Winemakers assess Napa’s ‘affordable’ Chardonnay

A panel of Napa Valley winemakers and other trade gathered at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone in St. Helena recently to discuss Chardonnay wines priced $30 and under.

For Napa Valley, with its high cost of land and grapes, and a general philosophy of producing premium, no-cost-spared wines, this price category is at the lower end for the varietal. The wines submitted for review ranged from $16 to $30.

Most telling about the category was the number of wines that were available to taste. For an earlier session on red wines priced at $25 and under, the panel received several cases of wine. Not so with Chardonnay—just 14 wines were presented for review and from three vintages: 2010, 2011 and 2012.

In discussions following a tasting of the wines, Chris Phelps, winemaker at Swanson Vineyards, noted the difficult 2010 and 2011 vintages and their reduced yields. Some wineries, the panelists speculated, may have decided not to make a Chardonnay in these vintages, or limit their offerings to a higher-end bottling only.

The issue of fruit availability was also highlighted. Very little Chardonnay, it was noted, exists north of Carneros today, having a direct effect on the number of different Chardonnay labels a winery can produce.

Christie Dufault, instructor at the CIA, spoke of the inherent characteristics of the grape, saying that Chardonnay is a cool climate grape. Napa’s temperature climate, she said, lends itself more to Bordeaux varietals. Savvy consumers, she noted, are looking for cooler appellation Chardonnay – the coast and Carneros. Of the Napa Valley Carneros fruit, a good deal of that Chardonnay is going into the region’s sparkling wines.

For the fruit that does make it into this price category, the issue of production methods and associated costs are important. Paula Moschetti, winemaker at Rutherford’s Frog’s Leap Winery, says that her winery does not use estate fruit but purchases Chardonnay from Truchard Vineyards in Carneros.

Their Chardonnay has a suggested retail price of $26 – a wine that is not at the high end of the price range for a Napa Valley Chardonnay. Moschetti explained that the wine’s production methods help reduce costs. While the winery ferments its Chardonnay in barrels, there is not the cost of expensive new oak for aging the wines. The Chardonnay matures in stainless steel or concrete vats to preserve its freshness, and the wine’s richness comes instead from the use of lees.

Kimberlee Nicholls of Markham Vineyards, makes a Chardonnay that retails for $18. Oak is used in its production, but is limited to 30% new oak.

Panelists all agreed that Chardonnay is very malleable, with Nicholls calling it a winemaker’s wine. Chardonnay wines, she said, are more reflective of a winemaker or the house style. For her Markham Chardonnay, it is 100% barrel fermented but in addition to a small percentage of new oak, only 40% goes through malolactic fermentation. She wants it to be a food wine.

Panelists examined the many different approaches that can be taken in the cellar which change the final style of the wine–from malolactic fermentation, lees stirring, leaving residual sugar in the wine, the use of stainless steel, staves or oak barrels, and so much more.

This, however, brings on difficulties in the marketplace as Chris Oggenfuss of CADE and Plumpjack wineries pointed out. “Napa has a hard time defining what a ‘Napa Chardonnay’ tastes like.”

This led panelists to discuss the need for stylistic variety in the market versus the confusion this can cause when diners review a restaurant wine list. If they don’t know a particular producer, they won’t know the style of Chardonnay they are ordering. A hot topic, panelists discussed this issue without resolve until the close of the tasting.

The top wines of the tasting indeed included a range of styles from un-oaked to round and buttery. Three different vintages (2010, 2011 and 2012) were included in the tasting and the three flights were arranged by vintage.

Click through the following pages to find out which wines the panelists chose the following as their favourite Chardonnays priced $30 and under.

Big Vine Wines Chardonnay Carneros 2010 ($16)

Big Vines is a cooperative of wine industry professionals which makes a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and this Carneros Chardonnay in Napa, and a Zinfandel in Dry Creek. Owner is Andrew Siegal and Director of Winemaking and Vineyard Sourcing is Kent Jarman. This fresh, full-bodied wine has great lemon citrus and orange rind flavours. It is fermented in stainless steel and aged for 11 months in neutral French oak.

Domaine Chandon Chardonnay Carneros 2011 ($26)

This wine has rich, ripe pear, nectarine and spice flavours. Chandon recommends grilled salmon and halibut with their Chardonnay. If you have not seen the Domaine Chandon cookbook by Jeff Morgan, you are really missing something. A flip through the first few recipes has you planning your next dinner party.

Beringer Chardonnay 2011 ($16)

A trip to Beringer takes visitors to Napa’s pioneering roots. The Beringer brothers were some of the first to plant grape vines in Napa Valley. This 2011 Chardonnay has lemon and lime citrus and ripe red apple and pear fruit flavours along with well-integrated baking spices Winemaker is Laurie Hook along with Ed Sbragia, winemaster emeritus.

Ca Momi Chardonnay 2012 ($19.95)

This is a full-bodied Chardonnay with pronounced aromas of ripe, tropical fruits such as pineapple and peach, red apple and pear. You can try Ca Momi wines at their Napa Enoteca in the Oxbow Public Market. Completely authentic, the owners are fanatic about every single ingredient that goes into, and on, their pizzas.

Laura Michael Wines from Zahtila Vineyard 2012 ($22)

The Zahtila Vineyards sit at the foot of Calistoga’s Oat Hill and their fruit is used by Laura and Michael Swanton to make this Chardonnay wine. This 2012 has flavours of red apple skin and finishes with spices and a touch of heat.