2008 Sebella Chardonnay

Sonoma County Chard Leaves Me Dreaming Of Chablis

I am a Chablis fan. Something about the chalky minerality, the incredibly light touch of oak, the focus around creamy custardy flavors just does it for me.

I have a few friends who are much more into the “standard” California-style chardonnay. Butter, oak, lots of it. A color that looks almost like burnt almond or like 14k gold jewelry. Not me. That’s not my style.

This, this is my style.

Classique des Classiques

The 2008 Sebella Chardonnay from Sonoma Valley’s Hanzell Vineyards is a very true-to-Chablis chardonnay. The intention of the winemaker of “following old world Grand Cru Domaine and First Growth Chateau classification philosophies”1 truly shines through, as this wine sidesteps most of the problems I usually have with California chardonnay.

The wine is a light straw-yellow in the glass, though it fades to clarity at the edges. It’s darker than, and without the green tint of, sauvignon blanc, but much lighter than the “classic” California chard look.

On the nose are a touch of grapefruit, apple, lemon pudding or custard, and granite. Wet stone. The minerality is my favorite part of Chablis, so when I noticed it here, unabashed, on the nose, I was quite excited.

And the wine did not let me down.

The 2008 Sebella Chardonnay is medium-bodied, with a long, lingering finish. Chalk and granite minerality play here, especially on the back of the palate and on the finish. In the meantime, grapefruit, lemon zest, lemon custard, and the bite-you-back of Granny Smith apple peel play around on the front and mid-palate.

This is incredibly drinkable. Very classic. True to Burgundy.

In other words, exactly what chardonnay should be.

Verdict: A-

2008 Sebella Chardonnay

2008 Sebella Chardonnay

Footnotes

  1. Reference ↩

2006 B Legacy Reserve Merlot

Masterful Merlot Makes Me Melt

2006 B Legacy Reserve Merlot

I’ve reviewed a few merlots, though most have been in meritage blends or as part of what is officially a cabernet sauvignon. Of the wines that are 100% (or, at least, predominantly) merlot that I have reviewed, the verdicts ranged from D to B+.

I’m not the biggest merlot fan on the planet, this is something I’ve said numerous times. However, I loathe no variety, and am always looking for the merlot to turn me back to the grape.1 I say “back” because the first red wine I drank with any regularity2 was merlot. I drank a lot of it, though not with much discretion.

But I digress. The fact of the matter is, I think I found that merlot. I think I found a wine made of 100% merlot grapes, from Napa, no less,3 that has gotten me truly excited about merlot in general again.

Classique des Classiques

This may end up meaning I’m disappointed a lot as I drink merlots that don’t stand up to this one, but c’est la vie.

So what can you expect from the 2006 B Legacy Reserve Merlot from Bolen Family Estates? A lot. In the glass, the juice is gorgeous, shimmering slightly from ruby red at the core, to an only-slightly-lighter cardinal red on the edges.

The nose is subtle, and although the alcohol content is relatively high,4 there is no residual heat on the nose to get in the way. In the way of what? Exceptional notes of stewed raspberry, dark cherries, and a hint of allspice. Very inviting, very nuanced.

The B Legacy doesn’t disappoint when you actually go to drink it. It’s medium bodied, with great structure and balance. At first, the majority of the experience is rich, lush, fleshy fruit, a lot of plum and cranberry. Eventually, this wine tastes like Christmas. The cranberry is joined by hints of nutmeg and peppermint that just top off the experience.

It’s delicious wine, and very surprising for me.5 Only 120 cases of the 2006 were made, and as you ought to expect given that’s the case, it’s not cheap at $60 per bottle. It is, however, worth it.

Verdict: 94/100

(photo: surreptitiously, and with all apologies, stolen from Bolen Family Estates’ website.)

Footnotes

  1. I’m sure Chateau Petrus would do it, but I don’t happen to have $400 on me… ↩
  2. In my—ahem—”early” 20s ↩
  3. The Oak Knoll District, a personal favorite, to be exact ↩
  4. Forgive me, everyone, for going off memory only here, but I believe it was above 14% ↩
  5. Being, as I am, no great lover of merlot ↩