CRU Montage Vineyard Chardonnay 2014
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Wine Enthusiast
Rain on cement, lemon pith and the slightest hint of roasted nuts show on the rather tightly wound nose of this vineyard blend. The flavors are delicate and refreshing at first on the brisk palate, and then they warm up pleasantly into marcona almond and a bit of butter.
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Family-owned CRU Winery was founded by long-time friends and entrepreneurs Richard Spencer and Mike Conway. As a long-time wine lover, it had always been a dream of Richard’s to own a winery. In 2003, Richard and Mike purchased land, premium barrels and winemaking supplies to make state-of-the-art wines and began renovations on a building in Madera, California which would become the future home of CRU Winery.
Inspired by the French term cru, which traditionally speaks to a vineyard’s prestige and quality, Richard and Mike began to source grapes from some of California’s finest appellations and CRU Winery was born.
Today, CRU Winery crafts award-winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rhône Varietals and Albariño from prestigious vineyards throughout California’s Central Coast.
CRU Winery is honored to be recognized for crafting high-quality wines that consistently receive 90+ point scores and gold medals from publications and competitions including Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits Magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle. CRU’s history of acclaim is a testament to our talented winemaking team and grower partners.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.