Ferrari Carano 2015 Chardonnay, Sonoma County

Last evening, Kathy and I had the opportunity to participate in an online wine tasting of Ferrari Carano Vineyards and Winery holiday wines. The winery sent us four samples of wines. During the hour long online presentation, Chelsea Kurnick of McCue Marketing Communications moderated the tasting along with Associate Winemaker, Rebecka Deike. We sampled four wines.

•2015 Chardonnay, Sonoma County – SRP $23
•2014 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley – SRP $38
•2013 Trésor, Sonoma County – SRP $55
•2015 Eldorado Noir, Russian River Valley 375 ml- SRP $30

These wines were selected to showcase wines that pair with holiday meals.

During the presentation, we had a chance to post questions and comments. We also could ask questions of the other eleven participants throughout the country. As usual in a wine tasting of this nature, I write haikus instead of traditional wine notes.

2015 Chardonnay, Sonoma County Haiku:

Yellow Chardonnay
Crisp, fruity and vanilla
Thanksgiving Day foods

2014 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Haiku:

Anderson Valley
Pinot Noir classic red
Turkey and stuffing

Ferrari Carano 2013 Trésor, Sonoma County

2013 Trésor, Sonoma County Haiku:
Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc

Lovely Bordeaux blend
A treasure of dark fruits, spice
Can age for decades

2015 Eldorado Noir, Russian River Valley Haiku:

A red Muscat wine
Citrus blossoms and roses
Delightful dessert

Prior to the tasting I asked the winery if they prefer a Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glass or a Burgundy Pinot Noir glass. They wrote back and suggested the Oregon glass. During the tasting though, I decided to try both glasses to see if I could note any differences. The Oregon Pinot Noir glass showcased the aroma much better than the Burgundy glass. It was quite noticeable. However, I thought the Burgundy glass showcased the taste better than the Oregon glass. This may be something you can try at home if you happen to have both glasses.

My favorite wines of the evening were the Trésor and the Eldorado Noir. I liked the Trésor blend, in part because it was closer to the 2012 Stagecoach Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2014 Stagecoach Vineyards Napa Valley blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot that we made. We crafted a barrel in each of those years. The Eldorado Noir was a dessert wine and although it had 127 grams per liter of residual sugar, the acid tamed the sweetness. What I liked most about this Black Muscat was the extremely long aftertaste. Concentrate on the aftertaste and soon the orange blossoms will come to the forefront.

When purchasing wines for the holidays, consider Ferrari Carano.

Cheers,
Terry