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Wine Details
Price:
$26.00 per bottle
Description:
38% Chardonnay, 38% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Viognier, 12% Petit Manseng.
Aged in a combination of French oak (Chardonnay), neutral oak (Sauvignon Blanc) and stainless steel. This complex blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with a touch of Viognier and Petit Manseng shows bright acidity with rich citrus and soft oak. This elegant, well balanced wine exhibits a long finish with a bouquet of pineapple, peach, coconut and apricot.
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Varietal Definition
Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted grape crop in California and dominates California’s cooler, coastal, quality wine regions. The natural varietal ‘taste and smell’ of Chardonnay is surprisingly unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, as its true character is often guised with dominating winemaking signatures. Chardonnay’s rather subdued primary fruit characteristics lean toward the crisp fruitiness of apples, pears and lemon, but the variety’s full body is capable of supporting a host of complementary characteristics, such as oak, butter and vanilla. Regardless of what is the appropriate style for Chardonnay, the varietal continues to dominate vineyard plantings in every corner of the world. Close attention to clonal selection has made this broad geographic and climactic range of Chardonnay viable in thoughtful viticultural hands.
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Sauvignon Blanc:
Sauvignon Blanc is widely grown in California — at over 15,000 acres, it’s now the third most planted variety — and often assumes the moniker ‘Fume Blanc’. This popular synonym, credited to Napa’s Robert Mondavi, derives from the grape’s historic home of Pouilly in France’s Upper Loire Valley, where Sauvignon Blanc is the dominant varietal and goes locally by the name of ‘Blanc Fumé’. When treated with respect and afforded suitable growing conditions, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the wine world’s darlings. Steely, racy acidity, green, gooseberry fruit, asparagus and a grassy, herbaceous character characterize dry wines made from this grape.
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Viognier:
The most acclaimed white wine grape from France's Rhône Valley, Viognier is a highly aromatic varietal, with a flavor profile that could include peach, apricot, nectarine, lichee, musk and flower blossom. The heady perfume of this varietal is one of its trademarks, although its flavors are sometimes problematic in matching with food. However, it does well with lobster, crab and moderately flavored fish. Use it as an apéritif as an alternative to Chardonnay. The "Rhône Rangers" in California have done an excellent job promoting this varietal.
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Petit Manseng:
This white wine-producing grape is being grown on small acreages in Virginia, notably by Chrysallis Vineyards. The vine originates in the Jurancon region of southwestern France, where it is highly regarded. Wines made from this variety in the Jurancon are typically of exceptionally high quality and can be very aromatic. Aromas of the wines are suggestive of cinnamon, peaches and pineapple. The best and most famous wines from the region are the Jurancon Moelleux. These are sweet wines, which are made from the small thick grapes that have been left on the vine well into November in order to concentrate natural sugars. This coupled with the grapes' natural high acidity, creates the ideal combination for great dessert wine production. The vine's loose clusters, and the high pergola training it receives in the Jurancon, limits Petit Manseng's susceptibility to rot. This is ideal for production in the humid conditions of Virginia. Unfortunately, the vine also requires an extended growing season. Only areas where e
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