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California Chardonnay Never Gets Old: Geode Santa Barbara 2006 and William Hill Napa 2005

Leave it to a baby boomer to latch onto this millennial wine label concept. Forgive me; the label goes with the new table we just bought from Pier 1 Imports, that place where the millennial generation now shops. The proverbial "we" refers to the writer, namely me, and my civil union partner of nearly 20 years, or whatever is allowed to be said given we do not fall into the category of "one man and one woman".

Geode is a wine concept. It is a design. It is targeted marketing. This is its first vintage. It over-delivers. That's a good thing. Quick, before they sell it off to a larger company keen on watering it down and milking the label as a cash cow, buy it and drink up.

If they are going to wing these concepts out at us, then we need to know when to buy and when to pass. We need to be as fickle about our preferences as they are about their focus group results. My experience is this type of concept is best when it starts out. They can evolve into something even better, but rarely. Again I say, buy now and drink up. Just don't get married to it. Play the field. Be gay with California wine - don't get married.

White Rocket Wine Company has done a great job with Geode Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2006. Chardonnay is the proverbial "dead horse" in many ways these days, so it takes a strong concept, product and price to make hay. True to form as a Santa Barbara County Chardonnay, this newbie takes on hints of Puligny-Montrachet, a remarkable feat for a sub-$15 wine, Geode is packed with oodles of honeyed botrytis overtones and delicious tropical fruit flavors. The honey is in the head space and the pineapple, mango and lemon-lime grace the palate in a sophisticated way. The performance is very well rounded, creamy on the palate, yet the finish is crisp dry.

Veteran wine maker Melissa Bates is credited with this stellar value laden effort. She reportedly gave this wine an average of 8 months in oak, 3/4 French, 1/4 new.

Price: $14 (Nashville). Closure: real cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

They maybe should start calling Napa Chardonnay simply, "a glass of white Napa". Chardonnay seems so generic, especially in the days of now, when "mom-and-pop" wineries are a romantic thing of the almost-past. Last year William Hill Estate changed hands, leaving the portfolio of Jim Beam's peeps and joining the ranks of E&J Gallo's decendents' peeps. But this is Napa juice, so I say, call it "a glass of white Napa". It sounds more distinguished than, say, a glass of Gallo's William Hill Napa Chardonnay.

By the way, do you know how to tell right away if that winery you're researching is owned by one of the large "wine umbrella portfolio management groups", without googling it? Here's a hint: If they ask you when you're born, before you check out their homepage, tell them you're born on January 1st 1901. And rest assured, you're under a big umbrella.

Okay, now that we've established that Gallo bought a Napa property with lots of history and genuine character, let's give them credit for injecting the house with efficiency without sacrificing quality. Under Gallo's umbrella, William Hill can compete better in the reality known as wine 2.0, the modern wine marketing landscape. As part of an entire "aisle" of offerings, this label can wield more muscle than it could stand-alone. We get better deals as a result. When they don't water it down, we stand to benefit by such an arrangement.

Reportedly, the fruit for William Hill Napa Chardonnay 2005 is from Carneros and Atlas Peak. Malolactic fermentation and oak aging inject the wine with richness, layered atop the lean acidic structure begotten from the cool climate vineyards. The oak influence is noticeable, reinforcing the tropical mango and perfumed lemon aromas and flavors. Here is a successful baby Chassagne-Montrachet, if you dare call it that. I call it a darn good glass of "white Napa".

Price: $13 (Nashville, on sale). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 13.9%.

Beautifully conceptual these wines, both of them. This is what Chardonnay is all about, and it's amazing how affordable they are.

What's Your Style? Carmel Road Monterey Chardonnay 2006 and NO Unoaked Monterey Chardonnay 2007

A lot of very good and not very expensive Chardonnay originates in Monterey County. But what influences a bottle of Chardonnay more? Is it the the place where it is grown or the way it is made? I have to say both. Unlike in Burgundy, where the location dictates style, in Monterey there is total freedom to express the personality of the grape after it is picked, through its handling in the winery. Lots of oak, little oak, or no oak; secondary malolactic fermentation or not; it's up to the producer and wine maker to decide.

In Burgundy, if your vineyard is in Mersault, you are going to make a rich and oaky wine. If your vines are further south in Pouilly-Fuisse, you are going to make a Chardonnay with little or no oak at all. As a consumer, you know what to expect in terms of style based on where the wine is from. All you need to do is navigate the vintage charts and producers to make a selection that matches your tastes, mood and food.

In Monterey, you will need to taste a lot and decide for yourself which label is your style. Which label suits your mood? Which label will you open this evening? What if you're having a glass before dinner? How about with dinner? The good news is, I haven't tasted any fresh, well-made Chardonnay from Monterey I didn't like. The weather is cool there, the hang time for the grapes is long, and the soil is lean, well-drained and minerally.

Here are two Monterey Chardonnays that have both significant differences and similarities. I guess the story could be stated as thus: You can twist the grapes every which way, you can take the grapes out of Monterey, but you can't take Monterey out of the grapes.

Carmel Road Monterey Chardonnay 2006

Carmel Road Winery is now part of Jackson Wine Estates, best known for Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay. Carmel Road is managed under a Brand "umbrella" that includes high-end labels Hartford Family and Freemark Abbey.

Carmel Road Monterey Chardonnay saw just over 6 months in oak barrels, 3/4 French, a minor portion new barrels. Starting out with high quality concentrated fruit, this is enough oak influence to make for a richer style Chardonnay. I would say this one is just a bit richer than middle-of-the road, without going off the rails. You could say it's efficient luxury. If this is your house wine, you might drive a metallic pearl Lexus. Alternatively, you might drink it when you're celebrating, but not showing off.

Expect a rich lemon-gold brilliance in the glass, and aromas of pear, lemon drops, vanilla plus a whiff of clove spice. There is a creaminess on the tongue. The flavor is moderately complex, noticeably oak influenced, with spicy tree fruit and tart citrus notes that balance out nicely in a smooth finish.

Price: $15 (Nashville). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%.

NO Unoaked Monterey Chardonnay 2007

This is the first vintage for NO Chardonnay. NO Vineyards and Winery has been making Lake County Sauvignon Blanc, devoid of oak or malolactic fermentation, since 2003. With the growing trend in unoaked Chardonnay, it's no surprise they would line-extend to leverage their brand name, which might just as well be "Buck Naked", "Butt Naked", or "In the Buff".

As expected, NO Monterey Chardonnay saw no oak, and no secondary malolactic fermentation. The screw cap nails this concept home, as not even the natural influence of a cork is allowed to manipulate the Monterey fruit. This is as close to a pure sample off the stainless steel tank as you can get.

NO is bright pale straw, with a slight greenish tint in the glass, noticeable lighter than the Carmel Road. The aromas and flavors are lean, dominated by Granny Smith apple and lemon. On the tongue, this Chardonnay is lean, tart and focused, with grassy, lemon-lime and green apple flavors. This is a Chardonnay for Sauvignon Blanc lovers, you might even say "shrill" for a Chardonnay. If this is your house wine, you might drive a hybrid vehicle, or maybe you just feel like breathing some clean air.

Price: $11 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Being that both of these Chardonnays originate in Monterey County, don't expect their differences to outweigh their similarities. I expected them to be more different, but was surprised they both share a fruit forward nature, beautiful Chardonnay character, plus great minerality and acidity. The nice thing about the comparison is the NO (unoaked) Chardonnay costs a few dollars less than the Carmel Road. This is as it should be. After all, when you're avoiding the high price of oak barrels, you should pass along the savings to the consumer. All too often that isn't the case.

Looking for Pepper and Butter? Try This Red and White: Las Rocas Calatayud Garnacha 2005 and Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay 2006

Pepper and butter seem to be the two most requested flavor influences among red and white wine shoppers. When it comes to butter, I think the American Chardonnay section of a retail store could be arranged on the basis of a butter scale. When it comes to pepper, most people think Zinfandel, but sometimes that elusive spice shows up in Grenache (Garnacha) or Mourvedre (Monastrell).

Here are a couple of bargains that remind me of more expensive wines, and they deliver a fresh grind of black pepper and a nice pat of butter. As you can imagine, they make great accessories to savory dishes.

Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha 2005
Pass by the Zinfandel and turn over this rock for pepper. This is the entry level Las Rocas Garnacha, made in the unoaked style. Still, it reminds me of a Chateauneuf Du Pape, albeit on a more accessible level, and at 1/5 the price. Here you will find pepper a plenty, not to mention cherry liqueur, a savory characteristic not unlike roast meat, plus a certain gravelly earthy sensibility. Made for food, capable of carrying a slow cooked roasted dish, you might also find it to be a superb match for a well made pepperoni pizza.

Fruit for Las Rocas is sourced from 70-100 year-old vines located in Calatayud, between Madrid and Barcelona. The modern day Spanish importer/legend Eric Solomon is responsible for bringing Las Rocas to market. Wine Advocate gave Las Rocas 2005 90 points, and they say it's time to drink up. The 2006 is on the market, but there is still some 2005 to be bought in and around Nashville.

Price (Nashville): $11. Closure: Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay 2006
Columbia Crest gives a lot for a little, like this wonderful example of a Columbia Valley Chardonnay. Here you are getting something that delivers the elegance of a mildly oaked Burgundy at a bargain price. If it's what's in the bottle that counts, you might just want to pass by the top shelf Chardonnay and grab this one.

Expect lemon drops, lovely pear, light smoke, ginger, plus a moderate pat of that much in demand buttery character. This is a creamy white that would do very well with grilled chicken, roast chicken, or even a rich fish dish along the lines of Pompano en Papillote.

The creamy buttery character is developed through secondary fermentation, and the light smoke and spice owes itself to judicious oak aging (about 9 months in a variety of new and old barrels).

Price: $11 (Nashville). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Yard Dog Proprietary White Blend 2006 and One Fierce Shrimp Quesadilla

Being a health and fitness nut is not incompatible with a love for eating. Summer is the season for fresh produce, so this evening I went out and picked some tomatoes, peppers and herbs. My plan: to do some simple culinary blending that will illustrate the beauty of Yard Dog White 2006, a creative blend that's selling very well here in Nashville.

The garden is just starting to provide a yield. But I was able to pick a bunch of sweet banana peppers, and a "Holy Mole" pepper, as well as several small heirloom tomatoes, called Lime Green Salad and Black Cherry. I also gathered up a bunch of onion chives, flat leaf parsley, and sweet basil. Now, it's time to make a Shrimp Quesadilla.

I google shrimp quesadilla and find a number of similar approaches. Now I'm ready to improvise. Nobody mentioned garden fresh peppers, but I'm going to incorporate them. To make one fierce shrimp quesadilla, here's what I put together:

Shrimp: 1/2 pound thawed, USA wild caught, 30 per pound, de-veined. I look for USA wild caught, because they are not on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's list of seafood to "Avoid", unlike imported farm raised and wild caught shrimp, which are. These shrimp, I marinate 20 minutes in Stirrings Margarita Mix, plus copious chopped chives and parsley, as well as a shake or two of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Old Bay seasoning. I set these aside in the refrigerator.

I chop:

• 1/4 to 1/2 sweet Vidalia onion, depending on size
• 1/2 good sized fresh "Holy Mole" pepper, seeds and membranes removed
• 1 sweet banana pepper, seeds removed
• 1/5 sweet red pepper, seeds removed
• These peppers and onions are sweated in olive oil for 5-10 minutes on low-medium heat.

Meanwhile, I begin heating and browning 2 whole wheat soft tortillas.

Once the onions and peppers are transparent, I add the shrimp and marinade and reduce the mixture as the shrimp poach. This only takes 5 or 6 minutes. Now, it's assembly time.

Leave one browning tortilla in its non-stick pan, and put a little handful of "Mexican Cheese" (I used 2% milk variety) on the bottom tortilla. Now add half the peppers and onions. Next add all the shrimp (except the ones you ate already). Add the other half of the peppers and onions. Add another small handful of "Mexican Cheese". Finally, add the top tortilla. The skillet is on medium heat. Once the whole quesadilla has melted together, turn it and brown it on the other side.

Serve with a side of chopped heirloom salad tomatoes (I used the Lime Green and Black Cherry ones from the garden), mixed with fresh sweet basil. You might also serve with some rice, seasoned how you like. Finally, drizzle the quesadilla with a sour cream concoction that is thinned out with the Stirrings Margarita Mix that I mentioned earlier. Lastly, top with chopped flat leaf parsley and onion chives.

Yard Dog proprietary white blend is a summer wine, ideal for creative fusion dishes, because it's a perfect blend of white wine flavors and textures. A little of this and a little of that comes together resulting in a very successful bottle of wine that will disappear quickly as it keeps you guessing what all is in it.

What's in it is Chardonnay (55%), Sauvignon Blanc (15%), Riesling (15%), Semillon (10%) and Viognier (5%). The color is bright lemon straw. It's not sweet! It's crisp and dry, yet refreshing. On the nose you will pick up a citrus medley, plus some cold blossoms and a slightly peachy keen-ness. On the tongue the citrus dominates, playing out as lemon, lime and grapefruit, plus you might get some nectarine and green apple. The whole thing stays together, creating a flavor that's charismatic. And it's sure to be the perfect thing to wash down a shrimp quesadilla, or even potato salad on the way to a hot dog off the grill.

Red Head Wine Studios, out of the McLaren Vale area in Australia, did a great job with keeping the price down on this fun white. Their Yard Dog proprietary red blend is equally impressive. 5,500 cases of the 2006 white blend were produced. Both of these wines are selling extremely well in Nashville this year.

Price: $9 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 13.7%.

Yard Dog is imported by Vine Street Imports out of Philadelphia. Winewaves has reviewed several of their wines recently. We are in no way affiliated with Vine Street. They are obviously on a hot streak right now, which is why we have featured several of their wines.

Meridian Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2006

The label eludes to the scene. You're there, or your mind takes you there if you're not there in body. You look to the west and the colors emerge with a fortunate sunset as sailing vessels are in no hurry to return to their moors. People amble down the boardwalk or the palm lined avenue as a hard working two-man band entertains a crowd at the Tiki bar around the corner. No shirt, no shoes, no problem.

You may have spent a lot to get here, or maybe you don't have a lot to spend and your trip is pure imagination. No matter, because as the saying goes, wherever you go, there you are. This scene is not begging for a high-priced bottle of wine, but one that fits the ritual and mood of a picture perfect day as it prepares to pass into night.

Has Meridian painted a picture you can see yourself in? You can certainly afford to be here. Meridian Vineyards, whose history includes being acquired by Beringer, then becoming a little piece of the beverage behemoth Foster's, is the little engine that can get you here. They could charge more, you could spend more, but why? For $7 you can dive into a bottle of Santa Barbara Chardonnay and experience a tropical sunset wherever you are.

The aromas and flavors are centered around pineapple. It's a summer fling in a glass, you might even call it a fantasy. The flavors come across a tad sweet, but it's just the tropical fruit talking. The wine is actually pretty dry in terms of residual sugar, but oak influence is minimal so the Santa Barbara fruit is intense. There are hints of orange, coconut and lemon-lime, but that welcoming pineapple is what reverberates. The finish is a simple pleasure; one that says, "drink, don't think".

The point is, we don't always need a wine to be monumental. Very good for the price and right for the mood is frequently all we really need. Like this Chardonnay.

Price: $7. (Nashville, Clearwater). Closure: Nomacorc. Alcohol content: 13.4%.

Summerland Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2005

Summerland's under-$15 Santa Barbara Chardonnay is a smart fusion of bright varietal flavors and light handed spice, perfect for the season.

Summerland proprietor Bilo Zarif and winemaker Etienne Terlinden have been creating expressive Central Coast Chardonnay for several years, first at Zarif's Barnwood Vineyards and Laetitia Winery, and now at Summerland.

Excellent value ($14). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14.2%.

Style: Bright, somewhat complex, light spice, crisp/dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Light lemon straw. Aromas: Pear, spiced apple and hints of cold blossoms and banana. Tart, juicy and a bit rounded off, the spiced apple, orange and ginger flavors are lively and refreshing in the clean dry finish.

Comment: A trendsetter in a sea of California Chardonnay.

Barefoot Cellars Non-Vintage California Chardonnay

Click for an enlarged picture

At home in a plastic cup or a Riedel glass, at $1 a glass the price is right on this Chardonnay when an "estate pour" isn't called for or when there's no one around you feel the need to impress. Hey look, there isn't even a vintage, but the juice isn't bad, definitely on par with the better boxes priced the same per liter.

Gallo bought the Barefoot brand in early 2005 and continues growing it at an impressive rate. Millennials, a.k.a. "Generation Y" are said to be the target. A lot of Barefoot buyers may just be "Millennial at heart" or on a tight budget. Why not sneak a drink of the "class of 2000"? It's sort of a reversal; you drinking theirs rather than the other way around.

Jennifer Wall is Winemaker for the Barefoot line, and she calls the style "vibrant and fun, fantastic and affordably priced". That sounds a bit like a "one night stand", but at least it doesn't overpromise, which is refreshing.

Excellent value ($9/1.5 Liter). Closure: Neocork. Alcohol content: 13%.

Style: Juicy round tropical and refreshing but uncomplicated.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Light straw, with a greenish tint. Aromas: Tropical fruit: peach, pineapple, lemon and hints of banana. Juicy round and soft with enough acidity to balance the sweet fruit, the tropical punch and green apple crispness leads to a simply refreshing finish.

Pictured below, Barefoot showed up to have some fun at the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) Festival Tasting in January.

Click for the Winewaves ZAP - Zinfandel Advocates and Producers - January 2007 San Francisco Tasting Photo Album

Henry's Drive Pillar Box White 2006

The aroma is so fresh, it glows in the dark. Just follow your nose to your glass. Here is an innovative way to use Chardonnay grapes.

Pillar Box White follows the successful model of Pillar Box Red. This boîte blanche combines great ingredients, talented winemaking, an immediately accessible slightly off-dry style and an everyday price.

The blend is 66% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon Blanc and 14% Verdelho, sourced from Padthaway Australia. Chris Ringland of Henry's Drive is credited as Winemaker and Dan Phillips of Grateful Palate imports and markets it.

Excellent value ($10).  Closure: Screw cap.  Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Style: Unwooded, juicy tart, light and zesty refreshment.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Melon, lime, pear, plus grassy and flinty notes. The mouthfeel is citrusy tart and light-bodied. The sweet and sour lime and orange rind flavors are refreshing with just a touch of mineral and a clean well-balanced finish, albeit barely off-dry.

Comment: Spring forward, pucker up and clean your palate.

Winewaves reviewed Pillar Box Red 2005.

Thierry and Guy Fat Bastard Chardonnay 2005

When you're knocking around in your jeans, and you could toy with a Chardonnay from Nimes, for about ten bucks this wine doesn't suck, you might even say it screams; "What a deal".

For a lot of folks their first exposure to Fat Bastard is being on the giving or receiving end of a "white elephant" gift.  But when tasted, most are surprised to find the wine is mighty fine.  Thierry Boudinaud is Head Winemaker, and Guy Anderson is the "whack to the side of the head".  Together they invented the product and concept which has literally defined casual French wine, a category which would have seemed an oxymoron before the Fat Bastard was born some 10 years ago.

Legend has it that upon tasting a certain lot of 100% Chardonnay, sourced from the Languedoc-Roussillon region north of Nimes, barrel aged 4 months on the lees (yeast bodies), there was an epiphany.  "Thierry exclaimed now zat iz what you call eh phet bast-ard. Guy laughed with a belly laugh you could clearly hear in the neighboring town." They never looked back.

Color: Light lemon gold.  Aromas: Pear, starfruit, cold blossoms and hints of oak spice.  Light-bodied and rounded off a bit, the tart apple, oily citrus and lightly nutty spicy flavors finish crisp dry and refreshing.

Excellent value ($9). Closure: Composite "Neocork". Alcohol content: 13.5%

Peter Click must be credited for recognizing the birth of a phenomenon, and bringing the Fat Bastard to droves of awaiting Americans.

Winewaves reviewed the 2004 vintage of Fat Bastard Chardonnay.

Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay 2005

Two thumbs up for this Francis Coppola production which succeeds in being just different enough from the growing pack of $10-15 Chardonnays to stand out.  The personality is sophisticated and complex, possessing a dry wit, and definitely makes for an ideal dining companion.

Winemaker Corey Beck reports the source of Diamond Collection 2005 Chardonnay was Monterey County.  Some lots were fermented in French oak barrels before undergoing malolactic fermentation, before being blended with lots which were fermented in stainless without malolactic fermentation.  The blend then aged 9 months in French oak.

Tasting Notes: Color: Light golden straw.  Aromas: Fruity pear, tropical notes and lime combine with savory hints of green olive, butter and sea salt.  Round and medium-bodied, the orange rind, tart lemon and apple fruit flavors combine with an almost salty minerality that carries into the bone dry finish.

Excellent value ($13).  Closure: Real cork.  Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Food pairing: Herb and fruitwood roasted chicken.

Winewaves reviewed the 2004 vintage of Coppola Diamond Chardonnay.