Cannonball Wine Makes A Splash

Share a Splash Wine Company was founded in 2006 as Cannonball.  Yoav Gilat's idea was to make great wines and sell them for less than $20.  Today, Cannonball is joined by ELEVEN, Angels and Cowboys, Astrolabe Wines and High Dive Napa Valley as a full portfolio for the Healdsburg-based outfit.

Head winemaker Ondine Chattan is a female veteran in a business which has been dominated by males. Her time in the California wine industry has seen her getting purple hands at Cline, Ridge Vineyards and for 18 years at Geyser Peak prior to joining Share A Splash.  She is a California native who takes a hands-on approach to winemaking, educated at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Fresno State.  She is proud of her spring releases, and she says they show the bright fruit flavors for which her home state is famous.

While the Angels & Cowboys offerings were pretty good, I thought, the Cannonball bottlings troubled me.  First of all, they are billing the concept of the "cannonball" as a bold move when it is actually simple belligerence.  Anyone who has ever been in the vicinity of a pool when some asshole yelled "Cannonball!" and dropped their body into the water like a big sack of potatoes, knows that the move is that of an attention-hungry child who lacks the sense that God reportedly gave a goose.  "Heh heh, I got everybody wet," said Beavis to Butthead.

Further, the Cannonball wines relied very heavily upon oak.  In the Chardonnay that sat well with me, although I tired of the experience quickly.  In the Cabernet, I did not find the quality redeeming.

The Cannonball California Chardonnay 2019 was 70% fermented in French oak, with the remainder vinified in steel tanks.  The wine - blended from several sources - saw nine months in oak, altogether.  Alcohol clocks in at 12.5% abv and the retail price is $16.

This wine is made from grapes sourced in Monterey and Mendocino counties as well as Sonoma.  The nose shows apricot and lemon pie, with a healthy dollop of oak spice.  The oak comes through on the palate as well, in the form of some of the nicest "butter" I have tasted in a Chardonnay.  Meyer lemon, pear and cantaloupe flavors also turn up.  The acidity is quite nice and fresh, and the mouthfeel is full and rich.  

The Cannonball California Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a juicy, red which the winery says drinks like a Cab that sells for more than $15.  That may be true, but it is a rather low bar to tout.  It is the wine which started the company 15 vintages ago.  Alcohol checks in reasonably at 13.5% abv.

This wine has a dark ruby tint in the glass and a nose of ripe fruit and oak spice.  The palate confirms the oakiness of the wine - a bit too much for my taste.  The tannins are a bit too forceful, too.  The mouthfeel seems weak and watery, while the fruit flavors have an almost candied taste.  I have had $15 wines before which were outstanding.  This one, unfortunately, does not fall into that category.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Foxglove Chardonnay

The Foxglove 2018 Central Coast Chardonnay was bottled by Varner Wines, in San Miguel, CA.  Jim and Bob Varner produce handmade wine from grapes grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Barbara and Paso Robles AVAs.  Winemaker Bob sources his Chardonnay grapes from Edna Valley, and employs a light touch throughout the vinification process.  Made and aged in steel, the wine is all fruit, with no intervention from oak and no malolactic fermentation.  Nevertheless, the wine feels full and creamy in the mouth, and shows enough spice that the lack of oak seems a mystery.  Alcohol sits at 13.6% abv while the wine generally sells for around $17.

I had the Foxglove Chardonnay at The Willows in Palm Springs, during their evening wine and cheese soirée by the waterfall wall.  It shows quite a yellow tint in the glass.  The nose displays tropical fruit along with citrus and salinity.  The palate brings Meyer lemon, and abundant minerals.  There is a nice acidity, yet a creamy mouthfeel. 

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

One Of America's Favorite California Chardonnays

The folks at Sonoma-Cutrer are celebrating 40 years of passion, imagination and pride.  They say their approach to winemaking "marries Burgundian traditions and California ingenuity."  Head winemaker Mick Schroeter puts his signature on the label, showing the pride that leads to the boast that their Chardonnay is one of America's favorites.

The winery says that the 2019 vintage featured rain, rain and more rain, plus a summer free of radical temperature extremes.  The harvest started a week later than usual and proceeded methodically - just the way a winemaker wants it.

The grapes - 100% Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast - were whole-cluster pressed and vinified in 15% steel and 85% oak, a mixture of new and neutral barrels, which is where the wine aged for eight months.  Alcohol hits 13.9% abv and the wine retails for $23.

The nose is beautiful, with notes of stone fruit and honeydew mixing with a touch of oak spice.  The oak is not at all overdone, and it hits the palate as cleanly as you wish it would.  The mouthfeel is full and creamy, the acidity is gently refreshing and the flavors of peach, pear, lemon and a bit of sweet oak make for a delicious sip.

Women In Wine

Sonoma-Cutrer says they are proud to have one of the only all-female winemaking production teams in the industry.  Argentina-raised, Pinot Noir Winemaker Zidanelia Arcidiacono also oversees the winery's sustainability initiatives.  Cara Morrison has served as Chardonnay Winemaker, and has mastered the variety that the brand is known for.   As Wine Production Manager, Venezuelan-born Mayra Hernandez oversees everything from grape intake to bottling.  Vineyard Operations Manager Shannon Donnell, born and raised in Sonoma County, manages the grape supply used to create the wines.

Sustainable Efforts

Sustainability is an integral part of life at Sonoma-Cutrer.  The "Certified Sustainable" stamp on the label reflects the winery's long-term commitment to adopting environmentally-friendly and efficient measures.  A few of the steps they have taken: 

• Organizing and recognizing a group of sustainability leaders across all departments, from landscaping to the tasting room, SET (Sustainability Environmental Team), who uphold and educate on the sustainability vision for the winery.
• Installing specially-made owl boxes across the vineyards, providing a home for the birds that serve as a natural defense against gophers and voles who eat vines.
• Planting pheromone lures that attract and confuse pests so they can’t mate, humanely limiting the growth of insects that harm the growing grapes.
• Harvesting grapes early in the morning so employees avoid extended time in the California heat. This also allows the grapes to come into the winery already cold, reducing the amount of energy used to chill them. 

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

RRV Chardonnay At $18

California wine négociant Cameron Hughes owns no vineyards and has no official winery.  He sniffs out good wine which has already been produced by established makers, then buys it on the down low with an agreement not to reveal the source.  He then sells the wine online through his wine club - he calls it a wineocracy - bringing top-shelf wines to lower-shelf wallets.  Hughes says he keeps prices low by removing the middleman, the distributor and retailer through which store-bought wines must pass.

Lot 718 Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2018

As usual, Hughes is tight-lipped about where this wine was grown and made, except to say that it came from "one of the region's storied estates, with almost a century of family history."  He goes on to praise the region, citing the Russian River Valley's cool ocean breezes and fog, which help the grapes mature well. "Anchored by a rare type of soil formed by an ancient sandstone seabed," he says, "there's just no place quite like it."  Hughes says Lot 718 is a "classic Russian River Valley Chard," only it sells for a mere $18.  Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv.

This Chardonnay is fairly lean, by old California standards.  There is a touch of oak on the nose, but the citrus and stone fruit stay in the spotlight.  The palate shows a bit more oak, but it does not overpower the profile.  Acidity is bright enough to make me order oysters on the half shell for takeout tonight.  The finish is long and vibrant, with pears and tangerine persisting.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Sonoma Chardonnay At Half The Price

California wine négociant Cameron Hughes owns no vineyards and has no official winery.  He sniffs out good wine which has already been produced by established makers, then buys it on the down low with an agreement not to reveal the source.  He then sells the wine online through his wine club - he calls it a wineocracy - bringing top-shelf wines to lower-shelf wallets.  Hughes says he keeps prices low by removing the middleman, the distributor and retailer through which store-bought wines must pass.

Cameron Hughes Lot 689 Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley 2017

Hughes tells us that this wine was made by "a household name... an acclaimed winemaking team at an estate that has been prominently featured in just about every wine publication and constantly finds itself listed in one 'best of' list after another year after year."  It also gets 90+ ratings from said publications.  The Chardonnay was made from grapes grown in two single vineyard lots and aged in 40% new French oak.  Alcohol clicks in at a California-strong 14.5% abv and the wine, which normally sold for north of 30 bucks, now sells for $15 without its original name brand.

This Sonoma Chardonnay is like velvet.  The muted nose offers lemon and stone fruit notes with a soft touch of vanilla.  The palate is ripe and juicy, with an easy dose of oak and a nice bit of acidity.  Try pairing with the usual suspects: shrimp, oily fish or scallops, with some pasta.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

RRV Chardonnay

With estates in Argentina and South Africa as well as California, Hess Winery really gets around.  Founder Donald Hess staked out a claim on Napa Valley's Mount Veeder in the 1970s, when there was still room to move around.  He retired in 2011 and passed the torch to the 5th generation of the family to carry on old traditions and forge new ones.  Dave Guffy is only the second person to lead the winemaking team at Hess.

The Hess line includes Panthera Chardonnay, which takes its name from an east Asian word meaning yellowish animal.  The word also describes the genus of the cat family which contains its largest members.

The 2016 Panthera is 100% Chardonnay from the cool-climate Russian River Valley, aged for 15 months in French oak, more than a third of which was new.  Alcohol tips 13.3% abv and the wine sells for $45.

The wine has an intriguing nose which shows apricot, Meyer lemon and tropical fruit.  The palate shows why people like California Chardonnay.  Tropical notes highlight the flavors, with a strong layer of minerals underneath.  The 15 months of oak don't interfere as much as one might think, adding a noticeable - but not dominant - aspect to the profile.  Racy acidity begs for a food pairing, and I'm thinking swordfish.  The finish carries the fruit, not the oak.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Wente: California Chardonnay, American Chardonnay

California Chardonnay is what it is today because of Wente Vineyards.  If you love Chardonnay, you probably love Wente, and you may not know it.  The grape clone which is used to make 80% of American Chardonnay is here thanks to Wente.  In 1912, German immigrant C.H. Wente planted a cutting from from the vine nursery at France's University of Montpellier.  That Chardonnay plant became the Wente clone of the grape.

To get a bit geeky, In viticulture a "clone" refers to vines descended from a single plant by taking a cutting or bud.  Each vine grown on a clone is said to be genetically identical to the original vine.

Wente is the country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, now run by the family's 4th and 5th-generations.  A recent virtual tasting event was hosted by the family historian, Phil Wente, and winegrower Niki Wente, who walked participants through five different styles of their line that defined California Chardonnay.

The 2017 Small Lot Eric's Chardonnay comes from Livermore Valley grapes grown near the cooling influence of San Francisco Bay.  Winemaker Karl Wente used no oak in making this wine.  He says he made it to honor his father, Eric.  Dad preferred his Chardonnay unoaked, so that's the way the son made it.  The juice was aged for four months in steel, in contact with the spent yeast for a fuller mouthfeel.  Alcohol is restrained at 13.5% abv and it retails for $30.

This unoaked Chardonnay could be described as "all fruit" if it weren't for the minerals.  Apples and apricots on the nose battle for attention with the smell of a wet driveway.  Big fruit on the palate is met with crisp acidity, and the whole thing finishes long and clean. 

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Chardonnay: More Dry, Less Oak

The little hamlet of Murphys, California is home to one of the nation's biggest wineries.  Ironstone Vineyards is located east of Lodi in Calaveras County, in the Sierra Foothills along Highway 4 north of Douglas Flat, Vallecito and Angels Camp.  It may be an out-of-the-way stop, but there's a better than average chance you’ve had some of their brands, or at least seen them on the supermarket shelf.

The Kautz Family are fourth-generation growers, not unusual in that part of the state, and the family-run winery's corporate officers are known simply as John, Gail, Kurt and Jack.

Ironstone's 2017 Chardonnay is on the dry side, and it's the only Chardonnay I've encountered which has a sweetness scale on the label, as in Rieslings.  This one points to just off medium dry.  In my opinion, I never have much trouble with how dry or sweet a Chardonnay is.  What I'd like to see is an oak meter instead.  This wine spent only five months in French oak barrels.

The 2017 Ironstone Vineyards Chardonnay is made from 90% Chardonnay grapes, 5% Viognier and 5% Chenin Blanc, sourced from several appellations, including Mokelumne River and Sloughouse.  The wine checks in at the expected 13.5% abv and sells for $14.

This Lodi wine is straw-yellow in the glass, with a nose that sports oak predominantly, citrus and tropical notes along for the ride.  The palate gives more fruit than oak, apples, peaches and lemon most notably.  It's very tasty and not weighed down by excessive oak.  Pair with light spring and summer fare or sip it on the porch.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twittter

Roaring Good Monterey County Chardonnay

The lion on the Hess label represents the winery and its founder Donald Hess.  With estates in Argentina and South Africa as well as Napa Valley, this winery really gets around.  Hess staked out a claim on Napa’s Mount Veeder in the 1970s, when there was still room to move around.  He retired in 2011 and passed the torch to the 5th generation of the family to carry on old traditions and forge new ones.  Dave Guffy is only the second person to lead the winemaking team at Hess. 

Hess Select Monterey County Chardonnay 2016

The grapes for the 2016 Hess Select Monterey County Chardonnay came from the family's 352-acre Shirtail Creek Vineyard in Monterey.  Guffy calls it a new take on the most popular wine around, and identifies tropical notes as its hallmark.  He feels that Monterey's cooling fog and Pacific coastal breezes, drawn across the Gabilan Mountains into the Salinas Valley, are perfect for Chardonnay.

This golden wine smells of tropical fruit like mango and pineapple, with apple and sweet oak thrown on top.  The palate shows that oak, but in an even-handed way.  It works.  The mouth is full, and the acidity is zippy. 

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Wente: First Family Of CA Chardonnay

Wente Vineyards in the Livermore Valley changed California Chardonnay forever.  The grape clone which is used to make 80% of American Chardonnay is here thanks to Wente.  In 1912, German immigrant C.H. Wente planted a cutting from from the vine nursery at France's University of Montpellier.  That Chardonnay plant became the Wente clone of the grape.  The Wente family was the first in California to produce a varietally labeled Chardonnay in 1936 made from their heritage Wente clones.

To get a bit geeky, In viticulture a "clone" refers to vines descended from a single plant by taking a cutting or bud.  Each vine grown on a clone is said to be genetically identical to the original vine.

Wente is the country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, now run by the family's 4th and 5th-generations.  A virtual tasting event was hosted recently by the family historian, Phil Wente, and winegrower Niki Wente, who walked a group of virtual tasters through five different styles of their line, which defines California Chardonnay.

The 2016 Morning Fog Chardonnay from Wente is made nearly completely from estate-grown Chardonnay grapes, with a 2% splash of Gewürztraminer to sweeten the mix.  The wine was fermented half in neutral American oak barrels and half in stainless steel tanks.  The oak provides hints of vanilla and enhances the mouthfeel while the steel preserves its fruit flavors.  Aging took place over five months sur lie, or in contact with the spent yeast cells, stirred monthly and adding a creaminess to the wine.  Half of the steel portion was racked with no aging.   Alcohol content is restrained at 13.5% abv. 

The name of Morning Fog not surprisingly references the coastal blanket pushed by Pacific winds into the bowl of the San Francisco Bay and lured inland by Livermore Valley's traverse, or east- west, orientation.  The wine sells for $18.

This yellow-gold wine rings the "old-style Cali" bell in all the right ways.  A nose of apricots, mangoes and apples is helped along with the smell of buttered popcorn.  Oak treats the palate as well, draping over the tropical fruit like a sunshade.  The acidity is zesty, yet the mouthfeel tends toward creaminess due to the wine sitting on the lees for five months.  The oak is a definite part of the wine, but the effect is softened enough so that it's a pleasure, not a pain.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Great Chardonnay From California's Edna Valley

The six-year-old San Luis Obispo winery, Biddle Ranch Vineyard, does "small batch, handcrafted wines" from their 17-acre Chardonnay vineyard in beautiful Edna Valley.  They also source other grapes from choice plots in Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande, Santa Ynez and Paso Robles.  The four families who own the - the Fortinis, Rawlings, Roncas, and Woolperts - love the estate's "rolling hills, Chardonnay grapes growing on the vine, and sweeping views of the Santa Lucia range."  Winemaker Ryan Deovlet gets credit for guiding them "from grape to glass."

The 2015 Biddle Ranch Vineyard Edna Valley Chardonnay hits 13.8% abv and sells for $32.  Only 460 cases were produced. 

This Edna Valley Chardonnay shows golden in the glass.  It has a lovely nose featuring apples and oak, plenty of the former and just enough of the latter.  An underlying licorice note adds an interesting twist.  On the palate there's yellow apple, peach and a lemon-lime note, with a hint of the oak spice.  The acidity is brisk, while the finish is a long-lasting sense of minerals and citrus.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Three Wineries For The Price Of One

There's a three-way wine tasting room in San Luis Obispo.  Baileyana, Tangent and True Myth all show off their wines in a little yellow school house.  There's a great view of the vineyards to one side of the old structure, and a field of sunflowers off the other side.  The Niven family planted their Paragon vineyard three decades ago, from which the lion's share of their wines are still produced.

Natalie poured for Guido and me.  It was another great trip up the 101 into California’s beautiful Central Coast.  Tasters once had the option here of doing a flight of Baileyana, a flight of the all-white wine Tangent or a mix.  Now, only the mix is offered.  True Myth was not represented on the tasting menu the day I went.  The tasting cost $15, a charge which is waived with a two-bottle purchase.

On the menu:

Tangent "Clone 530" Sauvignon Blanc 2017 smells and tastes a bit more New Zealand than Cali SauvBlanc usually tastes.  There's grass, tropical and a clean zippiness, although the acidity was not extreme.  $32

Baileyana "La Pristina" Chardonnay 2016 doesn’t come off as wildly oaky, until you sip it.  One-third of the wood is new French oak and it was in there for nine months.  There's a nice acidity.  $30

Baileyana "La Entrada" Pinot Noir 2016 is light and gorgeous.  It's an elegant Pinot, a rarity in California, where ripeness generally takes them into the heavyweight category.  Cherries, strawberries, roses, violets, all for $35.

Trenza "Mosaico" 2013 is a 60/40 blend of Grenache and Syrah.  It's made from Paso Robles grapes, while all the other wines on the list are estate bottlings.  Big and juicy, this wine shows off the best of warm-climate grapes, ripe and fresh with a great grip.

Zocker Late Harvest Grüner Veltliner 2012 is a very drinkable dessert wine which can pair with great versatility.  It's not a huge sugar rush, rather a delight with a shade of tartness that balances the wine beautifully.  $20


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

SLO Wine Chardonnay: Edna Valley Vineyard

Edna Valley is a beautiful area of San Luis Obispo's wine country.  The rolling hills, the nearby Pacific Ocean, the vineyards.  When there has been a decent amount of winter rain, I'm tempted to orate.  "This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this Edna Valley."  Okay, maybe that's a little overboard.  However, the place is beautiful.

Edna Valley Vineyard boasts land that was once a seabed and what they say is the longest growing season in California.  The chalky terroir comes forth most forcefully in white wines, notably Chardonnay, which the winery says was the first grape planted in the valley, presumably in modern times.

The grapes for this wine were grown on 45-year-old vines in the winery's Heritage Block.  They are the Tepesquet clone of Chardonnay, and the winemaker credits them, the climate and the vine age for the low-yields and concentrated flavor. 

The Edna Valley Vineyard Winemaker Series Heritage Chardonnay 2015 clearly got a lot of oak, but they know how to handle wood at Edna Valley.  The wine sells for $40.

This golden Chardonnay really is a heritage.  Old-style Cali Chard lives in this bottle.  The nose knocks one over with vanilla, butter, cedar, butter, popcorn butter and butter in which to dip a lobster claw.  That translates to lots of oak, no compromise, so if you like your Chardonnay naked, keep moving.  I generally enjoy this style best in winter, the holidays specifically.  For August, I turn up the A/C, flex alert be damned. 

The palate shows great heft, awesome acidity and a creamy mouthfeel.  How do they get all that into one wine?  The flavor is rich and apple-y and peachy and oaky and… buttery.  That lobster's not such a bad idea.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Wente: A Single-Vineyard Chardonnay

If you love Chardonnay, you probably love Wente Vineyards, and you may not know it.  The grape clone which is used to make 80% of American Chardonnay is here thanks to Wente.  In 1912, German immigrant C.H. Wente planted a cutting from from the vine nursery at France's University of Montpellier.  That Chardonnay plant became the Wente clone of the grape.

To get a bit geeky, In viticulture a "clone" refers to vines descended from a single plant by taking a cutting or bud.  Each vine grown on a clone is said to be genetically identical to the original vine.

Wente is the country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, now run by the family's 4th and 5th-generations.  A virtual tasting event was hosted recently by the family historian, Phil Wente, and winegrower Niki Wente, who walked us through five different styles of their line that defined California Chardonnay. 

The Wente family is five generations deep into the wine business and are sometimes referred to as "California's First Family of Chardonnay."  They say they were the first in California to make a varietally labeled Chardonnay, in 1936.

Wente Single Vineyard Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2016

Six different clones of Chardonnay grapes were used in making this wine, all from Wente's Riva Ranch Vineyard in Arroyo Seco, Monterey County.  There's a 2% splash of Gewürztraminer in the mix.  The Wentes say Arroyo Seco is the best place in California to grow Chardonnay due to its "cool growing season with the deep gravelly soil" which both help ripen the grapes and balance the sugar and acidity.

About 90% of the wine was barrel fermented in French and American oak, 60% new.  The remaining 10% was fermented in stainless steel.  The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation and was barrel-aged on the lees for eight months.  Alcohol 14.5% abv and it sells for $22.

This Chardonnay is oaked to what I hope is the maximum point.  On the nose, a strong vanilla scent meets a Carmen Miranda hat of tropical fruit, like pineapple, mango and banana.  The acidity is zippy yet the mouthfeel is creamy, thanks to the malo.  Citrus lasts the longest on the finish, but it has to fight it out with the oak to do so.  If you're in the mood for a good ol' fashioned California Chardonnay, this is your bottle.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Wente Vineyards Chardonnay: Nth Degree

If you love Chardonnay, you probably love Wente Vineyards, and you may not know it.  The grape clone which is used to make 80% of American Chardonnay is here thanks to German immigrant C.H. Wente, who in 1912 planted a cutting from from a French nursery vine.  That Chardonnay plant became the Wente clone of the grape which is so popular today.

To get a bit geeky, In viticulture a "clone" refers to vines descended from a single plant by taking a cutting or bud.  Each vine grown on a clone is said to be genetically identical to the original vine.

Wente is the country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, now run by the family's 4th and 5th-generations.  A virtual tasting event was hosted recently by the family historian, Phil Wente, and winegrower Niki Wente, who walked us through five different styles of their line that defined California Chardonnay.  You can visit that experience here.

The Wente Nth Degree line features not only this $70 Chardonnay, but also a Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, all limited production wines.  The Chard holds alcohol at just above 14% and is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes taken from the estate’s Ernest and Herman vineyards, which are part of Wente’s heritage program.  They only made 21 barrels of this wine.

The Livermore Valley appellation sits near San Francisco Bay and offers winemaker Karl Wente some fairly great fruit with which to work.  The 2016 vintage was reportedly fairly dry despite more rain in the winter than in previous years.  The winery says the additional water made for larger yields of the small, concentrated berries.  Full malolactic fermentation was allowed in French oak barrels before aging on the lees for 14 months.

This wine is easily as rich as its price tag.  Looking as dark as apple juice, there's a smell of oak to this Chardonnay, but more than that is a buttery, creamy nose of apricot and Meyer lemon.  The palate is just gorgeous - similar fruit and rich notes, but with a racy acidity that surprises, considering the full mouthfeel.  Is it worth $70?  That's up to you and your bank but it's a damn good wine, that's for sure.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter