January 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2004 Carmel Road Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco.
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This Chardonnay is a light golden color with excellent clarity. The nose is shy at lower temperatures showing medium intensity tropical fruit, pear and prominent white floral notes. These become more plush as the wine approaches room temperature. The palate expresses lighter tropical fruit and a distinct green apple note. Balanced alcohol, acids and a light but distinct mineral element are well integrated with a light, creamy mouthfeel. A medium length finish reprises a strong citrus note backed by mineral edge. |
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RWB Score: 89 breakdown 14.5% Alcohol $35.00 Retail (from winery); ~1,000 cases produced |
This Chardonnay is like a blonde flower child in light, flowery perfume. Over-chilling will definitely subdue the nose, which becomes richer and more plush as the wine warms up. Even at warmer temperatures, the wine remains light and delicately creamy. It makes a very good stand-alone and should be a versatile pairing with white meats, Asian dishes and oysters for 4 more years. |
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More Carmel Road reviews. More on the Arroyo Seco AVA |
This vintage of the Arroyo Seco tier Chardonnay was night-harvested from the Valley View and Clark Ranch vineyards. Whole-cluster, 100% barrel fermented in small lots the wine was allowed to go through complete malolactic fermentation and barrel aged for 14 months in French oak (41% new) before being bottle-aged another 6 months.
DNA profiling at UC Davis indicates Chardonnay is a cross between a nearly extinct variety: gouais blanc (now, ironically, a somewhat "undesirable" grape) and an unidentified member of the "pinot" family (most likely pinot noir). Chardonnay requires close attention in the vineyard during ripening as it can quickly lose acidity, resulting in clumsy wine. Hence, its best examples come from cooler climates. Also called Beaunois and Morillon, it ranges from subtle to distinct – depending on winemaking style. It displays crisp aromas and flavors of apples, apricots, citrus, peaches, pears as well as tropical fruit. Floral notes of acacia are also common. Terroir can gain distinct expression in the form of flint, mineral or mint characteristics. The small, thin-skinned Chardonnay grapes tend to make wines that express traits acquired during vinification. Depending on the degree of malolactic fermentation allowed and cooperage selection, butter, cream, vanilla and hazelnuts come forward. Chardonnay also is apt to take on oak characteristics during barrel aging. Perhaps this characteristic may be the reason for the current trend of departure from an overly oaky style which were initially intended to mimic great Burgundian whites.
The fruit for the Monterey tier of Carmel Road wines are sourced form vineyards in the Monterey: Hacienda, Porter and Clark Ranch (in the Arroyo Seco AVA). These vineyards are meticulously farmed in a sustainable manner. Monterey's Salinas Valley opens onto Monterey Bay. This allows cooling fog to roll in between the Santa Lucia and Gabilan mountain ranges. Cool winds sweep through in the middle of the day. As a result, temperatures rarely exceed 75 F. Only the southernmost microclimates, in the hillsides, get warmer. The Salinas valley is a vast expanse of alluvial soils. This coarse, granular soil of decomposed granite prevents water reaching the deeper roots of the vines, allowing them to produce more concentrated fruit. There is minimal annual rainfall in this region and the Salinas River provides ample irrigation. The region has one of the world’s longest growing seasons, which allows for wines from grapes grown in the Monterey AVA to have great balance through slow ripening. The Clark Ranch vineyard is in the western edge of the Arroyo Seco AVA, at the mouth of the Arroyo Seco Canyon. This area is warmer than the rest of the Salinas Valley and the Chardonnay from the vineyards here are reputed for their finesse and rich texture.
Part of the upper-tier Artisans & Estates portfolio of wines offered by the Jackson family (headed by Jess Jackson of Kendall-Jackson), the Carmel Road wines are produced from the Monterey and Arroyo Seco AVAs. The winery is dedicated to showcasing the terroir of Monterey County by producing quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Bill Hammond is the vineyard manager for Carmel Road. Careful attention to appropriate canopy management and crop thinning is part of his contribution to the pursuit of "luxury, world-class wines". Winemaker Ivan Giotenov believes in minimal handling of the fruit: Night-harvested Chardonnay is whole-cluster, small lot fermented in barrel.
The two tiers are subjected to slightly different regimens. The Monterey tier Chardonnays are barrel aged for 7 months and the Monterey tier Pinot Noir is barrel aged for 10 months. The Arroyo Seco tier Chardonnay is 100% barrel fermented, allowed to go through complete malolactic fermentation and barrel aged for up to 15 months before being bottle aged another 6 months. The Arroyo Seco tier Pinot Noir is unfined and aged 12 - 16 months in French oak and bottle aged for at least 6 more.
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5 points |
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Nose |
4 points |
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Palate |
2 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Astringency/Minerality |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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