Happy Saturday! I spent the afternoon trimming hedges and mowing, and since it was in the upper 80s and humid, I am now sweaty and tired and ready for a nice dinner and glass of wine. Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a rare white wine, the 2021 Reininger CPR Reserve Chardonnay which was just released a few weeks ago. I secured a couple bottles, and I thought it would pair well with my dinner this evening. This wine is a 100% Chardonnay from the Stillwater Creek Vineyard in the Royal Slope AVA of Washington. This wine was aged for nearly two years in a large French Oak barrel, so let's see how it's shaping up!
The wine is a pale golden color in the glass as you might expect. A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of pear, lemongrass and oak with undertones of orange blossom. Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of exotic flavors that have your mind doing summersaults with citrus, melon and mineral notes that exude refreshment and reserve. The sur lie fermentation creates such a velvety mouthfeel you might find yourself at times thinking you were drinking a hearty red wine, before you come back to earth and enjoy the remaining moments of a buttery dry finish that lingers on your palate for a minute or more.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it has to be my favorite Chardonnay and perhaps my favorite white wine. This wine is ideal for summer, but could easily extend to fall, and would pair well with light fish or seafood, summer salads or crisp and light pasta dishes. Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some pan seared sea scallops on a bed of baby arugula, along with some roasted elote corn on the cob. A taste of summer has arrived, cheers!
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