Summer Superstar Chardonnay Sippers

ARGENTINA

2006 Budini
Tropical fruit and lemon aromas combined with gentle oak notes to provide an alluring complexity. It is medium-bodied and has well-balanced acidity with hints of lemon and pineapple fruit that lead to a dry, crisp finish. There is just a kiss of oak flavor that frames the fresh fruit flavors. It is a bright, crisp and sees a tiny amount of French Oak.

NEW ITEM!
NV Reginato Sparkling Blanc de Blanc 
Jose Joaquin Reginato and his son, Jose Alberto Reginato, has been making fine Argentine wines for over fifty years. Together with his son, Pepe, he crafts some of Mendoza 's most sought after limited-production, boutique sparkling wines. Unlike many other “factory” sparkling wine producers in Mendoza , the Reginatos personally manage the whole process themselves, from grape to bottle. They manage the vineyards, select the grapes, harvest at the optimal time, make the base wine, and then do secondary fermentation at their own winery. They produce both Charmat and “Metodo Tradicional” (bottle-fermented) sparkling wines. 70% Chardonnay, 30% Chenin Blanc

2006 Luca
Beautiful pale-gold color with enticing aromas of lemon crème, baking spices and some tropical fruit notes. The aromas carry through to the palate, and are joined by hints of tropical fruit, spiced baked pear, and a stony/mineral flavor that creates a stylish wine that seems part New and part Old World. Finishes long with just a kiss of oak. This Chard has a lot of flavor, but manages never to lose its balance. Oak Regimen: 12 months in 50% new & 50% 1-year French barriques, aged sur lies. “92pts. WA - It blows away most white Burgundies and California Chardonnays at twice its price.” Jay Miller.

CALIFORNIA

2005 Davis Family Vineyards – Russian River.
"Top 100 Wines of the Year" acclaim and Guy Davis was singled out by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as one of California's Most Dependable producers in their feature "Chardonnay Greatness." Mother nature was unusually cooperative this vintage and helped to make this perhaps the best Davis Family Chardonnay to date. It was a late October harvest from two Russian River locations: the majority from the Dutton Ranch and the rest, a Meursault clone, from the Davis Family estate vineyard. Exotic tropical aromas give way to the benchmark citrus notes of this cool region, and in the mouth the layers of flavor unfold in a yin/yang-like dichotomy of lush fruit with crisp acidity wrapped in vibrant and rounded textures. Dee-licious!

2004 Fort Ross
Generous aromas of kaffir lime, lemon curd and fragrant honeysuckle framed by hazelnut and a gentle hint of oak. The complex palate of full and succulent Chardonnay fruit flavors are buttressed by a savory citrus acidity and the cool coastal vineyards’ signature minerality. The focused finish expresses fine symmetry with an echo of the light oak in addition to a dash of clove spice that carries through the elegantly smooth finale. 90 POINTS: WINE SPECTATOR/91 POINTS: CONNOISSEURS' GUIDE /FOOD & WINE BEST NEW CALIFORNIA CHARDONNAYS

2007 LIOCO Sonoma County
What is immediately noticeable in the wine is freshness. Where the 2006 was rich, this wine is vivid. Unencumbered by oak, the fruit and soil character are on display. A band of chalky minerality cuts through the green pears, grapefruit, and chamomile blossoms. LOVE IT!

2006 Medlock Ames
This Russian River chard was a huge hit last month when winemaker Ames stopped through Austin for a few days. Bright, zesty, lemon flavors coupled with a spicy, nutty quality (nutmeg?) The resulting wine is classically proportioned yet rich in bright fruit flavors of lemon zest, floral notes and balanced oak spice.

2006 Olivet Lane
The 2006 Olivet Lane Russian River Chardonnay is rich and leesy, with lots of flinty minerality to complement its firm acidity. A long time favorite of TexaCali Ali’s! BRONZE MEDAL, 2008 SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE WINE COMP. Ripe and round, the delicious and satisfying - loaded in both the aromas and on the palate; tasty chard!

2006 Pellegrini Unoaked Russian River 
From Wine Enthusiast: "A dry, and elegant fruit-forward wine. It was harvested relatively early, at lower brix, resulting in crisp acidity and succulent flavors of tart green apples and kiwis, with a tang of pepper and cinnamon. Delicious." (10/1/2007) This unoaked chardonnay comes from a combination of grapes grown in Pellegrini's own Russian River Valley vineyard as well as from neighboring sites. In addition to be unoaked, these chardonnay grapes are fermented in stainless and do not undergo malolactic fermentation, making for a wine with intense aromas of green apple, Bartlett pear, banana and lemon custard and refreshing acidity.

2006 Storrs Santa Cruz
Storrs creates artistic wines from small, sustainable farmed vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Central Coast. Fragrant aromas bright apples combined with vanilla, French oak and light toasty notes keep this Chardonnay very much in the style of a French Chablis. The nose of this wine is echoed in the mouth elegant with generous fruit, and a mineral accent. Given this wine's mountain heritage, it should age gracefully for the next four to six years.

2006 Storrs Christie Vineyard
Aromas of ripe apple and bosc pear combine with light toasty notes of French oak and vanilla to rise out of the glass and captivate a mouthfeel of mountain pear, ripe gala apple, a touch of pineapple with notes of French oak to accent, all complemented by a creaminess (owing to sur lie aging) balanced by a firm structure which will allow this wine to age for several years.

*Please ask Avante Beverages about Handley Cellars, Fort Ross Reserve and Lange Estate Freedom Hill (almost sold out of the current vintages).

FRANCE

2004 Chateau Puligny Montrachet – Clos du Chateau
A perfect entry level Bourgogne Blanc. Made from 100% estate-grown fruit from the walled vineyard around the Château, this is a Puligny Montrachet in all but name, with bright fruit and lovely focus.

Domaine Vrignaud - Chablis
The Vrignaud family tended vines and grew grapes in Chablis for generations, selling their harvest each year to a winemaking cooperative. In 1999, Guillaume Vrignaud, freshly minted graduate in oenology, convinced his father to allow him to begin making their fruit into wine and selling it under the name Domaine Vrignaud. In a market niche as competitive as Chablis, the success of Guillaume Vrignaud has been nothing short of phenomenal. As Burgundy guru Allen Meadows has written: “The future is bright for this domaine as the wines already show real promise, and progress, in a very short period of time.

• 2005 Dom. Vrignaud Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru
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• 2005 Dom. Vrignaud Chablis Fourchaume Premier Cru
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• 2006 Dom. Vrignaud Chablis Fourchaume Premier Cru
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• 2006 Domaine Vrignaud Chablis