I took far too long of a break between posts in this wine blog and I have enjoyed numerous recommendation worthy wines in the time since but have simply been too lazy to sit down and take the few moments it takes to write about them
So that alone should say something big about this Wente Chardonnay that it has inspired me to share my enjoyment after all this time. This 2012 Riva Ranch is really something special. I found it on sale for around 16 bucks and I must say that it is worth every penny.
I first enjoyed an Arroyo Seco Chardonnay almost 4 years ago when the company I was working for sold Scott Chardonnay. I highly recommend all wines that come from this sub-appellation because they seem to be extremely consistent in their taste profiles. This wine is definitely one for the fans of oak and butter. I do not have the pallet to tell whether this wine came from french oak or was simply done using malolactic fermentation but the end result leaves me without the care. This wine rolls over your tongue and then up over the roof of your palate and back through again hitting every taste bud and lingering long enough for it to make its point clear. FLAVOR! Yes, I believe that flavor is the point that this wine is trying to make. I would of course say that balance has to be its over-riding characteristic since everything seems to go down without anything giving reason to pause for consideration. It was literally on my fourth or fifth drink when I stopped to say, "Hold on. I think they may have something here." And yes, I am the weird guy that says that out loud when nobody else is around just for the effect.
Anyways, the nose on this wine is one that acts like gravity to the glass for chardonnay lovers; apricots, pears, and green apples all blend together to produce that wonderful, classic, oaky buttery chard profile that lets you know what you are getting in for even before the liquid hits your lips. But when it hits your lips oh my!
The flavor seems to be the exact flavor that I remember from both Scott and J Lohr Arroyo Secos and the best that I can describe it (with my amateur taste and expression) is that the nose runs right through the taste. Only as tart as a pear could get and not even as sweet as an apricot but the salient point of this wine is that it maintains consistency in its quality. I do not often buy chardonnays but when I do I am buying with a specific taste craving. And when I saw that Riva Ranch was on sale and that this vintage came from Arroyo Seco, I had to jump all over it. It would have greatly disappointed me if this wine had been done on steel or had any overwhelming expressions in its fruit. When I drink an Arroyo Seco, I remember only the expression imprinted in my memory of Arroyo Seco; and therefore I expect to get that taste when I see the Sub-App on the label.
For anyone who hasn't experienced a wine from this area, I highly suggest starting with this Wente. I love all wines and feel that my palate is broad enough to recommend that if you like smooth chardonnay, you will like this wine. And after this, please confirm my beliefs in this location by trying the Scott and the J Lohr Arroyo Seco Chardonnays as well.
I recommend this wine on its own but it will go wonderfully with any vegetarian dish as well as oily fish or chicken. I would avoid red meats and sugar heavy sauces with this one but go all out with the cream sauces. If I was craving a meal for this wine right now I would probably say Shrimp Scampi or Chicken Dijon. I also have a mind for Pirogis cooked and sauted in butter with onions and peppers. Hot Damn!
Enjoy.
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