Feb 20 2014

Spring is in the Air: Chardonnay

Published by at 5:32 pm under Chardonnay,Chicken,Food,Vegetarian,White Wine


While it is a month ahead of schedule, spring feels like it is in the air in Napa Valley.  Thankful for a recent major rain storm where Napa saw over 12 inches of rain in the course of three days, the trees are blossoming, flowers are reaching up from sleepy winter soil, the base of the vineyards are turning green and even glimpses of mustard are finally starting to appear.  The sun is warming so that are daily highs are cruising closer to 70 degrees while our evenings dip down to a chill that welcomes a warm fire in the living room. 

In the garden, winter greens are finishing a long stretch of growth, herbs are in abundance and seemingly overnight sugar snap peas, red lettuces and green oak lettuces jubilantly produce.

While the warm sun is welcome and our days are slowly growing longer by 4:00 p.m. it is evident that the party is over and the chilly breeze from the bay arrives to warn that evening fog will soon follow. 

It is in these conditions that Chardonnay often shines at its best.  Mild temperatures outside accompanied by a hint of damp humidity and chill on the finish poetically mirror the way that Chardonnay crosses the palate.

In this article, I introduce the site’s readership to Conn Creek Winery (“Conn Creek”) located in Napa Valley along the Silverado Trail in the Rutherford AVA.  Conn Creek was originally owned by Bill and Kathy Collins who are the owners today of the same Holystone Vineyard in St. Helena which its neighbor, Benessere Vineyards, sources old vine zinfandel fruit to make one of my favorite zinfandels (and a wine that helped launch the start of this web site nearly six years ago).   Despite the valley’s size and the number of wineries in the valley, Napa Valley is still a small community with a small number of degrees of separation among them.   Today Conn Creek is under different ownership but it remains committed to making wonderful wines which reflect the terroir from which grapes hail.   In future articles I will have the opportunity to focus on the winery’s regarded Cabernet Sauvignon wines but this article will focus on a lovely Chardonnay that hails not far from my own backyard in the Carneros AVA of Napa Valley.


Conn Creek’s 2012 Napa Valley Chardonnay (“2012 Chardonnay”) presents gentle aromas of pear, vanilla and oak in the glass.   As it crosses the palate, the wine is creamy and sleek demonstrating how elegant the Chardonnay grape can be when handled properly.  Its flavors range from notes of banana, pear, fuji apple and a finish with a distinct apple pie spice.  The vintage seems to be in line with the growing year in that 2012 was relatively a textbook year with steady weather allowing the grapes to reach their full ripe potential before harvest.  Most 2012 vintages that I have tasted for white and rosé wines have shown fuller mouth feel and vibrant flavors.  This is a welcome aspect as 2010 and 2011 were both challenging growing seasons for Napa Valley. 

Conn Creek’s 2012 Chardonnay is a Chardonnay which seeks to be paired with food.  It is quite pleasant on its own but upon a simple tasting, it is easy to see that this is a wine that could be easily influenced by a food pairing.  This can make a wine much better or simply, allow a wine to better be able to show off some of its attributes if placed on the proper culinary stage.  For this pairing, I elected to prepare:

1)      Mustard Garlic Lemon Thyme Grilled Chicken; and

2)     Brown Buttered Crimini Mushrooms with French Lentils, Shallot, Garlic, Spinach and Garden Herbs.

Chicken breasts are marinated in white wine and lemon thyme before being introduced to a hot charcoal grill and basted with a mustard garlic aioli.  In the final moments of preparation, crimini mushrooms are sautéed in browned butter with shallots, garlic, lemon thyme, sage, rosemary and marjoram from the garden.   French lentils are added and at the last minute fresh leaves of baby spinach from the garden join the mix.  While seemingly simple, this plate offers a bevy of flavors in line with the first moments of spring.


When paired with the wine, it is readily apparent that Conn Creek’s 2012 Chardonnay loves to be paired with garlic.   With the dishes, the Chardonnay picks up on the garlic in particular and compensates by allowing its fruit notes to become rounder and fuller.   The spice in the wine tames slightly and readily welcomes the garlic in the dish.  The wine itself, whether due to its nose or on the palate, is refreshing and fun much like the season of spring.

Similarly, the wine enlivens with the herbs found in this dish.  Lemon thyme, sage, rosemary and marjoram might as well invite an impromptu trip to Provence from your backyard entertaining deck as you enjoy this meal in the early warm rays of spring.  

While spring may still be a month away, savor those moments that hint of its pending arrival with good friends, good food and good wine.  Cheers!

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