Hummingbirds
have been a part of Clos LaChance lore since the
first vintage in
1992. Vintners Bill and Brenda Murphy chose the hummingbird
as the symbol for Clos LaChance Winery due to its
territorial nature and ability to chase away the
grape-eating birds from the vineyards. Each wine
in the Hummingbird Series is named for a true species
of Hummingbird that they feel has similar
characteristics to the varietal. Glittering Emerald-Throated
Hummingbirds are found only in South America. The
preferred habitat of the species is
open and
semi-open spaces, including gardens. The males have
a “glittering” green throat, while the females are
easy to identify with a white strip in the middle
of the “glittering” green. Fortunately, the species
is not endangered at this time.
The
grapes for the Glittering-Emerald Chardonnay were
sourced from vineyards owned by longtime
Monterey County grape grower Scheid Vineyards.
It is an ideal Chardonnay growing location - the
beach creates excellent air flow and the southwestern
exposure
maximizes available sunlight, allowing fruit to ripen
slowly and evenly. The
gentle slopes are well-drained and water permeability
is moderately slow. Warm days followed by cool
winds in the late afternoon present excellent climactic
conditions for growing top quality wine grapes.
Rains
in the early spring and summer created vigorous
vine growth early on. Harvest started on
schedule, however the cool weather slowed things
down, with the last grapes coming in around Thanksgiving.
Yields were through-the-roof all throughout the state.
Clos LaChance’s winemaker Stephen Tebb ran out of
tank space halfway through harvest. Fortunately,
the weather cooperated and Stephen literally stored
the grapes on the vine for several weeks. This turned
out to be a blessing in disguise as the resulting
wines are some of the best Clos LaChance has produced.
The
fruit was whole-cluster pressed then cold settled
in a tank for 48 hours. The wine
was then racked to stainless steel tanks and fermented
at 50-55 degrees. Post-fermentation the wine was
racked, filtered and bottled. This Chardonnay has
not been aged in oak or put through malolactic fermentation.
WINEMAKER
STEPHEN TEBB'S TASTING NOTES: This wine
opens up with strong aromas of freshly cut green
apple, melon and pear. A bowl full of tropical fruit
salad (pineapples, bananas, mangos and papaya) is
in there, as well as a hint of floral apple blossom.
On the palate, the refreshing flavors of crisp apple
and fresh citrus are balanced with an acidic component.
The finish is fairly long considering that there
was no oak used when making this wine. I really enjoy
the lingering tropical fruit flavors of pineapple
and banana.
FOOD PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS: Scallops with Mango
Salsa, Chinese Chicken Salad, Camembert
Cheese
Red
Wine
2004 Wildekrans
Cabernet
Franc/Merlot
Walker Bay, Overberg, South Africa
Wildekrans
Estate is a family-run wine farm and boutique winery.
Nestled in the serene Bot River Valley, the winery
and vineyards are located in the Walker Bay wine
ward, approximately 100km from Cape Town.
Wildekrans
was selected as one of the 21 most exciting New
World wineries by the International Decanter magazine.
Bruce and Jo Elkin are the owners. Bruce now makes
all the wines after changing his career path from
dentist to a full-time farmer and winemaker.
This
wine is a deep ruby red with zesty aromas of
ripe raspberries and strawberries, which continue
on to the palate. On the palate, it is excellent
and well-structured, with fruit-balanced tannins
giving the wine a long, lingering finish.
Try
with filet
mignon, Hungarian beef goulash, Italian meatballs
in tomato sauce, Parmesan chicken, blue cheese
and
brie, pasta with bacon and mushroom sauce,
or chicken liver pate.
Drink
now and for the next several years.
Wines
by Jennifer is also proud to announce our new "Cellar
Club", featuring a new wine each month suitable for
long-term aging. Call the shop and ask for Jennifer for all
the details on this exciting new Club, or visit our Featured
Cellar Club Wine page for details on this month's selection.
Hummingbirds
have been a part of Clos LaChance lore since the
first vintage in
1992. Vintners Bill and Brenda Murphy chose the hummingbird
as the symbol for Clos LaChance Winery due to its
territorial nature and ability to chase away the
grape-eating birds from the vineyards. Each wine
in the Hummingbird Series is named for a true species
of Hummingbird that they feel has similar
characteristics to the varietal. Glittering Emerald-Throated
Hummingbirds are found only in South America. The
preferred habitat of the species is
open and
semi-open spaces, including gardens. The males have
a “glittering” green throat, while the females are
easy to identify with a white strip in the middle
of the “glittering” green. Fortunately, the species
is not endangered at this time.
Wildekrans
Estate is a family-run wine farm and boutique winery.
Nestled in the serene Bot River Valley, the winery
and vineyards are located in the Walker Bay wine
ward, approximately 100km from Cape Town. 