2015 The Hess Collection Napa Valley Estate Chardonnay ($22)
This week's feature is The Hess Collection's 2015 Napa Valley Chardonnay. This wonderful 100% Chardonnay features flavors of apple, white pear and a slight touch of tropical fruits and a very slight hint of oak.
The hint of oak is due to 70% of the blend seeing fermentation in Stainless Steel to retain the fresh yellow stone fruit, citrus and pear flavors. The remaining 30% of the blend gets just a light touch of oak, and only 30% of the overall blend is allowed to undergo secondary fermentation. The wine is then aged for 9 months in barrels with lees stirred weekly for 4 months.
The resulting wine is a nice balance that features the crisp fruit flavors with a bit of baked apple, vanilla and caramel.
The Hess Collection wines are family owned, sustainably farmed and dedicated to reflecting a true sense of place.
This Chardonnay is well worth the price and one that you should definitely try. It was a great pairing with pork loin, but would work well with poultry or fish. But, for that matter, it was great all by itself.
Look for 2015 The Hess Collection Estate Chardonnay. You won't be disappointed!
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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Sample Provided by Donna White Communications