2006 St. Francis Chardonnay, Sonoma County ($12, 89 pts.)
I was pleasantly surprised to: (a) find this wine sitting on a Safeway store shelf in San Jose, and (b) get it on sale for about $12. St. Francis Winery & Vineyards is a top tier Sonoma producer of great reds.
You almost can’t wrong with most of their wines. And if you’re ever in the area, you should stop by their impressive property.
This Chardonnay was pleasant, and enjoyed by all our tasters. It was not overly oaky.
Just right commented most: crisp, easy drinking with enough melon, lime and slight grassiness to keep it interesting. At 14.3%, the acidity on finish might catch you off guard at first. I suspect, though, it helps this wine’s structure and drink-ability.
A winner. And almost a steal at this price. If you find yourself near a Safeway keep an eye out, and stock up, just in time for summer!
Clinton StarkCo-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Fan of Napa (and Diet Coke)
Clint co-founded StarkSilverCreek and writes about social media, arts, wine, indie film, and his trusty Droid. An aging ice hockey player, he tries in vain to direct Loni in SSC videos. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Clint is a Silicon Valley and new media entrepreneur. From the early PC clone days in the 80’s, to the explosion of telecom and networking in the 90’s, and now to social networking, Web 2.0 and software-as-a-service, Clint has successfully built businesses and start-ups into multi-million dollar operations. Recently as VP marketing he spearheaded the launch of a $110M company. But that was then.
Twitter: @clintonstark More: articles bio
Stay up-to-date on All Things West CoastJoin: StarkSilverCreek Facebook Fan page
Follow: twitter.com/SSCWestCoast
Go mobile: SSC iPhone app
Send press/requests/events to: press@starksilvercreek.com
