Fisher Mountain Estate Vineyard Sonoma County Chardonnay 2016

The 2016 Fisher Mountain Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is truly outstanding, a veritable tour de force in winemaking placing it in the realm of the finest offerings from Hanzell, Kistler, Kongsgaard, and Lewis. Awarded 95+ points by Wine Advocate, Fisher’s 2016 Mountain Estate Chardonnay is a wine for the most discriminating Chardonnay drinker. Sporting an explosive, seductive aroma of ripe pineapple, orange peel, citrus blossoms, and hauntingly delicious floral tones, the 2016 Fisher Mountain Estate thoroughly captivates the nose and sets the palate salivating. In the mouth, the wine delivers everything that beguiles the nose along with layer upon layer of bright flavors steeped in floral, citrus and honeysuckle notes. Perfectly balanced and downright irresistible through its long satisfying finish, the 2016 Fisher Mountain Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is not to be missed. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest opening the wine a few minutes before serving it moderately chilled (40°-45° F). Already profound, this classic California Sonoma County Chardonnay will continue to mature gracefully in bottle for at least several more years. Enjoy!

Even more than its superlative predecessors, the outstanding and explosive 2016 Fisher Mountain Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is capable of elevating the grandest cuisine to the highest height as well as making the simplest of meals into a sumptuous delight. Consider serving this sophisticated flavor-packed Chardonnay with steamed blue crabs, Alaskan king crab legs, or lobster in the company of drawn butter. Scallops in puffed pastry, poached salmon, or nearly any grilled white fish that is served with an herbed mayonnaise will offer superb companionship to Fisher’s Mountain Estate Chardonnay. Crab Imperial, Prince Edward Island mussels in a creamy broth, grilled red drum, stuffed Alaskan halibut, or nearly any hearty seafood dishes that rely upon butter or cream in their sauces will complement this wine, as well as provide ample reason to pour a second or third glass. For tasty parings that don’t emanate from the sea, consider a cheese and pear risotto, Chicken Cordon Bleu or Chicken Fricassee, as they, too, will provide excellent companionship to Fisher’s otherworldly 2016 Mountain Estate Chardonnay. And if by chance even a dram of this Chardonnay should remain in your glass at the end of the evening, savor it with a piece of fine cheese. Why enjoy only one of life’s great pleasures when you can have more? Bon Appétit!

Founded in 1973 by Fred and Juelle Fisher, Fisher Vineyards has been for decades quietly fashioning an incredible array of highly allocated Mountain Estate Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons from its Napa Valley Estate and Spring Mountain Estate in Sonoma County, albeit in miniscule quantities. With the release of the estate’s 2016 Mountain Estate Vineyard Chardonnay (this month’s feature), the Fishers have truly outdone themselves. Like many of California’s top producers, Fisher is truly a family affair. Fred and Juelle’s three children, Whitney, Robert and Cameron, have come on board to assure the flow of world-class wines from Fisher Vineyards. We are especially pleased to offer to our club members a taste of one of California’s finest and most highly allocated Chardonnays.

The Fishers take a two prong approach in crafting their award-winning wines: one highlights the truly unique characteristics of single vineyard sites, while the other emphasizes the art of blending small complementary lots of various estate vineyards and varietals in order to create the most balanced, harmonious, and complex wines such as Fisher’s 2016 Mountain Estate Sonoma County Chardonnay.

In addition to fashioning outstanding Chardonnay, Fisher Vineyards produces limited quantities of truly exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Bordeaux blends, all of which are also highly allocated. This month, we trust you will enjoy Fisher’s hand-crafted Mountain Estate Chardonnay as much as we do.

Chardonnay is not only the most widely cultivated white varietal on the planet; it is also the most treasured. Twice each year at harvest time (because the seasons are reversed in the northern and southern hemispheres) in its native France and in countless locales on six continents, Chardonnay grapes command premium prices. In tribute, Chardonnay produces the finest, most flavorful dry white wines in the world to which writers and connoisseurs devote countless columns and untold hours exalting its virtues and dissecting its flavors. Whether it be from Chablis or Champagne, Sonoma or the Western Cape of South Africa, or from the most illustrious of vineyards perched atop the slopes of Corton and Montrachet in Burgundy, Chardonnay is the yardstick by which all other dry white wines have come to be measured.

With food, Chardonnay is a peerless match. Chablis and other Chardonnays that see little or no oak provide superb complements to seafood. Fuller, richer, and more heavily oaked renditions of Chardonnay, typified by the finest examples from California, France, and South Africa, pair beautifully with more complex fare, such as rich cream sauces, poultry and white meats. Moreover, the finest Chardonnay wines shine on their own, requiring nothing but a clean glass to please the palate.