To oak, or not to oak — that is the question.
Well, at least with chardonnay, whether ‘tis nobler to douse it with wood or encase it in stainless steel makes all the difference.
You see, chardonnay is a classically trained actor. Send it a script calling for languid, seedy encounters and it will respond. Ask it to wallow in buttery opulence and it puts in the performance of a lifetime. But both involve stilted language.
Purists want the wine to deliver taut lines and a crisp delivery. So the folks at Cache Creek fermented their 2013 chardonnay in stainless. The process puts clean fruits in the limelight, but risks exposing little creaks in the conveyance.
Ah, but the Cache Creek chardonnay captures your attention, even in the prologue. On the nose it engages you with summer ripe apple, the intrigue of warm guava and a desperate hint of lemon zest. But there is a promise of drama in the offstage rumble of mossy, glistening stone.
This is a white wine prepared for freshness, but one that speaks of time — in cellars, secretive and under wraps. And you gather that impression from the bouquet.
Despite the lean treatment, the 2013 chardonnay fills the palate. It is defined in body, with hints of creamed peach suggesting a little exquisite laziness. Yet the keen sensation of golden apple shears through the weight, cleaving a hearty note of browning domestic fruit on one side, exotic tropical fruit on the other.
Only a little earthy spice and light floral wafts bridge the two.
This is the grape itself in a starring role. Picked just at it ripened, the chardonnay offers brisk fruits — apple and citrus. But the unique terroir tugs at this with dense guava and cast iron tinged pineapple.
So if you’re looking for a chardonnay, this is one pretty good answer.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
