This year international Chardonnay Day is scheduled for May 21, 2020. We were invited to attend a virtual tasting of six Pacific Coast Chardonnays by six wineries. This Zoom tasting event was organized by Colangelo & Partners PR. The event was sponsored by Jackson Family Wines. We received a shipment of six Chardonnays, two from wineries in Oregon and four from wineries in California. The wines represented in the tasting included:

2017 Gran Moraine Chardonnay, Yamhill Carlton AVA
2017 Willa Kenzie Estate Chardonnay, Yamhill Carlton AVA
2018 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay Napa Valley – Los Carneros AVA
2018 Maggy Hawk Chardonnay, Skycrest Vineyard Anderson Valley AVA
2017 Stonestreet Estate Chardonnay, Alexander Valley AVA
2017 Brewer – Clifton Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills AVA

We met on Zoom with other writers from mostly the east and west coasts of the United States. The tasting was led by Master Sommelier Thomas Price, who organized the tasting geographically. The Zoom tasting was very laid back and it was nice to see the different attendees.

In 2011 the Wine Bloggers Conference took place in Virginia. One of the keynote speakers, Eric Asimov challenged the attendees to write creatively about wines. It was at that conference that I began writing haikus for wine descriptions. For this Chardonnay wine tasting, I decided to write both traditional wine notes and haikus. 

Pacific Coast Chardonnay Tasting Haikus

2017 Gran Moraine Chardonnay, Yamhill Carlton AVA

A Gran Moraine Chard
With velvety fruit salad
Fruit to mineral.

2017 Willa Kenzie Estate Chardonnay, Yamhill Carlton AVA

Fruity with oak hint.
Willa Kenzie Chardonnay
Want another glass.

2018 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay Napa Valley – Los Carneros AVA

A velvety Chard
Freemark Abbey three vineyards
Blended and fruity.

2018 Maggy Hawk Chardonnay, Skycrest Vineyard Anderson Valley AVA

Fruity, easy drink
Maggy Hawk Chardonnay wine
Where is the seafood?

2017 Stonestreet Estate Chardonnay, Alexander Valley AVA

Thinking fruit salad
Stonestreet Estate Chardonnay
Easy drinking wine.

2017 Brewer – Clifton Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills AVA

Fruity wine not oak
Brewer Clifton Chardonnay
Easy drinking Chard.

I do not write haikus for every wine tasting. Usually I write them once or twice a year. These Chardonnays were impressive and I was actually able to taste the grape. Kathy and I will add additional posts about these Chardonnays and the wineries.

Cheers,
Terry