Meadowcroft Bonneau Vineyard Chardonnay 2011
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Enjoy this wine with pasta in a seafood lemon cream sauce, roasted chicken, grilled fish, or simply enjoy as an apertif with smoked salmon or a variety of cheeses.
Meadowcroft Wines are vineyard specific and limited in production, expressing both European wine heritage and California creativity. Meadowcroft is the namesake of Winegrower Tom Meadowcroft. The meaning of Meadowcroft is a fertile field or meadow and croft refers to a cultivated area that has been nurtured over time. The honeybee on the label symbolizes this conscientious work and the process of transformation from wine grapes into an outstanding wine.
“My hope is to create wines with a Sonoma pulse that express the complexity found in European varietals,” says Tom Meadowcroft.
With over thirty-five years of experience in viticulture and winemaking, Tom Meadowcroft knows dirt. Or better yet, soil. He can easily judge what makes a vineyard great. He enjoys discovering farmers with small vineyards throughout California that are producing amazing grapes and interesting varieties. He’s quick to identify these little-known gems and produce extraordinary small production wines.
Tom’s passion for wines stems from his experiences growing up, working and traveling in Europe and the United States. Early in life, he began his journey in winemaking by working the harvest of 1979 in Bordeaux. Following that harvest he studied at UC Davis and Napa College graduating with a degree in Viticulture and Enology. After earning his degrees, he worked in Napa and Washington State as a vineyard Manager focusing on sustainable farming and environmental advocacy. Throughout his career, Tom has managed dozens of properties for top wineries in Napa and Sonoma, all along instilling core principals relating to wine cultivation from the growing of wines to the making of the wines. These experiences inspire his vision for the Meadowcroft Wine he proudly makes today.
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.