Usually on Work, Wine and Wheels I’m writing about red wine. But as summer arrives sometimes a white wine is the right choice. Recently Gabriele and I have enjoyed three quality summer Chardonnays that will enhance any event or meal.
The first one is the Hartford Court 2021 Russian River Chardonnay. This wine is flat-out California Chardonnay quality. The nose smells of pineapple. There is a lot of green apple fruit on the palate and super smooth. There is a hint of oak and butter but it’s restrained, not over the top at all. We pay around $35 at Wegman’s but it looks like there are better prices online. Judging from this wine any of the single vineyards from Hartford Court is probably worth the splurge.
The next one is from France and might be a revelation to anyone who thinks they don’t like French Chardonnay. We really like the Domaine Guillemot 2019 Michel Vire Clesse Quintaine. The nose has a bit of oak, and the wine is a vibrant honeysuckle on the palate. It’s absolutely delicious, with additional hints of pear and pineapple with just a hint of acid and earth on the finish. This wine is also around $35 but we have to pay a bit more since Balducci’s in Old Town is the only place I know that carries it.
The Vire-Clesse appellation is a relatively new one and part of the larger Maconnais region of southern Burgundy. Only Chardonnay can be produced there.
Since we liked the Domaine Guillemot so much we sought out another wine from Vire-Clesse. It was the Domaine des Gandines 2021 Vire-Clesse Terroir De Clesse. This wine had a citrus nose and an almost effervescent first impression on the palate. Ripe fruit was juxtaposed with more tart acidity than the Guillemot, and there was minerality on the finish. A lot going on here at a $27 price point.
Any of these summer Chardonnays will make those long summer evenings more enjoyable. Happy quaffing.