Monday, April 15, 2013

Redwood Creek Chardonnay 2011

I generally stay away from wines which bear a formulaic name like this one does.  I don’t remember who characterized this type of wine naming, but it seems to be most popular on wines produced in Modesto, California.  The idea is to have a two-word name, the first word being an iconic symbol and the second being a natural reference.  It could be Rabbit Run, Cauliflower Gully, Cedar Brook, Forest Glen or Black Mountain.  In this case, it’s Redwood Creek, a part of the Gallo empire.

Winemaker Cal Denison - an outdoorsy-looking fellow - has crafted a reasonably nice Chardonnay with an unfortunately nondescript name.  I enjoyed a glass of it at the Callender’s Grill on Wilshire Boulevard.  I tend to show up there quite a bit, not because its such a great bar, but because it’s geographically convenient.  It’s just down the street from my favorite Starbucks, which has become an office-away-from-home for me.

It is one of the cheaper wines on the Callender's  list, but it’s pretty good for the $5 happy hour price. Much appreciated is the good pour from the longtime bartender there.

The wine is medium full in the mouth - brisk and refreshing, actually.  A light acidity is just enough to provide a spark, but not enough to bite.  Tropical fruit and lemon peel come forth on the nose, while the palate shows pears and a bit of citrus with a hint of green apple.  The oak is not at all overdone, something that is unusual in a cheap wine.  Lots of oak is no substitute for good grapes.

While this wine won’t be giving anyone thrills and chills, it’s a solid effort at a lowball price point.   If you try just a little bit, you can probably find it in a supermarket for five or six bucks.  The hotter the day, the better it will taste.


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