Emma Pearl Chardonnay 2010 Highly Recommended by the Champagne Wishes Panel of Whom You Know
As the weather gets warmer I found myself dreaming of sipping a crisp Chardonnay by my pool. With only a month or so before that becomes reality, I must find the perfect Chardonnay. Knowing the Emma Pearl brand from its great Merlot’s I was excited to try the release of its 2010 Chardonnay. Mover and Shaker Nova Cadamatre, its winemaker has a passion for grapes that started from writing a paper back in school about diseases that infect grape vines. From there she has helped to create some really interesting wines in California. The Emma Pearl Chardonnay grapes are grown north of Santa Barbara. When you hear and smell for yourself aromas of poached pears, caramel, butter-cream and brown baking spices, I got so excited. What could sound more delicious? As a relatively new winemaker, the Emma Pearl Chardonnay had its inaugural vintage in 2009. I tasted a citrusy flavor that was refreshing and delicious. More on the dry side then sweet, this wine aims to please me as I tend to favor the drier chardonnays. So if we continue on the early warm weather, I will be sitting poolside with my glass of Emma Pearl 2010 Chardonnay.
I have to be honest. I am not usually a fan of Chardonnay. When I received a bottle of Emma Pearl Chardonnay however, I was open to giving it a try. Nothing Emma Pearl has produced has ever disappointed me. So, it was with an open mind that I took my first sip of Emma Pearl's 2010 Chardonnay. I was pleasantly surprised (although not really, because as I said, Emma Pearl does not disappoint!). This Chardonnay was fruity and light, but at the same time was balanced by a creamy fullness. This particular vintage produced very high quality wines. This high quality can be attributed to a very wet winter, followed by a late cool spring, and a mild summer. These conditions led to a long growing season thus giving the fruit time to mature slowly. The Emma Pearl Chardonnay 2010, with Winemaker Mover and Shaker Nova McCune Cadamatre at the helm, is a spectacular, vibrant, full wine. Ms. McCune Cadamatre has had experience producing wine both on the East and the West Coasts. Clearly she has honed her skills and knows exactly what it takes to produce a wine that is sure to please all palates. Truth be told, my husband, usually a beer drinker (Stella Artois at least!), even enjoyed a glass (or two...or so...) of this Chardonnay with me. If nothing else indicates that this is a fabulous wine, my husband enjoying it sure does!
We love Emma Pearl wines, especially Emma Pearl Chardonnay 2010. Comprised of 90% Chardonnay and 10% viognier, the perfect recipe for superb Chardonnay. Now we have to be completely honest, Chardonnay is not usually our thing. The beautiful handwritten note from winemaker Nova McCune Cadamatre, convinced us of her love and pride for each bottle of Emma Pearl Wine, so how could we not try her Chardonnay. Well we have to admit, we were pleasantly surprised. Emma Pearl Chardonnay
2010 is delightful and a Chardonnay we will continue to drink. Harvested in 2010, a long season of growth allowed their Chardonnay fruit to mature slowly. You will actually taste the difference, the high quality and beautiful fruit characters. Filled with light citrus notes, pear, spices and oak, it's a simply wonderful combination. Normally, we find Chardonnay far too oak-filled for our palette but not Emma Pearl Chardonnay 2010, no this is just right. We love this wine with cheese or light snacks. It is also the perfect complement to chicken. The kind of Chardonnay you can drink in the summer, spring, fall and winter. We can't wait to go home and have a glass tonight. Believe us, once you try Emma Pearl Chardonnay 2010 you will be hooked too. Nova knows what sophisticated taste buds want, Emma Pearl Wine is outstanding.
Sometimes it is difficult to go into a wine shop and know which wine to pick when there are so many different labels to choose from. The first thing that really struck me about this wine was the gorgeous bottle and label. As a woman, I feel like this wine is the one for me simply based on how beautiful it is! And then there is the way that it tastes! The wine is made of only premium fruit and comes from California's central coast. It is handcrafted by esteemed wine maker Nova Cadamatre who ensures the high quality of Emma Pearl wines. The 2010 Chardonnay is of excellent quality and has beautifully developed fruit character. This is mostly due to the weather which allowed a long growing season for the Chardonnay fruit. The fruit was picked at its peak flavor ripeness which is why there are such fresh citrus and pear notes to this Chardonnay. This Chardonnay has a great texture to it and has a lingering aftertaste of sweet cloves and cinnamon! It is not at all dry and has a nice, crisp finish to it. It also has the perfect amount of sweetness to it! This Chardonnay is perfect to enjoy with appetizers like Brie and sliced apples! I can't think of a better wine for when I just want to have my girlfriends over for a fun girls night! Make sure you don't miss out on this incredible wine!
The Region: Our Chardonnay vineyards are located in Santa
Barbara County, an outstanding sub-region on the Central Coast. Just north of the gracious colonial enclave of Santa Barbara, our estate Chardonnay vines enjoy abundant sunshine and cool coastal breezes.
The 2010 Vintage: The 2010 vintage produced wines of excellent quality with beautifully developed fruit character. A very wet winter, followed by a late and cool spring postponed bud break. The summer months brought a lot of beautiful, bright sunshine but the temperatures were mild. This led to a long growing season allowing the Chardonnay fruit to mature slowly. Harvest started later than normal and allowed fruit extended hang time to develop beautiful fruit characters and nice acid levels. Overall the crop was smaller and of very high quality in the 2010 harvest.
Winemaking Notes: The fruit was picked at peak flavor ripeness to maintain fresh citrus and pear notes. It was fermented on oak to add toasty spice notes and put through partial Malolactic fermentation to add a buttery complexity. The wine was aged on lees for 9 months prior to blending.
Tasting Notes: Vintage 2010 was a particularly cool year in California which retained the bright aromas of Meyer lemons and fresh cut flowers which are complemented by toasty caramel and brown baking spices. It has a rich texture in the mouth with a full creamy body and a zesty crisp finish with lingering notes of spiced pears, toasted cinnamon and sweet cloves.
Pairing Suggestions: The wine is wonderful to sip by itself or to pair with light appetizers such as brie over red apples and toasted walnuts or main dishes of lemon butter chicken.
Varietal Composition: 90% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier
AVA: Central Coast, CA
Vineyards: Selected Central Coast Vineyards
Cooperage: 30% New French Oak - Medium Toast
Release Date: February 2012
alc.: 13.88% by vol.
