The Finest Napa Valley Chardonnay? Here’s Proof!
(Aside: Sunset’s International Wine Competition is not just another wine review. It is a who’s who of wine, including the best and brightest sommeliers, master’s of wines (the highest degree possible), well-respected critics and winemakers – that is why we submitted.) How to Acquire “Proof” Chardonnay
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The story behind “Proof” Recall that “Punch Cabernet” blazed the way with “The Thinking Man’s Cabernet Sauvignon” as one top end wine shop called it. So, Chardonnay was the last thing I wanted to make, but our winemaking guru of guru’s, Miguel, had other ideas. In the dark, back corner of the cellar, with nary a word to anyone, he crafted a Chardonnay unlike any other from Napa Valley. I’d always wondered if Napa Valley could produce a Chardonnay in keeping with the paragon of grand cru Meursault - not the exhausting “new world” style that exhausts the palate with non-grape flavors like butteriness, oak, and sugar. I longed for a rich, mouthwatering Chardonnay founded on the pure, natural flavors and textures expressly from the Chardonnay grapes, the whole grapes, and nothing but the grapes. Punch’s first general release Chardonnay is a pure delight, and we are very excited about it. Stripped of the safety net of big oak, butter and alcohol, this is high-risk winemaking. But it is also proof of our wine-making beliefs: great quality grapes and gifted viniculture are everything you need for an expansive, lush, gorgeous wine. Less is, most assuredly, more. And so that’s why we called it “Proof” Chardonnay. Tasting Notes
“Proof” Napa Carneros Chardonnay begins with a racy texture and stony, green apple flavors, but over two hours watch out for an expansive evolution in the glass, which is why we recommend decanting ahead of time. This wine develops an almost-but-not-quite sweetness with citrus, nectarine and floral notes, and an ever richer mouthfeel. Some reviewers have mistaken the abundant tannins as oak flavors. Those actually originate from the Chardonnay grapes; we used only neutral oak barrels for aging to let the fruit shine through. Mereto (You have to earn it!) |