January 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2004 Carmel Road Chardonnay, Monterey.
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This Chardonnay is vibrant gold in color. Prominent aromas of peach, pear, and hazelnut are backed by dried tropical fruit and embellished by floral notes. The palate shows moderate pear, citrus as well as hazelnut and floral nuances. Pleasing acidity and a lightly creamy character with proportioned alcohol make for a soft mouthfeel. A medium length finish is an interplay of citrus and hazelnut. |
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RWB Score: 88 breakdown 14.2% Alcohol $14.00 Retail (from winery); Large production |
This 2004 Chardonnay is vivid and lush in color and aroma. It entices with come-hither aromas which come lilting from the glass. The palate is a bit more focused, but a well executed combination of malolactic fermentation and barrel aging makes up for it being somewhat truncated towards the end. Its richness makes for a very nice, stand-alone, social wine but it is also a good food-pairing wine and should drink well for 3 or 4 more years. |
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More Carmel Road reviews. More on the Monterey AVA |
The Monterey tier Chardonnays are night-harvested primarily from the Hacienda, Clark Ranch and Porter Vineyards. Whole-cluster, small lot fermented in barrel, the wines allowed to go through 95% malolactic fermentation and aged in small oak barrels (78% French, 24% new and 22% American, 6% new) for 5 1/2 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. 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.
Planted over four years, starting in 1993, the Hacienda Ranch vineyard sits on coarse, granular soil of decomposed granite, at the foot of the Gabilan Mountains in the eastern end of the Salinas Valley north of Soledad. These types of soils prevent water reaching the deeper roots of the vines, allowing them to produce more concentrated fruit. The Porter is to the north, east of Highway 101. Closer to the bay, this vineyard experiences somewhat cooler temperatures. 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 |
3 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Astringency/Minerality |
5 points |
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Acidity |
4 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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