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Put aside pre-conceived notions of heavy, rich and buttery California white wines. The 80’s-style Chardonnay paradigm is slowing shifting towards a more focused, lively and refreshing approach to white wine. Even your old Chard faves aren’t as big and bouncy as you remember them…
A case in point here…we’ve been looking for an interesting crisp domestic white for Spring/Summer purposes and this lovely thing from John Fetzer’s stable popped onto our radar a month or two ago. From organically farmed vineyards in Mendocino, this fantastic blend of 70% Viognier and 30% Roussanne is a nod to the whites of the southern Rhone Valley, but here, surprisingly, the style is one of restraint. A pretty floral nose of honeysuckle and stone fruit is there along with a palate of fresh fruit, fleshy exuberance and a taut framework of acidity that keeps things in balance.
A perfect “as you are gathering for an evening” white, but also a great match with soft cheeses, grilled shellfish, poultry or a brace of spicy tacos. A domestic gem of this quality at this price should be celebrated and of course, drunk.
A case in point here…we’ve been looking for an interesting crisp domestic white for Spring/Summer purposes and this lovely thing from John Fetzer’s stable popped onto our radar a month or two ago. From organically farmed vineyards in Mendocino, this fantastic blend of 70% Viognier and 30% Roussanne is a nod to the whites of the southern Rhone Valley, but here, surprisingly, the style is one of restraint. A pretty floral nose of honeysuckle and stone fruit is there along with a palate of fresh fruit, fleshy exuberance and a taut framework of acidity that keeps things in balance.
A perfect “as you are gathering for an evening” white, but also a great match with soft cheeses, grilled shellfish, poultry or a brace of spicy tacos. A domestic gem of this quality at this price should be celebrated and of course, drunk.
