I don’t often do blog posts about wine. Almost never, really. But over the weekend I tasted a wine that was so good and so different. . . well, I just can’t help myself.
If you at all pay attention to what’s happening in the wine world, you’ve probably heard of (or even helped perpetuate) a growing boomlet in unoaked Chardonnays. The idea is that by not fermenting or aging Chardonnay in oak, like virtually every Chardonnay in the world (okay, the cheap stuff typically goes for wood chips), you let the natural aromas and flavors of the grape stand out. No oaky-toasty overtones, no creamy vanilla, just the pure expression of Chardonnay.
And now someone has done the same with. . . wait for it. . . Pinot Noir. That would be Chamisal Vineyards, the first winery to plant in California’s Edna Valley and one of the state’s leading proponents of oak-free Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
I’d never tasted an unoaked Pinot before, and the winery’s 2013 Central Coast Pinot Noir delivered such bright, fresh and lively red cherry-cranberry-plum flavors balanced by tangy yet subtle acidity that I practically polished off the bottle before dinner. Some say it’s like a Cru Beaujolais, and that’s not a bad analogy. With our weather heating up, this is the perfect summer wine. . . not a cheap wine for backyard guzzling but an exuberantly refreshing wine of real depth and character that should appeal to wine geeks and novices alike.
I’m not sure where you can find it locally, but it is available for $24 at theChamisal website. Great stuff. I’m placing my order.
