2005 Bernardus Chardonnay, Monterey County.
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This Chardonnay is light gold-colored with sparkling clarity. Aromatically, it offers medium intensity pineapple, light intensity cream, vanilla and citrus as well as notes or mineral and pleasing hints of nettle. In the mouth, light intensity flavors of citrus, cream and mineral are accented by notes of vanilla. The body is light, the texture is sleek and the mouthfeel is mineral-dominated with softer acids and some general softness in the middle. A medium length finish of pineapple, mineral and vague citrus ends with some heat. |
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14.1% Alcohol $20.00 Retail (from winery); 26,804 cases produced |
This Chardonnay offers some good complexity and a blending of regional influences as well those of production methods. The least prominent of those is the impact of new oak. It's fairly ripe and a bit soft in the middle. A flare of heat on the finish breaks the tempo. This wine should pair well with rich seafood such as lobster tail and crab legs over the next four to five years. BOTTOM LINE: Good, with appealing characteristics. Recommended. |
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More Bernardus Winery reviews. More on the Arroyo Seco AVA More on the Monterey County AVA More on the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA |
Production | Grapes | Producer | Vineyard | Vintage
100% Chardonnay from Rosella's, Sleepy Hollow, Paraiso, Olson, Griva, Ventana, Cedar Lane, Mission Ranch and Arroyo Seco vineyards in Monterey as well as the Sangiacomo vineyard in Sonoma's Carneros region. 90% barrel fermented in Fench oak (33% new) and 10% in stainless steel. 80% of the barrel-fermented wine undergoes malolactic fermentation, receiving twice weekly bâtonnage.
DNA profiling at U.C. Davis indicates Chardonnay is a cross between a nearly extinct variety: gouais blanc 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. 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. Read more
Bernardus Winery is located on the 220 acre Featherbow Ranch, in the Cachagua region of Carmel Valley. Owner, Dutchman Bernardus “Ben” Pon, founded Bernardus winery in pursuit of making California wine which reflects the Bordeaux style. Located in the upper part of the curved Caramel Valley, ten miles from the ocean, the estate enjoys a climate warmer than in many parts of Monterey County. The cooling marine winds from Monterey Bay are mitigated by the curved course of Carmel Valley, resulting in a somewhat reduced cooling effect. The estate Marinus Vineyard is planted to 50 acres of Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet franc, Cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. A one acre Ingrid’s Vineyard is Bernardus’ estate source of Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Bernardus vineyards are managed by local native Matthew Shea who honed his skills in Oregon. French-trained Dean DeKorth is the wine maker at Bernardus. His stylistic inclinations lean towards the old world, French wine making with a focus on the interplay of aromas, flavors and textures with the latter being of utmost importance to him. The estate-sourced and Bordeaux-styled blend, Marinus, is the flagship wine for Bernardus. The portfolio is rounded out by Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc primarily from cooler non-estate vineyards in Monterey County such as Griva Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco AVA and Rosella’s Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. A small portion of the grapes comes from other coastal California growing regions. Read More
The Arroyo Seco Vineyard consists of several hundred acres in the southwestern corner of the Arroyo Seco AVA. Planted in the early 1970's by Terrel West, the vineyard grows Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli, Pinot Blanc and White Riesling as well as Cabernet frnac, Cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot and Syrah on well-drainig alluvial soils.
The 60-acre Cedar Lane Vineyard is located in the southwestern portion of the Arroyo Seco AVA, just south of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The vineyard is situated in an old riverbed. Hence, its deep, alluvial, well-drained soils of nutrient-poor sand and large, cobblestone-sized rocks. Varieties planted include: Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc and Vermentino, Merlot, Pinot noir (7 clones including the Dijon 115 and 667, Pommard) and Syrah.
The Griva Vineyard was planted by Michael Griva in the sandy to rocky, well draining alluvial soils of the Arroyo Seco AVA. Located around and to the west of the town of Greenfield in the Salinas Valley, this AVA stretches west to the Santa Lucia Highlands. The vineyard is planted to Chardonnay and the Musque clone of Sauvignon blanc. As is not uncommon in this appellation, the salinity and minerality of the soils shows up in the finished wines.
The Mirassou family planted the Mission Ranch Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco AVA in 1961. The 200 acre property would be one of the first commercial vineyards in Monterey County. Besides Chardonnay, it is primarily planted to Pinot noir (including Mariafeld, Pommard and Wadensville clones as well as Dijon 115, 667 and 777 clones).
Paraiso's 400 acres of vineyards cover elevations as high as 1200 feet above sea level were first planted in 1973. Each fan and spur of the Santa Lucia Mountain foothills has its own unique loamy soil and microclimate. The soils vary in depth, as well, with only 6 feet of soil atop bedrock in some of the higher elevations. There are currently three named vineyards on the property: Eagle's Perch (100% Chardonnay), Wedding Hill (Syrah and a small block of Chardonnay) and West Terrace (mostly Pinot Noir and smaller blocks of Syrah a Souzŕo). The estate grows nearly 75 acres of Chardonnay, almost 43 acres of Riesling, one acres or Roussanne and half an acre of Viognier as well as almost 92 acres of Pinot noir, about 20 acres of Syrah and just over 7 acres of Souzŕo.
Planted by Gary Francisconi, Rosella’s Vineyard (named for his wife) grows Chardonnay (two Dijon clones) and Pinot noir (broad clonal program) on the slopes of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Along with Gary Pisoni, Francisconi has gain renown for growing Pinot noir and this vineyard is one of his claims to fame.
The 450-acre Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, part of the Talbott estate, is located in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The property is subdivided into two separate parcels: A and B. Both sit on slopes of Arroyo Seco series gravelly loam soil. The vineyard’s cool microclimate is attributed to its east by northeast exposure and its location 13 miles from Monterey Bay. The vineyard produces Chardonnay (Wente clone) and Pinot noir (Martini clone) from 35 year-old, own-rooted vines. There are also 12 acres of Syrah.
The 400 acre Ventana property in the north-central part of the the Arroyo Seco AVA. grows: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache Noir, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Tempranillo. Just above one of the blocks of Gewurztraminer in the southwestern corner of the property, near the winery building, is a unique feature: the French Oak Grove. Planted by Doug Meador in 1978 with the intention of being a source of wood for barrels, the 700 oak trees are reportedly one of the first in the United States.
The 2005 year saw an increase in crops over the preceding years. The year is being compared to the acclaimed 1997 vintage because of a very long and generally cool growing season without heat spikes. This long season resulted in extended hang times in even temperatures which gave the fruit good extraction but lower sugar levels. The slow ripening of the fruit is expected to make for elegance and balance in the wines of this vintage. Read More
Rating
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Color |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Nose |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Palate |
3 points |
(5 points max) |
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Finish |
3 points |
(5 points max) |
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Astringency/Minerality |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
(5 points max) |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
(10 points max) |
Cumulative Score: 89 Points
Rating System & Scoring Criteria explained
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