Dr. Konstantin Frank Chardonnay 2014
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Parker
Robert
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Blanc de Blancs is a Chardonnay (with less than 10% barrel fermented in well-used French oak) that comes in with eight grams of sugar and 9.9 of total acidity, plus 12.2% alcohol. It was disgorged in March 2019 (the date is on the back label) after about four years on the lees. This has a bit more of a steely edge than the fruitier 2014 Brut, a crisper feel and a hint of stones. There is a little more barrel here, too, but there is not much on either. The Brut is sexier, but this is a little more intense. This will win in the end, but at this point, pick 'em according to your taste. This should age well, as they all tend to do.
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Dr. Frank’s Wine Cellars is proud of its international winemaking team with each member bringing in their particular expertise. The talented group includes winemakers from California, Australia, France and Germany. The focus on world class wines continues with each generation of the family, each member living up to the Frank Family tradition of excellence.
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.
Increasingly garnering widespread and well-deserved attention, New York ranks third in wine production in the United States (after California and Washington). Divided into six AVAs—the Finger Lakes, Lake Erie, Hudson River, Long Island, Champlain Valley of New York and the Niagara Escarpment, which crosses over into Michigan as well as Ontario, Canada—the state experiences varied climates, but in general summers are warm and humid while winters are very cold and can carry the risk of frost well into the growing season.
The Finger Lakes region has long been responsible for some of the country’s finest Riesling, and is gaining traction with elegant, light-bodied Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. Experimentation with cold-hardy European varieties is common, and recent years have seen the successful planting of grapes like Grüner Veltliner and Saperavi (from the Eastern European country of Georgia). Long Island, on the other hand, has a more maritime climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and shares some viticultural characteristics with Bordeaux. Accordingly, the best wines here are made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Niagara Escarpment is responsible for excellent ice wines, usually made from the hybrid variety, Vidal.