Chardonnay has been put through a lot lately.
Winemakers first took the stately Burgundian varietal and demoted it to the salve of the soccer mom. For a decade jugs of pale Chardonnay transferred from grocery shelf to minivan in a rhythm so steady the very name became a sad cliche.
Next they stowed it in barrels of new wood so eager to pitch in that the wine churned to butter. Once again a shadow — an over-oaked shadow — was cast over the varietal.
The manipulation of Chardonnay became so ponderous that many people, wizened soccer moms included, turned away from the wine with a “never again” huff.
It would be easy to blame the varietal. Chardonnay fills the role of a vassal, content to plow or build or fight as ordered. Expose it to malolactic fermentation and it happily converts to Land O’ Lakes. Grow it under hostile sun and it takes on a tropical flair.
Yet the grape’s lack of ambition, it’s willingness to follow a winemaker’s lead, yields masterpieces when in the right hands.
Shed Horn Cellars’ 2014 Chardonnay is an example of a beautifully crafted wine. From the glass it calls to you with aromatic reminders of places and seasons and good times of yesteryear. Memories of blossoming orchards return to mind, along with the cool juice of a golden delicious apple. Behind this, the first taste of pressed autumn cider and a hint of holiday spice wait for your attention.
If first impressions are nostalgic — or perhaps even anticipatory — there is also a luxurious note. Even on the nose, the Shed Horn Chardonnay appears plush.
A sip reveals the cleverness of winemaker Michael Wood’s touch with the grape. A blush of ripe fruit tips between crisp apple and soft, earthy-sweet banana, with swirls of cut flowers adding freshness to the breeze.
The tropical fruit begins to pick up on a rich, buttery feel — nothing heavy, mind you; the flavors seem to crave just a touch of creaminess and the combination drapes gently over the palate.
As the wine eases into its finish, snippets of spice and vanilla begin to show, along with peeled pear, beginning to caramelize in the butter.
The finish is long and equally intriguing, as indications of must and earth balance the brighter fruits.
It is a wine as contemplative as any cellared red.
“It came out really nice,” Wood admitted, pointing out that he developed a Chardonnay technique years ago that seemed to work.
“The barrel amounts might vary according to vintage,” he added, “but I try to stick with my basic recipe.”
That recipe involves a vineyard sitting on a typically cool plot of Lake County land. Wood allots 40 percent of the juice to stainless steel tanks. The remaining 60 percent he ages in barrels — 10 percent new American oak, the rest well worn neutral French oak.
He also blends in a touch — 5 percent or less — of Sauvignon Blanc.
“That elevates the floral nature,” he explained.
Clearly its a recipe worthy of praise. Shed Horn’s 2014 Chardonnay shows why so many of the best winemakers appreciate the amenable grape. It is also a wine capable of converting naysayers frustrated by so many bloated versions.
And it is working.
Wood tells of a number of people visiting his Middletown tasting room content to try anything but a Chardonnay.
“We tell them ‘Just try this one,’” he said, ticking off with a laugh the number who leave with a bottle tucked under their arms.
With the charm of stainless, the richness of oak and fragrance of the seasons, Shed Horn takes Chardonnay to a welcome place, one that all will enjoy.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
