Wine of the week: Chardonnay triggers waves of flavor

By LAIN BRADFORD - Special to The State

2005 Stonestreet Alexander Valley Chardonnay, California $30

Complex aromas filled the glass and alerted the taste buds to perk up and await the first sip. Baked apples and butterscotch notes filled the glass and flowed across the palate on the first sip. Like waves on the beach, the flavors would arrive with an intensity and wash slowly over the tongue, and then new flavors would emerge. Pineapple and peach flavors along with a creaminess framed the apple notes. A great chardonnay without too much oak, balanced perfectly, with just the right amount of acidity to balance the fruit.

We enjoyed this great wine with a new recipe I found in a cookbook called “Small Plates, Perfect Wines,” which is packed full of great recipes perfect for the warmer weather and lighter eating. Prosciutto-wrapped pork medallions were a great match. The saltiness of the ham and firm texture of the pork married perfectly with the flavors in each sip. This wine also will hold up to poultry or even shellfish.

Graham Weerts moved to Healdsburg, Calif., in 2004 to become Stonestreet’s winemaker. He relocated there from Cape Town, South Africa, where he worked for many smaller up-and-coming wineries. He learned about California and, more importantly, the Alexander Valley area from working the 1999 harvest for some of the top wineries in the area. He has a strong belief that no other product humans make offers the complexities and artistic value of wine.

Bradford tries to review only wines available in South Carolina. If you have trouble finding one, e-mail lain@winetalk.org.