Summers Estate Wines
2012 Reserve Chardonnay
Chardonnay • Stuhlmuller Vineyards
California: Sonoma County: Alexander Valley
Mission Briefing
Sunshine in a bottle
Today’s 2012 Summers Estate Wines Reserve Chardonnay hails from one of our very favorite vineyard sources, Stuhlmuller Vineyards in Alexander Valley. Grower Fritz Stuhlmuller is a grower and a winemaker, which gave him a big advantage when tending the grapes that were used for today’s fantastic Chardonnay.
This is a very balanced Chardonnay that possesses plenty of character and a decent measure of subtlety. This juxtaposition makes for a really fun wine drinking experience that gets even more enjoyable as the wine warms slightly in the glass.
Drinking beautifully, now, we feel that this wine will develop more nuance as it ages over the next 6 to 12 months. Enjoy a few bottles now, but please be sure to hold a few back for future enjoyment. Decant and serve at slightly warmer than room temperature for best results.
We are very excited to have Summers back on our pages and we are thrilled to share this beautiful - and highly recommended - wine with you, today.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Very light gold, with perfect clarity and a pretty, glinting meniscus. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Smoky oak presents, at first, which is quite intriguing. This aroma diminishes quickly, soon replaced by pineapple, baked apple, lemon, young pear, young peach and lemon buttercream. |
| Taste: | Oaky and full, at first, then more refined and delicious with lemon, pineapple, granny smith apple, subtle lemon buttercream and thyme flower. |
| Finish: | Most pronounced at the mid-palate, with flavors of baked pear and apple that give way to subtle vanilla and toasty oak. |
| Pairing: | Enjoy with a broccoli and asparagus with Hollandaise or a plate of fruit and mixed cheeses. |