Jefferson Chardonnay Reserve

Last week I was looking through my small collection of wines, to find a nice dry white to pair with a meal I was preparing. A little dusted, and in the very rear was a 2003 Jefferson Chardonnay Reserve. I am still uncertain how it got there, because I do not recall buying it, but it was part of the family and fair game to be consumed. Food pairing is somewhat of a new thing to me, so after the positive nod that this would pair well with my meal, Jefferson said goodbye to the other bottles on ‘wine row’.

I prepared grilled salmon, marinated in ginger and soy, baked asparagus with a Mediterranean olive oil drizzle, and garlic roasted potatoes. For a rookie, I was impressed with the finished product, and the wine paired nicely with the meal.

The 2003 Jefferson Chardonnay Reserve was a bit light and lacking on the fruit, but still satisfactory. This prompted me to check my notes on the 2005, since I had visited Jefferson about 2 months ago. The 2005 I noted had aromas of apple, a fruity nose, and spice and fruit throughout. The 2005 Chardonnay was fermented 6 months in neutral French oak barrels, giving it a nice texture without the overt oak taste.

The big difference in the 2 vintages was directly related to the weather. In 2003 the lack of fruit was due to too much rain, yet it was still a passable wine. The 2005 had favorable conditions, which explains the full fruit flavors, and an overall much better wine.

Nevertheless, this paring worked, so off to my ‘Cuisine at Home’ magazines that have been sitting in the corner for the past year.

Below is a picture of the local winery dog, as you can see he has the best job there.