La Crema 'Coast' Chardonnay

[jackl]

This was a Thanksgiving day wine and I didn't make any notes, but I am pretty sure it was the 2000 vintage. I really don't have a lot of experience with white, but here goes. This wine reminded me somewhat of a Sav Blanc. From notes of other California Cards, this was not what I expected at all. As one of the main descriptors of Sav Blanc, I think about the best item for comparison would be gooseberries, with a little a peachiness in there also. The texture was very much like a SB, in that it was not very 'fat' as others have described, but rather clean and crisp. Assuming my perceptions were not too far afield, would this suggest very little of the wine was given a 'secondary' fermentation (I can't recall the technical term for this)? Have any others encountered California Chards at all like this? Overall, I would say I enjoyed it and might have to investigate these wines further.

[Thomas]

jackl, as I have posted before, when Chardonnay grapes (especially those grapes grown in cooler regions) are allowed to ferment and become wine with as little human manipulation, you often get clean crispness (apples and other crisp fruits) in the taste.

Secondary fermentation (malo-lactic fermentation) absolutely softens the crispness and even can obliterate it.