "California style" that was so prevalent in the mid-90's through the early '00's grossed me out. Wines that reminded of movie theater popcorn and vanilla extract were (and are) horribly offensive to my palate. As a result, I avoided chardonnay for the most part, occasionally allowing a Montrachet to seduce me or a Chablis to dance a tango for me.

With age and maturity, I have evolved, much like a fine wine. Today those chardonnays are viewed as elements of a meal and I've had a few that were incredibly friendly and palate-pleasing. Rombauer, Far Niente, Kongsgaard, Kistler and the rest of them could be made in a technically complex style and are certainly capable of high scores...and the associated high prices.

The other side of the chardonnay coin would be examples that see no oak and no malolactic fermentation. Crisp, clean, bracingly acidic wines that highlight intenese minerality over oaky richness. Chardonnay like that holds immense appeal to me, and I remain an unabashed fan of white Burgundy to this day. Here and there, a wooded chardonnay would appeal to me, and I remain a fan of the Derbes offering, though it's rarely seen here in San Diego.

That brings us to this wine, the 2009 Foley Steel Chardonnay. The word steel referring to the lack of oak barrel aging. Also, there is no malo-lactic fermentation taking place, which results in higher malic acid for more of the green apple and lemon flavors. The suggested retail price is $30 but I've seen the 2009 Foley Steel sell for as little as $23 per bottle.

Some wine geek info: 14.3% abv, pH of 3.35, 100% chardonnay, and all fruit from the Santa Rita Hills AVA.

But what's this Foley Steel all about? Is it worth your money?

One of those answers is a simple yes or no, the other requires a bit of exploration. Is the 2009 Foley Steel Chardonnay worth your money? Yes, it's an excellent chardonnay and goes head to head with white Burgundies at the same price. But why?

Aromatically there are all sorts of fun things going on. I was struck by how fresh this chardonnay smelled, being devoid of oak and m-l fermentation allowed the natural bouquet of summer flowers and lemon zest to shine. Intense minerality plays a part too, showcasing a wet river rock scent, or perhaps that of a gravel driveway after a rainstorm. In short, this Foley chardonnay is a wine you want to sniff for hours, enjoying the picture that it's bouquet paints.

But that's only part of what makes the '09 Foley so deliciously fun. At first sip, lots of green apple and lemon pith present themselves. As the wine moves across the palate, it fattens up to reveal lemon curd notes with a core of tight minerality akin to limestone in the sun. That fatness comes from the relatively high 14.3% alcohol, perhaps the only flaw I found. Despite this cabernet-level amount of alcohol though, the Steel chardonnay remains balanced and food-friendly. 

I reviewed this wine a couple of months ago and gave it a B+ and STRONG BUY recommendation because I was impressed with the quality and balance. Later, I learned that Wine Spectator gave this exact wine a 90 points, it's nice to know my ratings agree with the "professional" critics once in a while. For suggested food pairings, go with something light and fresh. Grilled ahi tuna or mahi mahi fish tacos would be wonderful. Pasta with pesto would also work out and any kind of vegetarian pizza pairing would be awesome.

This wine was a sample for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Big House Unchained "Naked" Chardonnay

Big House Wines was spun off from Randall Grahm's Bonny Doon Vineyard back in 2006 after it started to get really, really big. Mr. Grahm decided to refocus on smaller production, boutique wines and let Big House Wines and Pacific Rim become separate entities. Big House was bought by The Wine Group, makers of such gems as Corbett Canyon and Franzia. Meanwhile, Pacific Rim operates as something of an independent subsidy of Bonny Doon Vineyard. Since then, Big House has become known for Big House White and Big House Red, usually wines that are cheap ($7) and made from many different varietals blended together.

While certainly not bad wines, there's also nothing particularly remarkable about the usual vintage of Big House White and Big House Red. I lump them into the category of "barbecue wines", or wines you'll buy multiple bottles of for your backyard barbecues because you don't want friends drinking your good stuff. Traditionally, Big House Wines avoided using more well known varietals like chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. This was because Randall Grahm went a different route and if you've tasted any of the Bonny Doon wines, you'll realize his route is one of excellence and awesomeness.

That changed though, at least with the 2009 vintage. Winemaker Georgetta Dane decided to create a chardonnay and a cabernet sauvignon. I'll talk about the chardonnay here and the cabernet in a blog post to follow.

The 2009 Big House Unchained Chardonnay is 100% chardonnay from vineyards all over California. It's harvested and then ferments in stainless steel, seeing no oak at all. The wine doesn't undergo malolactic fermentation either, so I don't expect to find any buttery or overly creamy elements. That's confirmed when I smell notes of apple and pear, lemon peel, and a touch of sweet cream.

Tasting at room temperature, to get a sense of how acidic the wine is, was a good idea (for once). The acidity is quite good, framing up really pleasant notes of pear and red apple along with just a touch of something like pineapple. I'm really appreciating the fact that no oak was used, as well as no malolactic fermentation. This is my style of chardonnay, more fruit driven than oak-influenced.

While the alcohol is 13.0%, I didn't detect much heat at all. Maybe a bit on the finish, where I've always been more sensitive to alcohol spikes, but still a good wine. Unfortunately I wish the finish had been longer, the Unchained chardonnay seemed to end rather abruptly in a bit of a disjointed mass of ripe pineapple and acid. Other than that though, I was happy with the aromatics and initial mouthfeel.

I can happily give this wine a B-/B and a BUY recommendation. For $10, it's a really good way to get a crisp sipping white at a wallet-friendly price. On a hot day this would pair superbly well with a Cesar salad or shrimp cocktail. Since Big House made about 30,000 cases, you can easily find this at your local grocery store or liquor store like Total Wine or Beverages and More.

This was a media sample for review purposes sent by Folsom and Associates.


Beau Carufel

My First Israeli Wine, Chardonnay from Pelter Winery

When is the last time you had a wine from somewhere new to you? How many wine drinkers can honestly say that it was recently?

I'm like most and aside from the domestic wines I consume, I stick to a few well-established areas. France/Spain/Italy, Chile/Argentina, and Australia/New Zealand are the bulk of both my collection and my daily drinking selection. Rather than being opposed to tasting wines from outside these areas, I just tend to stay within a comfort zone I've established.

(img from http://www.pelterwinery.com/manager/dbimages/wine_pelter_main%281%29.jpg)

Right. So I got some wines from Israel recently. I've never had Israeli wine before, and for many, I suspect that is true as well. Collectively, if the rest of the Israeli wines are as good as the 2009 Pelter Unwooded Chardonnay, we're missing out. Consumers might be intimidated by the obscurity of the Israeli wine industry or the fear that the wines are all Kosher, with the associated horror stories behind that designation. That isn't a knock on Kosher wines at all, just an acknowledgement of consumer lack of information. The 2009 Pelter I tasted tonight doesn't have any kind of Kosher designation on the bottle, anywhere. This leads me to believe the winery is not Kosher, whether that's good or bad though, I leave up to you.

After getting my hands on some fresh basil, pesto seemed like the logical thing to make. Of course, that calls for some pasta and garlic bread too. While not necessarily a pairing I'd think of right away, the thought of unwooded chardonnay proved too much of a temptation. If the Pelter Chardonnay had been aged in oak barrels instead of steel tanks, the flavor composition could have been very different and this pairing would not have worked out at all.

That being said, I should now talk about the wine itself. The juice is pale, seriously pale. We're talking as pale as a Sancerre! Not that golden-straw color a glass of Kistler or Rombauer might have, far from it. Hell, this is almost as pale as a Willamette Valley Pinot Gris.

Since the bottle says the varietal is chardonnay, it should come as no surprise that this wine smells like chardonnay. Beautifully aromatic, I'd liken the nose to fresh summer flowers, lemon tart, lime juice and a whiff of fresh sea-breeze. When you buy this wine, I recommend an experiment: smell the wine when it's chilled and make a note of how lively and zingy it is, then later on, take another whiff as the wine has warmed a bit. I think you will find a fascinating difference.

Bright is a word I like to use to describe a wine's personality, so I'll use it on the 2009 Pelter. To me, a "bright" wine has acidity that washes across the palate, making the wine accessible but also complex. In the Pelter, the acidity shines, at once refreshing while also a structural element. Within the acidity, a smooth, round core of lemon creme. Limes, tropical fruit and the subtlest mineral tones create a complexity I admit to being unprepared for. In other words, a wine that is lip-smackin' good!

How should I sum up a wine I am so impressed with? Since I cannot literally force you to buy this wine, there's no way to ensure you give it a chance. Look beyond the region, throw aside whatever pre-conceived notions you might have. Drink the 2009 Pelter Chardonnay and then go back and note that it's from Merom Golan, Israel. 706 cases were produced. In the United States (especially California), buy it at Israeli Wine Direct. They've got the best price I could find. As for me, I rate this wine an A- and a STRONG buy recommendation.

Beau Carufel