2007 Cakebread Chardonnay from Napa Valley
by Haydn S. Adams | Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog

Appalachian: Napa Valley
Alc: 14.3%
Haydn gives it: 95 points 

While I do have a general predisposition towards anything that comes out of Napa, exceptions have been made. I have reviewed wines that have been sourced from Napa grapes, but I’ve yet to feature a winery that is headquartered in that region. Yet, whenever I review a wine, I do try, in every way possible, to keep the review objective and to let the wine dictate the direction, not anybody in marketing. 

That being, said, the 2007 Cakebread Chardonnay is simply beautiful. It does retail for around $40, making it not the cheapest of Chardonnays out there. Yet, I’d be willing to forego nearly 2/3 of the California Chards in favor of this one. 

The nose showcases a bit of a vegetal aroma with a twist of peach and pair. A light, very light appearance of oak was present, it seem to soften the wine, not harden it. I was so in love with the aromas it took a bit to actually drink it (and no, I wasn’t going to be spitting this one out)

Following the aromas, the wine continued to showcased bartlett pears and even a little apple. A touch of honey was also there, as if the pear had been lightly coated before meeting with the apple. The piece de’ resistance was the overall mouthfeel of the wine. It didn’t pull, grab, jar, or twist any tastebuds. It simply waved hello, introduced the flavor components and went on it’s merry way. This is what a Chardonnay is supposed to taste like.

The honey component lingered a little bit at the end, but soon all traces vanished on the finish. A stunningly beautiful wine. A big thumbs up to the wine maker. While the price on this wine is set at $40, I do have to say that ever dollar is worth it. Once again, to all of my readers who run for the hills every time someone pulls out a Chardonnay with a US designation, take a look at this wine (as well as Nalle’s Chardonnay) for a truly beautiful experience.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Tags: Chardonnay, Napa Valley

This entry was posted on Monday, April 27th, 2009 at 10:54 am and is filed under Chardonnay, Napa Valley. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.