Chalone Estate Chardonnay 2000
Chardonnay
from Central Coast, California
winemaker's notes:
In 2000, perfect ripening weather and lack of intense heat spells allowed us to achieve great homogeneity of ripeness in our Chardonnay.
Aromas of green apples and stone fruit are accented and lifted by citrus and tangerine notes. The 2000 vintage has a firm acid grip and, of course, gobs of wet stone minerality from Chalone's unique limestone soil.
Aged on the lees for tem months in 100% French oak, the wine was never racked until bottling. This extended sur lie aging, coupled with malolactic fermentation, created complex layers of Broiche - the aroma isn't just yeastiness, but rich, baked bread smells of butter and eggs. Our 2000 Chardonnay is viscous and rich on the finish.
Very similar to our outstanding 1999 vintage, this wine has a perfect balance between fruitiness, barrel aging, and minerality. I think of it as the Chardonnay for a red wine drinker. It's powerful, complex, and goes well with just about everything: chicken, pasta, fish, pork, or take out Chinese food. Yes!
Dan Karlsen, Winemaker
user reviews:
The top 3 most liked reviews for this wine.
A Customer - Los Altos Hills, CA
I normally am not much of a white wine drinker, I much prefer full reds. A friend of mine who knows wines much better than I gave me a bottle of the Chalone as a gift. I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to note that the winemaker described this as Chardonnay for red wine drinkers. Clearly I would agree. For a point of reference my other favorite Chardonnay wines are Grgich Hills and Cuvaison Reserve.
