Beaulieu Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay 2018
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Robert
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Wine Enthusiast
This oak-driven white is intensely flavored and layered in medium-bodied punches of pear, vanilla and brioche. It lingers on the finish in a tropical bite of pineapple.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Carneros is all barrel fermented in French oak, using only 20% new oak with partial malolactic fermentation. The nose opens with inviting scents of ripe yellow apples, baked pears and honeydew melon with hints of lemongrass and allspice. Medium-bodied, the palate has a refreshing line cutting through the intense stone fruit and pear flavors with a pleasantly oily texture and spicy finish. Punching well above its weight, this is a bargain at 25 bucks!
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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.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.