7 Stellar White Wines to Drink as Winter Turns to Spring
It’s only a few more days until spring, but this winter keeps gasping for air and won’t seem to let go of its hold on the east coast. We’ve been teased by sunny and slightly warmer days only to be pummeled by surprise snowstorms just a few days later. To be clear, we realize that many of our readers don’t live in Northeast, but for those of us who do, this winter seems like an eternity. And how about that California blizzard the first weekend of March? The good news is that spring really is on the way, or at least that’s what the calendar tells us. While it’s almost time for a lighter, crisper style of white wine, we’ve decided to hedge our bets and pull some of the fuller bodied, more complex whites from the cellar to accompany heartier meals while there’s still a chill in the air. Here are seven white wines that are perfect to enjoy in late winter and early spring.
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Chateau Montelena 2021 Chardonnay Napa Valley California
Most wine lovers know that it was the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that took first prize in the often-celebrated 1976 “Judgement of Paris,” when six California wines were pitted against four Burgundian whites. Today winemaker Bo Barrett carries on the legacy of Croatian born Mike Grgich and his father Jim Barrett and continues to make prize worthy wines. His 2021 Chardonnay is brilliant gold colored with aromas of jasmine, lemon blossom, and Fuji apple with flavors of lemon curd, honeysuckle nectar, almond paste, and Crème Catalan. Bold and full-bodied in the mid palate, there’s a nice touch of minerality and salinity in the finish.
Buy Now: $75
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Sadie Family 2022 Mev. Kirsten Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch South Africa
Terroir obsessed winemaker Eben Sadie is one of the great visionaries of the South African scene. His wines are highly sought after and coveted by collectors and Rhône varietal enthusiasts alike. He released his first wine in 2000 and 24 years later his 2022 Mev. Kirsten is a force, with heady aromas of ripe apricot, mango, and guava. Generous on the mid-palate, it transitions to flavors of yellow peach and custard apple with a bright splash of acidity in the post palate.
Buy Now: $220
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Chateau Cos d’Estournel 2020 Blanc St. Estephe Bordeaux France
With its three distinctive turrets Chateau Cos d’Estournel is easy to pick out of a lineup of the famed Médoc Bordeaux chateaus. The name cos comes from the Gascon word for “hill of pebbles,” in reference to the rocky soils that grace the property. The chateau’s Grand Cru vineyards cover 170 acres of gravely soil on top of limestone and silicate subsoils which offer excellent drainage. The 2020 Blanc is comprised of 66 percent Sauvignon Blanc and 34 percent Semillon and has tropical aromas of mango and guava with whiffs of lemon and lime pith. It is full-bodied with flavors of Granny Smith apple, dried papaya, and dried Anjou pear with a sturdy backbone of minerality, pleasant salinity, and long, long length in the finish.
Buy Now: $148
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Vasse Felix 2021 Heytesbury Chardonnay Margaret River Australia
Western Australia’s pioneer winegrower Dr. Tom Cullity founded Vasse Felix in Margaret River in 1967. He felt that the ancient soils and prime exposure to the ocean made this a perfect environment to grow Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc and by the quality and prominence of his wines we couldn’t agree more. His Heytesbury Chardonnay is briny and generous in the mouth and starts with aromas of green tea, Granny Smith apple, and salty air that gently transition to flavors of fresh green herbs, white peach, and Bartlett pear. There’s a bright splash of acidity in the long-lasting and zesty finish.
Buy Now: $90
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Clos de l’Oratoire des Papes 2022 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Rhone Valley France
Edouard Amouroux acquired Clos des Oratoriens, named for the adjacent Tresquoy oratory in 1880. The original vineyard comprised 49 acres of gravelly soils, and today the estate totals 100 acres and includes parcels composed of red sandstone, limestone, gravel, and sandy soils. The 2022 Blanc is made from a blend of grapes grown in different soils and is gold colored in the glass with brilliant glints of green at the rim. It has aromas of Bartlett pear, Fuji apple, orange blossom, freshly picked mint, and cedar that easily transition to complex flavors of fennel frond, lemon zest, cigar box, pear, and apple on the palate. There’s great persistence and a bright splash of acidity in the finish.
Buy Now: $90
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Jean Marc Brocard 2020 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru Chablis Burgundy France
We first visited Jean Marc Brocard shortly after 2000 when he had just opened his eponymous estate in the village of Préhy in Chablis. At that time, he had only 2.4 acres of vines, and today he tends to 197 acres. He built his cellar in the center of his vineyards so he can easily access vines anywhere on the property. His 2020 Chablis Bougros is golden straw colored in the glass with aromas of mango, jasmine blossoms, and vanilla. It is creamy and has great heft on the mid palate with flavors of passion fruit, citrus flowers, and white peach.
Buy Now: $95
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Familia Torres 2018 Milmanda Chardonnay Concha de Barberà Spain
Image Credit: Familia Torres Named for the Milmanda castle which in turn became the Poblet Monastery in 1174, Milmanda Chardonnay, hands down, represents one of Spain’s best Chardonnays. Familia Torres was founded by Miguel Torress Vendrell and since 2012 the family company is run by Miguel Torres Maczassek. We had the pleasure of tasting this wine with MTM in the Milmanda castle and it left an indelible and lasting impression. It is bright gold colored in the glass with intoxicating aromas of wet river rocks, lemon blossoms, and freshly picked bergamot. Full-bodied and voluptuous, it proffers flavors of caramelized pineapple, oyster shell, and Meyer lemon before the creamy finish.
Buy Now: $90
Authors
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Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen
Source: Robb Report
