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Corrupted files, re: tweeted wine notes, and Byron Chardonnay Nielson Vnyrd 2007
To those who have inquired, thanks for reading. For those who have prodded, you’re absolutely right: tweeting review fragments and restaurant recommendations is not the same as writing new posts. And since too much work is a dubious thing about which to complain these days, I’ll just say that I had locked myself into a specific format for this blog, which initially gave it focus, but quickly became limiting. So, while I’m sure I will use said format for some future posts, it will no longer be the only way. I hope the reviews, the wine notes, and the prose continue to be worth your time.
So, while they may be free form, I assure you, posts will again be far more frequent than they have been since Halloween. Also, the flash card that held all of the images that correspond to my last dozen wine notes came up corrupted. So please forgive the low res, makeshift, and/or borrowed images that may be here (there and everywhere) attached.
Time to dig into the back log of tasting notes, in no particular order.
Here’s one:
Byron Chardonnay Nielson Vineyard 2007: I am of the belief that 2007 Nielson Vineyard Pinot Noir is amongst the most underrated in a much heralded vintage. Byron made a particularly compelling Nielson Pinot in ’07 and I look forward to following its development for some years to come. And while I drank through quite a few bottles of Byron’s introductory level chard from that vintage, I only acquired 2 or 3 bottles of the ’07 Nielson and had yet to taste one until very recently.
In the glass, the Byron Chardonnay Nielson Vineyard 2007 is pale, but brilliant gold. Both in color and in form, the wine is at the same time piercing and yet unimposing. There’s an upfront presence of citrus and pineapple, but this chard is also deep with stone fruit, particularly white nectarine. There also exist secondary notes of crisp Anjou pear, wild herbs, a hint of mildly creamy vanilla, and just the slightest dusting of pink peppercorn. A firm, but forgiving acidity lends taught backbone, food friendly integration, and a weight to age gracefully for a further handful of good years. This is beautiful American Chard, at any tariff. Scoop some up, if you can find any.
Happy hunting,
WineGeist
Sanford Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2007 and Megafaun’s Gather, Form & Fly
It’s been hot lately, here in Brooklyn, and I’ve been drinking more white than usual; most recently a Sanford Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2007. Back when Sanford Chardonnay made a cameo appearance in Sideways, it was still owned by the fellow whose name is on the bottle (Richard Sanford). Now a Terlato Group property, they’re still producing bottles with nice wine under those old labels.
Not thrilling, but nice.
I’m listening to Megafaun’s Gather, Form & Fly, which opens with a gorgeous instrumental called “Bella Marie”. These guys are as comfortable with the acoustic weapons of Americana and thick harmonies as they are with coaxing a subtle background loop out of a laptop. The result is a record as deep of orchestration as in sheer range, and reassurance that nerds make all the cool stuff. “The Fade” is the closest I’ve heard to a CSN moment in any band that’s currently vital. “Worried Mind” is their campfire ballad that’s often performed without amplification. The album ends with “Tides” which is sleepy as a lullaby yet somehow urgent. If I were deliberately pairing these musical tangents, Gather, Form & Fly would have been perfect with that sweetly off-beat Dettori Bianco.
Now back to your regularly scheduled program, already in progress. Sanford Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2007 is pale gold in the glass with just the faintest tinge of green. The palate and nose are in relative harmony, wearing well Bartlett Pair and lemon zest. It finishes with a crisp acidity and is wholly food friendly. As the wine warms toward room temperature and breathes a little, the mouthfeel gets richer and leaves behind that tip of the tongue dryness, but mostly it’s just a pretty summer wine. Their single vineyard bottle sourced from La Rinconada is a more substantial offering, but at the next price point, and more importantly, a story for another time.
winegeist 