Lessons in Chardonnay

The buttered popcorn world of California Chardonnay can be a most frightening place. For everyone. Now, Rombauer is the quintessential top dog of buttery reputations. This 2005, however, was bright and complex, long, and laced with delicious caramel cream. Not the fat, over-oaked butter ball we have all come to fear. Paired with sweet black-garlic topped pillowy seared scallops, my mouth was oh so happy. A fabulous dinner, and a lesson well learned: California Chardonnay doesn't have to be a swig of oxidized, melted butter. Thank you 7 year old Rombauer, for rocking my socks and putting me in my place (with a little help from the scallop department!) I've just added a bottle of 2009 to my cellar to sit comfortably for a few years.

A Rhône on the Prairie

Sweet home California! We escaped back to the homeland---and to lovely sunshine---for a few days of tasting in Paso Robles! The cute little town is roughly 2 hours south of Monterey Bay where I grew up, and a mere half hour from the beach! The Rhône Rangers down there are so named for their affinity toward Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, as well as Viognier and some rockin' Roussane/Marsanne (plus they're cowboys). Ancient sea-creature fossils and limestone (which make up calcareous marl/shale & linne calodo soils) in the vineyard ultimately give the wines of Paso some killer minerality. The terrain is diverse in a way that can only be described as magical. It's hot and gorgeous year-round. It's hilly dessert up one road and gentle forest down another. Huge buzzards circle the vineyards for pesky vermin as the head-trained vines push their roots through the limestone rich earth. After picnicking and exploring to our hearts content, we only wanted more!

Everything was delicious. So we brought home a few *ahem* souvenirs...

...and hope to someday return, if only for Los Robles' out-of-this-world Al Pastor tacos! And some Denner Viognier...