Sometimes a name plays right into the hands of those who would render judgment. Ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner, for example.
This reflection was occasioned by the wine we had with dinner Sunday night. With its nice-looking label, this new-to-the-shelf, pricey ($16.49, Hannaford) chardonnay from the Russian River Valley held promise. The region of its origin, just off the Pacific Coast, is renowned for its vineyards. A chardonnay from the Russian River Valley in the heart of Sonoma County is like a watch from Switzerland or a perfume from Paris.
Good chardonnays often are complex. They can variously be floral, spicy, fruity, buttery, oaked, lemony, grassy, crisp, unoaked, light-bodied, rich or minerally. What they can’t be is thin and smacking of pineapple, if not grapefruit. But … Au Contraire.
This alleged chardonnay would be a little over the top as a sauvignon blanc, a vintage that is merrily — and sometimes annoyingly — big on citrus. Au Contraire is not a bad wine, despite all our whining, but if you are in the mood for a chardonnay, you are in for a surprise. Possibly a shock.
The moment cried out for action. Swiftly, we retired our glass, got a new one and opened a bottle of Carpe Diem chardonnay from the Anderson Valley vineyards of Mendocino County. Ahhhhh. Lightly oaked, accents of pear, a fine, medium-bodied chardonnay. Carpe Diem! Sometimes a name plays right into the hands of those who would render judgment.
Stephen Fay
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