Unusually when I chose this wine, I had already decided on the food. Regular readers of my blog will know that I choose my wine first and then pair the wine with the food. However, I was organising a family meal with my husband and so the wine had to take second place over the food because not everyone in the family loves wine as much as I do. We were having several courses and this delicious chardonnay was for the second course. When I was choosing the wine, I really struggled because I wanted a Burgundy but I wasn’t happy with the Burgundy wines in my local supermarkets so I had to re-think. I chose this Californian chardonnay because I thought it would be smooth and rounded without the crisp green apple, thin and sharp pointed acidity that cheaper Burgundy wines often suffer from. If you are pairing with an oily fish then this works fine but I was pairing it with pan seared scallops and jumbo king prawns in garlic butter so needed a rounded, buttery chardonnay. This Californian Sonoma Reserve is delicious. In the glass it was a darker gold than the picture shows with a fresh, Burgundy nose. I took a risk with this Californian wine as Californian chardonnays can be heavy. However this one had a satisfying medium weight and was truly delicious. A tropical nose with pineapple and pear on the palate. A subtle yet pleasing low acidity, citrus flavour, with a beautiful silky, toasty finish. With the food it was smooth, rounded and complimented the fish and garlic butter very well. The garlic butter heightened the creamy finish on the length. There were no harsh edges where the wine overpowered the food, and this is how food and wine should interact.
The following day, I enjoyed this luscious wine with a selection of left-over food from the night before. I griddled some halloumi and served it with left over salad, homemade guacamole, hummus and garlic dip made from Greek yoghurt. The combination with the wine was fabulous. The wine was nutty and buttery with the hummus and bread sticks and the yoghurt dressing enhanced the cream in the wine’s length. This is a wine that I will definitely be buying again.
I purchased Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2017 from Waitrose. It cost £17.99 and was worth every penny.
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