Chapel Hill Unwooded Chardonnay 2001

Au naturalunadorned Chardonnaythe real thing, constitutes some of the tasting panel's descriptions of the 2001 Chapel Hill Unwooded Chardonnay. Although there is hardly another New World producer of Chardonnay that doesn't use copious quantities of oak to augment or adulterate the natural flavor of Chardonnay, unwooded Chardonnays are now in vogue in Australia. Created in 1991 by Pam Dunsford as a designer white for the winery's corporate owners, the 2001 Chapel Hill Unwooded Chardonnay is a bracing, bright wine with lovely, round fruit and an attractive freshness, allowing the wine to finish dry and completely refreshing. Instead of wearing on the palate or becoming preponderant, the Unwooded Chapel Hill becomes more interesting with each sip, revealing a mélange of subtle citrus and floral tones in the bouquet and flavor. Serve the delicious Unwooded Chapel Hill well chilled, about 45° F.

After work, before dinner, or in the evening with friends, the 2001 Unwooded Chapel Hill Chardonnay is a refreshing respite from the weather stained cares of life. Although we highly recommend this Chardonnay on its own, it also loves to accompany food, especially light hors d'oeuvres, such as salmon mousse, simple pates, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Roast chicken or turkey would be other noteworthy choices with this un-wooded Chardonnay. A spicy pasta and shrimp dish, with plenty of garlic and parsley, also complements the 2001 Chapel Hill Chardonnay. Enjoy!

Chapel Hill is a beautiful small winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia. We have featured some of the highly allocated wines of this great estate in the past, and we are pleased to announce that we are once again the happy recipients of a Chapel Hill dandy. Due to the many favorable comments from club members and the enthusiastic reception shown by our loyal membership, we were able to beg, borrow and cajole enough of this winery's famous 2001 Unwooded Chardonnay to send to our club members. Needless to say, Chapel Hill remains one of Australia's hottest wineries, turning out small quantities of several premium varietals, beginning with the estate's outstanding McLaren Vale Shiraz a rich expressive wine that is perennially in short supply. In addition, limited quantities of a brilliant, barrel-fermented Reserve Chardonnay are produced, along with a delicious, designer Unwooded Chardonnay and an interesting Verdelo. A beautiful highly extracted Cabernet Sauvignon and a tiny quantity of a proprietary blend called the Vicar round out the estate's portfolio. The driving force behind the success of Chapel Hill is undoubtedly the highly talented, individualist, Pam Dunsford. Ms. Dunsford is widely considered to be one of Australia's most gifted winemakers. She is also a much sought after consultant, export inspector and wine judge. She was also the first female graduate of Roseworthy, Australia's most most prestigious school of Oenology. Since she took over the winemaking helm at Chapel Hill in 1989, the winery has been honored repeatedly in national and international shows and competitions. Pam is also the creator of the first Unwooded Chardonnay, a style which has gained considerable favor in Australia and is now considered to be a bona fide category and style of wine at Australian shows.