On a recent trip to the San Luis Obispo area, I had the opportunity to visit Chamisal Vineyards, in the Central Coast Wine Region of California. Chamisal was the first winery planted in the Edna Valley appellation, back in 1973. This particular wine is 100% chardonnay, with grapes grown on the estate, and sourced from several vineyards in the Central Coast region. It sees no oak; it is aged entirely in stainless steel to preserve the character of the grape, and achieves that goal quite nicely.
The wine offers a lovely nose of flint, green mango, apple skins, with a hint of petrol. There are some vegetal notes underlying the overall aromas. It’s somewhat citrusy, with pineapple and tropical fruits coming across as the wine opens up. On the palate, its tart, with lots of fruits, a hint of vegetal, orange pith, lemon oil, and a nice minerality.
The wine has good body, and a nice, long finish. As it evolves in the mouth, it moves from citrus to green apples, with underlying notes of talc. It’s a very nice wine. From the flavors, I would expect this to pair with grilled salmon, scallops, roasted chicken; any dish that was not buttery or creamy – almost anything that would pair with a Pouilly-Fuissé should work with this wine; it has more body than the French wine, but possesses enough minerality to fall into a similar pairing vein.
The wine retails for $15 - $18 per bottle, and is widely available on both coasts.
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