It's during these hot summer months that I drink the most white wine. Especially considering last week's soaring temperatures and unhealthy atmospheric particulate levels, I just didn't feel like opening up that big hearty Petite Sirah I've been hanging on to. Instead, I decided to reach for a varietal I don't personally drink too often, and quite frankly, forget about until just the right moment when it jumps out of the wine rack and catches me off guard: Chardonnay.
So, let's talk about Chardonnay, and in the spirit of the divisiveness of our current politics, let's talk about it in extremes.
There exist two basic approaches to making Chardonnay. One results in a wine that some describe as having the taste of a buttered oak stump, and the other yields an austere semblance of white wine, sometimes described as slightly flavored water. Now, as I said, we're talking extremes here. And, as in most disagreements, the truth lies somewhere in between. So, since I hate arguing, let's get down to the truth...
In general, Chardonnay fans can be broken into two groups, those who prefer a creamy, oaky, rich, barrel-fermented Chardonnay, and those who like a crsip, clean fruity style. Luckily, we have enough Chardonnay grapes at Boeger Winery that I can produce both styles!
The Carson Peak Chardonnay is made in the crisp, fruity method. Basically, I ferment it in stainless steel tanks, allow it to undergo a partial malo-lactic fermentation in order to increase complexity and add a little body, then filter and bottle it much like any other white wine. The result is a nice, delicate white that goes with all sorts of food.
The Boeger Estate Chardonnay, on the other hand, is made like a hearty soup: designed so you can stand a fork up in it! Okay, well not quite that thick. This Chardonnay is barrel fermented in new French and American oak barrels, undergoes malo-lactic fermentation, and is aged sur-lies for up to a year. The end product being a rich, creamy, hearty complex white wine.
The saying goes that if you try to please everybody, you'll end up pleasing no one, but I hope that by making two separate styles, rather than trying to take a middle road with one style, I can provide something for most of our consumers.