Tasting Room
ChardonnayWINE OF THE WEEK
Clos Pegase
2005 Mitsuko's Vnyd., Carneros - Chardonnay ($24)
A showy chardonnay with great intensity. Full-bodied and ripe, with a soft texture. Notes of yellow apple, toasty oak, hazelnut, Asian spice, caramel and butter. Balanced.
2005 Russian River Valley - Chardonnay ($25)
A lively, oak-driven style of chardonnay. Has great acid. Notes of red apple, casaba melon and cantaloupe.
2005 Green Valley - Chardonnay ($35)
A vibrant chardonnay. Aromas and flavors of green apple, guava, honeysuckle and gooseberry. Refreshing. Balanced.
2005 La Cruz Vnyd., Sonoma Coast - Chardonnay ($29)
A big, buttery oaky style of chardonnay. Creamy, with notes of apple, caramel and tea. Medium complexity.
2005 Sonoma County - Chardonnay ($14)
An oak-driven style of chardonnay. Notes of camphor, yellow apples and Gravenstein apple. Slightly earthy.
2005 Overlook, Sonoma - Chardonnay ($26)
Lush, round and showy. Aromas and flavors of tropical pear, hazelnut, fig, butterscotch and caramel. Prominant oak.
2005 Carneros - Chardonnay ($22)
A rich, toasty chardonnay. Aromas and flavors of pear, pineapple, lemon, guava and vanilla. Medium complexity.
2005 Napa Valley - Chardonnay ($36)
A big, rich, toasty chardonnay. Tropical flavors, with notes of fig, vanilla and mineral. Full-bodied. Medium complexity.
2005 Sonoma Coast - Chardonnay ($25)
A chardonnay that's light on its feet, yet has good intensity. Notes of citrus blossom, lemon and mineral.
TASTING PANEL: Steve Leveque, winemaker of Chalk Hill; Steven Soltysiak, education director of Rodney Strong Vineyards; Larry Van Aalst, sommelier of Equus; and Press Democrat wine columnist Peg Melnik.
CRITERIA: The panel samples eight to 12 wines a week in a blind tasting. Wine of the Week is based on quality, value and availability and is not necessarily the top wine of the tasting. Price is suggested retail; actual price is often lower.You can reach Staff Writer Peg Melnik at 521-5310 or e-mail pmelnik@pressdemocrat.com