2/2007 TRAVIS CHARDONNAY 2002 (MONTEREY, RIVERVIEW VINEYARD, UNFILTERED)
This white wine is produced and bottled by Travis Vintners in Livermore, California. It's an interesting wine. This wine is the color of lemonade and slightly cloudy. The grapes were picked at the end of September when they were quite ripe. The wine is not aged in French oak barrels nor is it "inoculated for malolactic fermentation." The point of all this is to produce an un-American chardonnay, one that does not ooze vanilla. This wine is potent; its 15% alcohol and has a powerful sour pear note. Taking it bone cold was a mistake; it came off gassy (15%, by the way, is a bit much for a white wine.) Once it warmed to a little less than room temperature, this Travis chardonnay began to express itself. Soft floral notes appeared as did a gentle spiciness that one finds in Gewurztraminer or Riesling. Unusual and worth trying for $10. (Rating ***1/2)

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Labels: California, Chardonnay, Travis