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The 2016 International Chardonnay Symposium Announces Medal Winners

July 3, 2016 by evebushman

Awards were handed out in four categories and The SOMM Journal named its top sommelier

Pismo Beach, CA – The International Chardonnay Symposium, (ICS), TheChardonnaySymposium.com, the world’s foremost gathering of premium Chardonnay producers, sommeliers, trade and enthusiasts, announced the official medal winners of the 2016 International Chardonnay Symposium Wine Competition.

1075396_10151754767250129_1774742043_o

The ICS 2016 and The SOMM Journal selected leading sommeliers to judge the extensive double-blind tasting of Chardonnay from around the globe. The medal winners were announced at the Symposium’s Annual La Paulée Dinner and Vintner Awards Ceremony, held this year at Greengate Ranch & Vineyard in the heart of the Edna Valley AVA in mid-May.

The 2016 ICS was held in the seaside resort towns of Pismo Beach, ClassicCalifornia.com; Avila Beach, VisitAvilaBeach.com; and the Edna Valley, an area of the Highway 1 Discovery Route in San Luis Obispo County, Highway1DiscoveryRoute.com.

The 2016 International Chardonnay Symposium Wine Competition “Best” category winners are:

v  Best of Show

Alpha Omega 2013 Reserve (Napa Valley)

Platinum medal

v  Best Unoaked Chardonnay

Simonnet-Febvre 2014 Chablis Premier Cru “Vaillons” (Chablis)

Double Gold medal

v  Best Oaked Chardonnay

Grgich Hills Estate 2013 Miljenko’s Selection (Carneros)

Double Gold medal

v  SOMM Journal’s Choice

Arínzano 2010 Gran Vino White (Arínzano, Vino de Pago, Spain)

Gold medal

The Best of Show award was especially meaningful for vintner Robin Baggett, the proprietor of Alpha Omega in Napa Valley and Tolosa Winery in San Luis Obispo. Baggett said, “Having graduated from Cal Poly and raised by family in San Luis Obispo, then starting my wine career in Edna Valley at Tolosa Winery, it’s an honor to return and receive such a prestigious award for our Napa Valley efforts.”

The SOMM Journal and the ICS named Alicia Ajolo of taste wine-beer-kitchen in Long Beach, California, as the Symposium’s 2016 Top Sommelier. Ajolo was one of the judges at the day-long wine competition where she determined the origin of the most of wines during a double-blind tasting.

 

Platinum Medal Winners

Alpha Omega 2013 Reserve (Napa Valley)

Hearst Ranch Winery 2014 Proprietor’s Reserve (Central Coast)

RUSACK Vineyards 2014 Santa Maria Valley Reserve (Santa Maria Valley)

 

Double Gold Medal Winners

ADELAIDA 2014 Estate, (Adelaida District)

Bernardus 2013 Sierra Mar (Santa Lucia Highlands)

Clos Pepe 2013 Estate Barrel Fermented (Sta. Rita Hills)

CRU Wine Co. 2014 Montage (Monterey)

El Pistolero 2015 “Cold Steel” (Santa Lucia Highlands)

Grgich Hills Estate 2013 Miljenko’s Selection (Carneros)

Simonnet-Febvre 2014 Chablis Premier Cru “Vaillons” (Chablis)

Wente Vineyards 2014 The Nth Degree (Livermore Valley)

Windemere 2014 MacGregor Vineyard (Central Coast)

 

Gold Medal Winners

Alpha Omega 2013 Chardonnay (Napa Valley)

Arínzano 2010 Gran Vino White (Arínzano, Vino de Pago, Spain)

Baileyana 2014 Firepeak (Edna Valley)

Chartron et Trébuchet 2012 Meursault (Meursault)

Cotiere 2014 Talley Rincon (Arroyo Grande Valley)

DeLoach Vineyard 2013 Estate (Russian River)

Edna Valley Vineyard 2014 (Central Coast)

Edna Valley Vineyard 2014 Winemaker Series Heritage (Santa Lucia Highlands)

Landmark Vineyards 2014 Overlook (Sonoma County)

Louis Latour 2010 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (Corton-Charlemagne)

Nottingham Cellars 2014 1846 by Nottingham Cellars (Arroyo Seco)

Sextant Wines 2014 Central Coast (Central Coast)

Sinor-LaVallee 2014 White Label-Bassi Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)

St. Francis Winery 2014 Behler (Sonoma Valley)

Tolosa Winery 2014 569 (Central Coast)

Tolosa Winery 2014 Dijon (Central Coast)

 

Silver Medal Winners

ADELAIDA 2014 HMR Vineyard (Adelaida District)

Buena Vista Winery 2013 Private Reserve (Sonoma County)

Capensis 2013 (Western Cape, South Africa)

Chartron et Trébuchet 2013 Rully Premier Cru Les Grésigny (Rully)

Clos Pepe 2013 Estate (Sta. Rita Hills)

CRU Wine Co. 2014 Unoaked (Arroyo Seco)

Domaine L’Arjolle 2015 Côtes de Thongue (Côtes de Thongue)

Harmony Cellars 2014 (Central Coast)

Hearst Ranch Winery 2014 Glacier Ridge (Santa Lucia Highlands)

Jean-Charles Boisset 2013 JCB #81 (Sonoma Coast)

Presqu’ile, 2013 Presqu’ile Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley)

Talley Vineyards 2014 Estate (Arroyo Grande Valley)

Trefethen 2014 (Oak Knoll District)

True Myth 2014 Paragon Estate (Edna Valley)

 

About The International Chardonnay Symposium

The International Chardonnay Symposium attracts winemakers, sommeliers, media, trade, wine enthusiasts and tastemakers from across the globe to enjoy and study the world’s favorite grape. When the discussion ends, there’s plenty of time for exploring nearby Central Coast wineries, as well as the hosting seaside resort towns of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach that offer downtown winetasting rooms, pristine beaches, surfing and kayaking, hiking and biking trails, farm-to-table and seaport-inspired cuisine, boutique shopping, and more. The International Chardonnay Symposium is sponsored by Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau, Avila Beach Tourism Alliance, California Highway 1 Discovery Route, Visit San Luis Obispo County, The Tasting Panel Magazine, The SOMM Journal, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 805 Living, Touring & Tasting, Greengate Ranch & Vineyard, Riedel, Farm Credit West, San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, and Yelp.

About Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, & Highway 1 Discovery Route of SLO County

San Luis Obispo County’s Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and the Highway 1 Discovery Route destination towns are located on California’s famous Central Coast, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. With miles of pristine Pacific coastline, enjoy great weather, a plethora of outdoor activities, rich wild life and nature preserves, downtown wine tasting rooms, and the neighboring world class wine producing regions of the Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley, Santa Maria Valley and Paso Robles. For information on the wide variety of lodging choices, accommodating every budget and lifestyle, visit ClassicCalifornia.com, VisitAvilaBeach.com, and Highway1DiscoveryRoute.com.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: Arroyo Grande Valley, carneros, Central Coast, chablis, Chardonnay, chardonnay symposium, Edna Valley, medal, Monterey, Napa Valley, pismo beach, Russian River Valley, san luis obispo, santa lucia highlands, somm journal, sommelier, sonoma county, south Africa, spain, sta. rita hills, vintner, Wine tasting

2016 International Chardonnay Symposium Pays Homage To France

April 11, 2016 by evebushman

Producers from the birthplace of Chardonnay, and a much-anticipated French Forum panel discussion, will be featured at the upcoming annual celebration.

Pismo Beach, CA –  The International Chardonnay Symposium, the world’s foremost gathering of top global Chardonnay winemakers, sommeliers, journalists, wine industry leaders, foodies and oenephiles will feature a star-studded panel and guided tasting tour of the most storied and seminal Chardonnay regions in France at this year’s celebration May 12-14.

12438962_10153686878455129_4373481511517107494_n“France has long been the standard-bearer of Chardonnay, and this spotlight and panel discussion comes at an exciting time since France’s classic, lean-and-bright style is clearly influencing winemakers the world over, especially here in California,” says Brian Talley, a Symposium advisory board member and owner of Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande, California.

Several French producers will be pouring at the Grand Tasting on Saturday, May 14, and attendees of the French Forum on Friday, May 13 will participate in an expert-led exploration of France’s quintessential Chardonnay regions, such as Chablis, Champagne, Montrachet, Pouilly-Fuissé, Languedoc-Roussillon and Meursault.

Moderated by Master Sommelier Bob Bath, from the Culinary Institute of America, the French Forum panel includes Claude Rouquet from the Boisset Collection, Bruno Laclotte from Charton et Trebuchet, Bernard Retornez from Maison Louis Latour, Jean-Rèmy Rapeneau from Champagne G.H. Martel, Kyle Kaplan from Piper-Heidsieck, and Geoffroy de La Besnardière from Domaine de l’Arjolle.

The French Forum is but one of many panel discussions and happenings at this annual global gathering set among the stunning coastal communities of Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and the Edna Valley wine region.

The other panel discussions include:

  • Wente Clone Comparative Tasting
  • What’s Oak Got to Do With It?
  • Pairing Chardonnay With Artisanal Cheeses
  • Taste the Difference: Exploring California’s Distinct Chardonnay Regions
  • Hone Your Chardonnay Blind-Tasting Skills

The Grand Tasting, with 80-plus wineries, will be held at the picturesque Greengate Ranch & Vineyard (GreengateWeddings.com) on Saturday, May 14. Additional events include a Vintners’ Wine Tech Symposium, Sommelier Chardonnay Challenge, La Paulée Dinner and Vintners Awards Ceremony, and new to this year’s Symposium, the Pét-Nat/Sparkling Wine & Oysters Gala.

For more information on the Symposium, and for tickets to the Grand Tasting or other events —including the French Forum— please visit TheChardonnaySymposium.com. For photos from last year’s event go here.

About The International Chardonnay Symposium

The International Chardonnay Symposium attracts winemakers, sommeliers, media, trade, foodies, wine enthusiasts and tastemakers from across the globe to enjoy and study the world’s favorite grape. When the discussion ends, there’s plenty of time for exploring nearby Central Coast wineries as well as the hosting seaside resort towns of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach that offer downtown winetasting rooms, pristine beaches, surfing and kayaking, hiking and biking trails, farm-to-table and seaport-inspired cuisine, boutique shopping, and more. The International Chardonnay Symposium is sponsored by Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau, Avila Beach Tourism Alliance, California Highway 1 Discovery Route, Visit San Luis Obispo County, The Tasting Panel Magazine, The SOMM Journal, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Touring & Tasting, Greengate Ranch & Vineyard, and 805 Living.

About Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, & Highway 1 Discovery Route of SLO County

San Luis Obispo County’s Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and the Highway 1 Discovery Route destination towns are located on California’s famous Central Coast, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. With miles of pristine Pacific coastline, enjoy great weather, a plethora of outdoor activities, rich wild life and nature preserves, downtown wine tasting rooms, and the neighboring world class wine producing regions of the Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley, Santa Maria Valley and Paso Robles. For information on the wide variety of lodging choices, accommodating every budget and lifestyle, visit Classiccalifornia.com, VisitAvilaBeach.com, VisitSanLuisObispoCounty.com and Highway1DiscoveryRoute.com.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: award, California, chablis, chardonnay symposium, cheese, culinary, France, pismo beach, sommelier, Sparkling wine, wine dinner, wine education, Wine tasting, winemaker

2016 International Chardonnay Symposium Celebrates the World’s Favorite Grape

January 7, 2016 by evebushman

California’s Central Coast hosts a global celebration of Chardonnay

December 9, 2015 (Pismo Beach, CA) –The world’s foremost gathering of Chardonnay producers, The International Chardonnay Symposium (TheChardonnaySymposium.com), will feature a line-up of top global Chardonnay winemakers, sommeliers, media, trade, foodies and wine enthusiasts during this year’s events, May 12-14, 2016. The Symposium will take place in the classic California beach towns of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach with a grand tasting at the picturesque Greengate Ranch & Vineyard (GreengateWeddings.com) in Edna Valley wine country.

1496044_10152146587835129_1371476224_oA sampling of panel discussions include:

  • Wente Clone Comparative Tasting
  • What’s Oak Got to Do With It?
  • Pairing Chardonnay With Artisanal Cheese
  • Digging In: An International Look at the Effects of Terroir

Additional events include a Vintners’ Wine Tech Symposium, Sommelier Chardonnay Challenge, Grand Tasting, La Paulée Dinner and Awards Ceremony and new to this year’s event, the Pét-Nat, Sparkling Wine and Oysters Gala. Early-bird tickets to the Saturday Grand Tasting are available and can be purchased by visiting TheChardonnaySymposium.com.

Complimentary tickets for qualified media to the three-day event can be requested by emailing TCS@ParkerSanpei.com.

About The International Chardonnay Symposium

The International Chardonnay Symposium attracts winemakers, sommeliers, media, trade, foodies, wine enthusiasts and tastemakers from across the globe to enjoy and study the world’s favorite grape. When the discussion ends, there’s plenty of time for exploring nearby Central Coast wineries as well as the hosting seaside resort towns of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach that offer downtown winetasting rooms, pristine beaches, surfing and kayaking, hiking and biking trails, farm-to-table and seaport-inspired cuisine, boutique shopping, and more. The International Chardonnay Symposium is sponsored by The Tasting Panel Magazine, The SOMM Journal, Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau, Avila Beach Tourism Alliance, and the California Highway 1 Discovery Route. For more information, visit TheChardonnaySymposium.com.

About Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, & Highway 1 Discovery Route of SLO County

San Luis Obispo County’s Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and the Highway 1 Discovery Route destination towns are located on California’s famous Central Coast, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. With miles of pristine Pacific coastline, enjoy great weather, a plethora of outdoor activities, rich wild life and nature preserves, downtown wine tasting rooms, and the neighboring world class wine producing regions of the Edna Valley, Avila Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley, Santa Maria Valley and Paso Robles. For information on the wide variety of lodging choices, accommodating every budget and lifestyle, visit Classiccalifornia.com, VisitAvilaBeach.com and Highway1DiscoveryRoute.com.

 

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: Arroyo Grande Valley, California, Central Coast, Chardonnay, chardonnay symposium, Edna Valley, foodie, Paso Robles, pismo beach, somm journal, sommelier, Tasting Panel magazine, vineyard, wine education, winemaker

2016 International Chardonnay Symposium

November 16, 2015 by evebushman

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: California, Chardonnay, chardonnay symposium, cuisine, pismo beach, Tasting Panel magazine, wine bar, wine dinner, wine education, wine enthusiast, wine event, Wine tasting

International Chardonnay Symposium Launches With A Bang

July 19, 2015 by evebushman

Star-studded global wine event attracts the crème de la crème of the industry to Pismo Beach and Avila Beach

Pismo Beach, Calif –  With nearly 1,000 attendees and over 100 participants, the International Chardonnay Symposium descended on the beachfront communities of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach with seminars, dinners, and tastings that attracted the wine industry’s foremost winemakers, sommeliers, and journalists, as well as many devoted consumers.

zo86ft“The Chardonnay Symposium was an amazing opportunity to experience the tremendous quality we are seeing in Chardonnay today both domestically and internationally,” said Winemaker Michael McNeill of Hanzell Vineyards in Sonoma. “After tasting through the wines over the course of the event, I saw that California Chardonnay is not what it was even five years ago. I saw an energy and vibrancy throughout the wines here that was uncommon a short time ago.”

Attendees to the Symposium were treated to panels moderated by top industry experts, including Master Sommelier Fred Dame, Master Sommelier Brian McClintic, Master Sommelier Bob Bath, cheese educator and author Laura Werlin, and VP of Sales and Marketing for The Thornhill Companies Nicholas Miller; covering such topics as “To Oak Or Not To Oak?,” pairing food with Chardonnay, and the fashion, evolution and diversity of the world’s favorite white wine grape. Panel discussions also featured the culinary talents of Chef Christopher Manning of Thomas Hill Organics in Paso Robles and Chef Vatche Moukhtarian of the Cracked Pepper Bistro in Fresno, California.

Two grand tastings featured hundreds of Chardonnays in multiple styles, from dozens of appellations from across the globe, in addition to two separate wine auctions benefitting Cal Poly University’s Wine & Viticulture and Recreation, Parks & Tourism Administration departments. The La Paulée dinner at Lido of Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa included vintners’ favorite library wines and cuisine by Chef Jacob Moss and Guest Chef Ari Kolender of Leon’s Oyster Shop and Saint Alban in South Carolina. And the “Taste Like A Somm” dinner at The Gardens of Avila at Sycamore Mineral Springs showcased the talents of Chef Gregg Wangard and Chef Michael Avila, whose cuisine was paired with several Chardonnays for a double-blind tasting.

The Symposium also focused on professional development, offering an all-day Vintners’ Tech Symposium in which 20 vintners from across California shared best practices, led by veteran Winemaker Larry Brooks of Tolosa Winery in Edna Valley; as well as The SOMM Journal’s “Sommelier Challenge” in which a dozen top sommeliers blind-tasted 32 Chardonnay wines and weighed-in with their favorites. The winners of the “Sommelier Challenge” were announced at the La Paulée Dinner as such:

  • Best Classic Style Chardonnay

Talley Vineyards 2013 Chardonnay, Arroyo Grande Estate

  • Best No-Oak Chardonnay

Presqu’ile 2013 Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley

  • Best Old World-Style Chardonnay

Cotière 2013 Murmur Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

  • Best New World-Style Chardonnay

Capensis 2013, Western Cape, South Africa

  • Best of Show

Mattina Fiore 2012 Murmur Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

  • Somm’s Choice

Dalrymple 2012 “Cave Block,” Piper’s River, Tasmania

Sponsors of the 2015 International Chardonnay Symposium include: Avila Beach Tourism Alliance, Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau, SLO County Tourism Business Improvement District, The SOMM Journal, The Tasting Panel Magazine, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Biddle Ranch Vineyard, Farm Credit West, Grape Encounters, The Krush 92.5, Riedel, Sustainability In Practice (SIP), TricorBraun, and Vivant Fine Cheese.

The 2016 International Chardonnay Symposium will be hosted in the beachfront communities of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach on May 12-14, 2016. For more information and to be added to the mailing list please email us at TCS@ParkerSanpei.com.

About The International Chardonnay Symposium

The International Chardonnay Symposium attracts winemakers, sommeliers, media, trade, foodies, wine enthusiasts and tastemakers from across the globe to enjoy and study the world’s favorite grape. When the discussion ends, there’s plenty of time for exploring nearby Central Coast wineries as well as the hosting seaside resort towns of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach that offer downtown winetasting rooms, pristine beaches, surfing and kayaking, hiking and biking trails, farm-to-table and seaport-inspired cuisine, boutique shopping, and more. The International Chardonnay Symposium is sponsored by The Tasting Panel Magazine, The SOMM Journal, Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau, Avila Beach Tourism Alliance, and the California Highway 1 Discovery Route. For more information, visit thechardonnaysymposium.com.

About Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, & Highway 1 Discovery Route of SLO County

San Luis Obispo County’s Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and ten Highway 1 Discovery Route destination towns are located on California’s famous Central Coast, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.  With miles of pristine Pacific coastline, enjoy great weather, a plethora of outdoor activities, rich wild life and nature preserves, downtown wine tasting rooms, and the neighboring world class wine producing regions of San Luis Obispo Wine Country, Santa Maria Valley and Paso Robles. For information on the wide variety of lodging choices, accommodating every budget and lifestyle, visit Classiccalifornia.com; VisitAvilaBeach.com and Highway1discoveryroute.com.

 

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: Chardonnay, chardonnay symposium, chef, Edna Valley, library wines, master sommelier, Paso Robles, santa maria Valley, somm journal, sommelier, Sonoma, south Africa, viticulture, wine dinner, wine education, winemaker

The Remarkable Wines of the 2015 Chardonnay Symposium

June 12, 2015 by evebushman

“This will probably be 2015’s most exciting wine event featuring the world’s most popular wine. TCS was started about six years ago by the Santa Maria AVA folks, featuring local notables like Jim Clendenen, Adam Tolmach, Jonathan Nagy… It was basically a couple simultaneous panels with a Grand Tasting afterward. Over the years it attracted panel leaders like Steve Heimoff and Karen MacNeil and then last year moved to Pismo in a slightly smaller format, with Matt Kettman as panel leader. This year it seems to have exploded into an international event with the edginess of In Pursuit of Balance and the comprehensiveness of WOPN. There are Grand Tastings both Friday and Saturday; intriguing dinners both nights and seminars that will appeal to everyone from the Interested Consumer to the Over-Achieving Professional…” Santa Barbara Photographer, Bob Dickey.

IMG_2888Tasting

Thanks to Bob Dickey I had this great precursor to The Chardonnay Symposium (TCS). I was looking forward to my full-throttle education of all things Chardonnay, already knowing that the best way to learn about a varietal is to taste from different AVAs and winemakers. After experiencing TCS for the first time, I hope that more wine event planners move away from the “drunk fest” and into this arena as we, as attendees, not only learn more that way, but our winemakers are met with the truly interested and not just those out for a buzz.

I attended both the Friday and Saturday grand tastings. (See the story in photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10205711364290787.1073741919.1455706632&type=1&l=e289a928f1) as well as a killer tasting of older Chardonnays in a seminar lead by Master Sommelier Fred Dame. (More on that below.)

All of my notes are from the class (as that’s where I could sit and type on my mini) but I thoroughly enjoyed the two tastings too. If you scroll down to the bottom of this post I have highlighted my favorites in bold.

Hanzell Mount Eden Retrospective Tasting

Just check out the years of these wines – a “historic tasting” from 2011 back to 1994! If you haven’t had an older vintage chardonnay, or even if you have, there is something to learn from what a little age can do to a wine varietal not commonly aged.

Fred Dame, MS, led our seminar. He started with a story of when he drank a 1929 Montrachet – a Chardonnay – that stayed perfect throughout a dinner. Dame said that we don’t cellar our wines, homes aren’t built with cellars and the average aging time for a wine is 8 hours. This may have been a jest but we all understood that the average consumer does not hold onto their wines for very long. They are usually purchased to drink now.

Fred Dame, MS, in one-liners

Dame said, seeing us salivate, that this experience “is too dry” so let’s get started with the tasting.

Original Chardonnay was called Pinot Chardonnay in the states.

Martini planted Chards in the 50s and 60s.

Most back then were fortified wines, and the vines were in mostly Riverside.

The wines we have today are really newcomers.

There are ongoing experiments using high elevation, and the older ones are doing really well.

These two, Hanzell and Mount Eden, sell most if not all wine to members.

First read on a plaque at a golf course, Dame shared, “Gentleman stand back a moment, you are one of the privileged few to have this experience” which we all found truly apropos for today as well.

Hanzell Vineyards

Winemaker Michael McNeill said that their wines are made based on their ability to age in the cellar. Hanzell built the first stainless steel fermentation tanks in the world. “A quantum leap as to what was done before” McNeill said. They “pioneered the use of inert gas” and wanted to use French oak to follow what was being done in France. (The new winery is now all from scratch, Dame added. The original Heritage winery is now abandoned.) McNeill’s first vintage would be the 2008 we were going to taste today.

Mount Eden Vineyards

Along with Stoney Hill, these three (Hanzell and Mount Eden) were early big wineries, according to winemaker Jeffrey Patterson. Martin Ray, while recovering from a nervous breakdown in his 30s, bought Masson from Paul Masson – though Masson was sure he’d be successful if Ray bought and planted his own vineyard. Ray owned Masson for six years before he sold it to Seagram in 1943. Then Ray, heeding Masson’s original idea, bought the property right next door and planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Patterson believes that his white burgundy (chardonnay) is comparable to a grand cru classic burgundy. First vintage was 1972 and Patterson has been there since 1981.

Tasting – aromas and flavors separated by ;

2011 Mount Eden

There was a winter storm in the middle of bloom, following a cold winter, which made the crop small and the wine more ripe and concentrated.

Pineapple, honey, lemonade; lemon, grass, low acid, medium finish.

 

2011 Hanzell

Light and clean, apricot, steely; tart apple, lime, nice mouthfeel, medium acid and finish.

 

2008 Hanzell

A warm vintage, especially during harvest, which was done in about 10 days.

Toast, sweet citrus fruit, warm ceramic tile – if you can imagine that; really good fruit, balanced acid, lingering viscosity.

 

2006 Mount Eden (from magnum)

One of three years where harvest was relaxed with moderate weather. Patterson picked it for us to have today because he liked it.

White pepper, cigarette, pears in light syrup; very balanced, and a nice rich finish.

 

2001 Mount Eden (from magnum)

Patterson said this was his worst vintage, and the wine got remarkably better with age.

Cheddar cheese, some bark, peach; huge in the mouth, both the fruit and a backbone of smoke, could be described as both fine and intense. My favorite so far…

 

2001 Hanzell (from magnum)

Anise, Brie, ripe pineapple; tastes like the same profile of a younger wine, very crisp, acidic, extremely long finish.

 

1996 Mount Eden

Patterson used cross cultivation, no weeds, square grid and a 10 by 10 spacing, and that was the last year to use old vine fruit.

Honey, jasmine, cling peaches; not that sweet on the palate as it was on the nose, creamy, beautiful fruit, clinging to my tongue but still craving more. Remarkable.  My second favorite of the tasting.

 

1994 Hanzell (from magnum)

McNeill said that fine wine is incredibly inspiring, and these older wines show what Chardonnay can be.

The most honey-colored of the older wines. Smells like a dessert wine, honeysuckle, very fresh, honey, hard candy; creamy, again not as sweet on the palate, but a perfect balance of fruit and acidity with a staggeringly long finish. Another learning experience, I agreed with McNeill, this is what Chardonnay could be.

My Conclusion

Between the seated and walk-around tastings I kept thinking, these are all very fine, whether the winemaker chose to use no or some oak contact; and 100% of the cellared older vintages were really interesting. I generally felt that the fruit and mouthfeel lingered quite pleasantly on the older wines, which was a new discovery for me. So I’ll be holding some in cellar from now on. And I gotta buy some magnums to do it! Maybe a 1995, our daughter’s birth year, would be a good one to seek out.

Participating Wineries

ADELAIDA Cellars

Au Bon Climat

Beauregard Vineyards

Bodega Catena Zapata

Byron Winery

CALDORA

Calera Wine Company

Cambria Winery

Capensis

Center of Effort Wines

Chamisal Vineyards

Clos de Chacras

Cotiere

Cuvaison Estate Wines

Edna Valley Vineyard

Falcone Family Wines

Fog Crest Vineyard

Foxen Vineyards

Gainey Vineyard

Grgich Hills Winery

Hanzell Vineyards

Hugo Casanova

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

J. Wilkes

Jack Creek Cellars

Labyrinth Winery

Laetitia Vineyards & Winery

Liquid Farm

Mattina Fiore Wines

Melville Winery

Migration

Mooney Family Wines

Mount Eden Vineyards

Neotiants USA

Niner Wine Estates

Niven Family Wines

Patz & Hall

Paul Lato Wines

Poseidon Vineyard

Presqu’ile Vineyards

Sinor-LaVallee

St Francis Winery

Stephen Ross Wine Cellars

Swanson Vineyards

Talley Vineyards

Thomas Fogarty Winery

Toad Hollow Winery

Tolosa Winery

Tooth & Nail Winery

Tudor Wines

Wente

Wine Australia

Wolff Vineyards

Wrath Wines

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years.  She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition.  You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: acid, aroma, ava, burgundy, cellar, Chardonnay, chardonnay symposium, cheese, dessert wine, finish, flavor, fortified, France, French oak, fruit, harvest, magnum, master sommelier, pinot, Santa Barbara, santa maria Valley, stainless, varietal, vineyard, viscosity, weather, wine education, winemaker, winery

The Chardonnay Symposium Goes International

April 30, 2015 by evebushman

California’s Central Coast hosts a globe-trotting celebration of the world’s favorite grape

April 02, 2015 (Pismo Beach, Calif) –The world’s foremost gathering of Chardonnay producers, The International Chardonnay Symposium (thechardonnaysymposium.com) will feature top global Chardonnay winemakers during this year’s events, May 28-30, 2015 at The Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa (thedolphinbay.com) and The Cliffs Resort (cliffsresort.com) in Pismo Beach, California.

A sampling of panel discussions includes:

  • Hanzell Vineyards and Mount Eden Vineyards Retrospective Tasting, moderated by Fred Dame, MS
  • To Oak Or Not To Oak?: Exploring Chardonnay as the Chameleon of Vitis Vinifera, moderated by Brian McClintic, MS, Proprietor of Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Diversity in Balance:  Pairing Chardonnay and Food, moderated by Bob Bath, MS, Wine Instructor for the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Napa, CA
  • The Fashion of Chardonnay: Examining winemakers’ stylistic influence on Chardonnay, moderated by Nicholas Miller, Bien Nacido Vineyards, Santa Maria, CA

11r905uAdditional events include a Vintners’ Wine Tech Symposium, artisanal sausage and Chardonnay pairings, Sommelier Chardonnay Challenge, two Grand Tastings and La Paulée Dinner and Awards Ceremony. To learn about participation in these events or for tickets, please visit thechardonnaysymposium.com.

About The International Chardonnay Symposium

The International Chardonnay Symposium attracts winemakers, sommeliers, media, trade, foodies, wine enthusiasts and tastemakers from across the globe to enjoy and study the world’s favorite grape. When the discussion ends, there’s plenty of time for exploring nearby Central Coast wineries as well as the hosting seaside resort towns of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach that offer downtown winetasting rooms, pristine beaches, surfing and kayaking, hiking and biking trails, farm-to-table and seaport-inspired cuisine, boutique shopping, and more. The International Chardonnay Symposium is sponsored by The Tasting Panel Magazine, The SOMM Journal, Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau, Avila Beach Tourism Alliance, and the California Highway 1 Discovery Route. For more information, visit thechardonnaysymposium.com.

About Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, & Highway 1 Discovery Route of SLO County

San Luis Obispo County’s Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and ten Highway 1 Discovery Route destination towns are located on California’s famous Central Coast, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.  With miles of pristine Pacific coastline, enjoy great weather, a plethora of outdoor activities, rich wild life and nature preserves, downtown wine tasting rooms, and the neighboring world class wine producing regions of the Edna Valley, Avila Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley, Santa Maria Valley and Paso Robles. For information on the wide variety of lodging choices, accommodating every budget and lifestyle, visit Classiccalifornia.com; VisitAvilaBeach.com and Highway1discoveryroute.com.

 

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: California, Central Coast, Chardonnay, chardonnay symposium, Edna Valley, food pairing, los angeles, master sommelier, Napa, Oak, Paso Robles, pismo beach, san francisco, Santa Barbara, santa maria Valley, somm journal, Tasting Panel magazine, vineyards, wine bar, wine dinner, wine education, wine festival, Wine tasting, winemaker

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Eve Bushman

Eve Bushman, owner Eve’s Wine 101 and Eve Bushman Consulting.

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