Wine Last Sold on: December 15, 2012
Alexander Beck Cellars
Featured Wine:
2009 Chardonnay
| Varietal: | Chardonnay |
| Region: | California: Alexander Valley |
| Availability: | Final Allocation |
| Avg. Price: | $22.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $15.99 |
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SUPER QPR ALERT:
At today’s special Wine Spies price, this wine delivers tremendous value - and a drinking experience that exceeds expectations, easily earning it this special QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
Mission Codename: Beck and Cali
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Scour the Alexander Valley, in search of a super QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) white wine, perfect for seasonal winter food pairing.
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
Final Assessment
This delightful wine took our tasting panel by surprise! Approachable, elegant and light, this is a perfect winter holiday wine that could be served with a wide range of cuisine.
Boasting tremendous value for the price, this balanced wine could be a wonderful daily-drinker for lovers of approachable white wines.
Packaged in a very pricey Burgundy bottle, anyone that you served the wine to would assume that you paid much more for it. That goes for anyone that sipped the wine, too!
Pair this wine early in the meal, with fruit, hard cheeses or a seafood salad, or with a meal of poultry, fish of pork.
Tasting Profile
Shimmery light golden hues at the very heart of the wine. At the very edge of the wine, a slight green tinge provides a glinting highlight.
Bright and clean, with fresh and soft citrus, light pear, under-ripe pineapple, honeydew, and a subtle hint of vanilla. As the wine warms slightly, it really opens up and reveals creamy aromas of butterscotch, and toasted caramel.
Juicy, crisp, and clean up front, with a rich roundness at the mid-palate. The richness coats the palate for a balanced and delightful mouth-feel.
Delicate and fresh with citrus peel, Meyer lemon, and a vanilla roundness. Allow the wine to warm a bit and you will be rewarded with better, fuller and more realistic fruit flavors.
Long, bright and sweet, flavors increase after the wine leaves the palate. As the fruit fade, a soft slate minerality remains.
What the Winery Says
Here’s David’s NEW Chardonnay, from Sonoma’s Alexander Valley. It’s crafted with premium fruit from ideally-sited vineyards near the Russian River and Sausal Creek, where rocky, fast-draining soil helps impart enticing Chablis-style mineral influences to wines.
In the excellent 2009 vintage, moderately warm temperatures and cool nights produced a pleasing balance of acidity and fruit richness. In the cellar, David barrel-fermented his hand-selected grapes for just a touch of oak character, then transferred the mix to stainless steel, to preserve that pure fruit character and lighter, crisper texture.
In the glass, look for ripe green apple and pear, supported by light oak and mineral notes. Accessible and flavorful, this white is a real crowd-pleaser, sure to hit the spot with roast chicken, pork and turkey. Or, sip it with a variety of fish and shellfish — David recommends grilled halibut with a squeeze of lemon and a side of steamed veggies.
About the Winery
Alexander Beck Cellars, located in Alexander Valley, produces premium varietals true to the region, Chardonnay and Cabernet.
