Attributes:

Handley

Anderson Valley, United States

Chardonnay

750 ML

2005: Tastings Rating: 88

bright, zesty

lean, medium-bodied

2005: CGCW Rating: 86

minerally

2005: Tastings Rating: 87

tangy, tart

apple, green apple, lemon, mineral, nectarine, spicy

fruity, sweet

2003: CGCW Rating: 87

clean, fresh

2003: Tastings Rating: 88

fresh, lively acidity

medium-bodied

tasty

oak

2003: WineAndSpirits Rating: 88

bright, clean, crisp

melon, pear, spice

2001: WineEnthusiast Rating: 88

crisp, tart

racy

2001: CGCW Rating: 85

bright, clean

simple

green apple, mineral

Food Matches:

(shar dohn nay)—This noble grape’s reputation was established in France, particularly in the Burgundy region, and the highly prized Chardonnay wines from Chablis, Mâcon, Mersault, and Pouilly-Fuissé are imitated by winemakers around the world. Generally an oaked wine (whether from expensive oak barrels or a quick soak in oak chips), its fruity aromas and flavors range from apple in the cooler regions to tropical fruits such a pineapple in the warmer regions. It can also display subtle earthy aromas, such as mushroom or minerals. It has a medium to high acidity and is generally full-bodied. Classical Chardonnay wines are dry. Chardonnay is also an important grape in the Champagne district where it's picked before fully ripe and while it still has high acid and understated fruit flavors—the perfect combination for champagne. California has adopted this grape with a fervor and there are some 200 wineries producing Chardonnay wines in other parts of the United States. Chardonnay has also seen a tremendous planting surge in Australia, and new vineyards are being planted in Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Spain, and South Africa.

Anderson Valley is an AVA inside Mendocino County. Scouts for Louis Roederer of Champagne were searching California to find a place with weather as dismal as Roeder's home in north eastern France. The valley consists of a brushy area carved by the Navarro River that gains steady elevation as it moves inland. Sheep and apples were the prime agricultural focus in the area before vines were introduced to the area in the 1970's. A few promising Gewurztraminers have come from the valley, otherwise the main grapes of the hilly area are chardonnay and pinot noir. Besides single variety wines, the traditional method sparkling wines have been hailed as some of America's best to date.

Attributes:

Corbett Canyon

California, United States

Syrah / Shiraz

1.5 L

Food Matches:

Originally grown in France’s Northern Rhône Valley (where it is a noble variety) this grape has spread to Australia, California, Washington, Italy and Spain. In the Rhone region this grape produces deeply colored wines with full body and firm tannin, however in Australia, where it is known as Shiraz, the wines are lighter and fruitier. Aromas and flavors for these wines vary as much as their geographical breadth suggests: berries, smoked meat, bell peppers, even tar.

Australian name for the grape known as Syrah in France.

California produces the majority of wine made in the United States. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir dominate the wine production in California, but many other varietials thrive in the California climate. Many fine wines are produced in California using Mediterranean grapes.

Attributes:

Coyote Canyon

Santa Lucia Highlands, United States

Pinot Noir

750 ML

2001: WineEnthusiast Rating: 91

crisp

coffee, red berry

2001: CGCW Rating: 86

Food Matches:

(pee noh nwahr)—A tricky grape to grow, Pinot Noir makes some of the best wines in the world. The prototype wine is red Burgundy from France but Oregon, California, New Zealand, and parts of Australia also produce good Pinot Noir. The wine is lighter in color than Cabernet or Merlot with relatively high alcohol, medium-to-high acidity, and medium-to-low tannin. Its flavors and aromas can be very fruity or earthy and woodsy, depending on how it is grown. It is rarely blended with other grapes.

Santa Lucia Highlands are an appellation located in the Salinas Valley in Monterey California. In the northeast the climate is cooler, and chardonnay is the key grape. Where as in the southwest the weather is warmer and Pinot noir Dominates.