Stay Rad

Since Kara and I had this last week off, we decided to do a little wine tasting.

On Friday we headed over to Clos La Chance in San Martin.

Some of you may know that this is the winery where Kara and I got married.

Here’s some proof…

The Happy Couple

See… I told you so.

As it turned out, Friday wasn’t the most beautiful day (weather-wise) to go tasting.

It was a bit wet…

Actually, even when it's soaking outside, this is one of the most beautiful wineries in the area.

Inside, there was a perfect wine on the menu to compliment the weather…

Clos La Chance 2009 Reserve Petit Verdot

Color: Dark purplish red.

Nose: Big dark mocha notes, with a hint of green bell pepper.

Taste: True to the varietal, this Petit Verdot has a fantastic grip on the palate.  Tons of dancing black pepper spice along with powdery tannins.  Great mocha, plum, and green bell pepper flavors.

Score: I have to admit that I am not a big fan of cigars, BUT this is a great cigar wine.  Perfect for a lounge chair, under a covered patio, on a rainy day.  Give it a 90-.

This Sunday morning (two days later), Kara and I headed back up to the Clos La Chance estate to take advantage of the more Spring-like weather…

Spring has sprung!

This time, it was perfect weather to take a Chardonnay class…

Pulling up a chair in the Grand Salon.

As part of Clos La Chance’s Chardonnay month, Estate Sommelier Roy Froom lead a 20 minute presentation on the golden grape.

Here’s the two Chardonnays we got to taste…

Clos La Chance 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay and the Clos La Chance 2009 Liebeler Vineyard Chardonnay

Clos La Chance 2008 Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnay:

Sourced from 6 different vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, this Chardonnay is steel fermented and barrel aged.  The SCM Chardonnay is the flagship wine of Clos La Chance.  It goes through full malolactic fermentation.

Color: Typically golden-yellow in color.

Nose: Green apple.  Pear.  Lemon zest.  Vanilla.  Nice.

Taste: Good, vibrant, lemon acidity.  There is a nice integration of oak that gives this Chardonnay a neat little brown sugar flavor.  This wine has a light to medium viscosity and a good, creamy finish.

Score: A solid effort.  Give it an 88+.

Clos La Chance 2009 Liebeler Vineyard Chardonnay:

The Liebeler Vineyard is one of the six vineyards providing fruit for the SCM Chardonnay.  This vineyard is pretty high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  This cool-climate Chardonnay is oak fermented and aged.  It goes through partial malolactic fermentation, and is aged on its lees.

Color: Same as the SCM.

Nose: This brings a big oaky aroma up front.

Taste: Big oak and spice on the palate give way to a very crisp, acidic finish of green apples.  Good, medium viscosity.

Score: The Liebeler just barely edges out the Santa Cruz Mountains for me at an 89, though I would say the SCM is more of a crowd-pleaser in flavor and price.

Thanks for the memories, Clos La Chance.  We’ll probablly come back tomorrow…

Stay Rad,

Jeff