The Carneros appellation, which straddles the Southern tip of both Napa and Sonoma, has long been known for producing excellent pinot noir and sparkling wine. While it seldom says so on the label, many of these sparkling wines contain a large proportion of chardonnay, which demonstrates that this area is capable of making wonderful chardonnay. Thanks to the cool air and fog coming off of the San Pablo Bay, Chardonnay from this region benefits from a long growing season, and develops flavors without reaching the excessive alcohol levels found in some warmer climate California Chardonnay. Today’s Heist, from Trinitas Cellars, is an excellent example of a chardonnay that is still made in the big, rich California style so many of us love, yet manages to stay balanced and fresh.
The 2009 Trinitas Cellars Reserve Chardonnay is a dark straw color. The nose offers a lovely juxtaposition of chardonnay aromas characteristic of both warmer sites, like lemon and baked apple, and cooler sites such as hay and paraffin. The palate is classic California, with apple, peach, and some toasty, buttery notes from aging in French oak barrels. This is a full-bodied wine perfect for fans looking for rich California Chardonnay at a much more reasonable price point. It will pair beautifully with lobster, pasta with cream sauce, or soft ripe cheese. A perfect white for brisk fall evenings!
Appellation: Carneros, Napa Valley
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14.4%
Aging: 100% barrel fermented; sur lie aged, 100% malolactic fermentation.
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
91 Points
Shimmering ruby-purple hue. The nose is a walk through a damp Sonoma forest—mossy bark and wild earth—brightened by high-toned notes of cranberry sauce and blood orange. On the palate, it's generously long in the mouth, with good concentration. It's a masterclass in tension: intense, cherry and red current fruit meets dark spice and fine, sandy tannins.
96 Point Vintage
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
97 Points
Rich dark fruit flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of baking spices, licorice, coffee, and chocolate that interlace seamlessly with complexity, creating a wine that is both structured and delightfully supple, achieving an ideal balance of tension and grace. Artfully composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with 17% Cabernet Franc, resulting in harmonious depth and freshness.
92 Points
A powerful expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose, it's enticing and fragrant, bursting with fresh blueberries, blackberry tart, cedar, black olives, and hints of spicebox. Its palate provides big, round chewy tannins, sweet ripe black cherries, blackberry cordial, Bourbon-soaked maraschino cherries, maple roasted walnuts, and a touch of vanilla.
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