Toad Hollow 2010 Francine's Selection (California)

Toad Hollow Vineyards was started up by friends Todd Williams and Rodney Strong. Their motto is "fine wine at a reasonable price" I think they lived up to it! The late Todd Williams "The Toad" and Sonoma winemaker, also the brother of Comedian Robin Williams and Rodney Strong saw that the future of chardonnay was unoaked back in 1993, when everyone else was making oak chip tea bags and going for new American barrels. The Mendocino County fruit that provides 90% of the grapes for this wine helps to keep it focused, and provides enough acidity to provide a good structure for the fruit. That's because the swings between warm days and cool nights in Mendocino County helps to keep the fruit from over-ripening. The remaining 10% of the juice comes from Sonoma County. Todd Williams always took pride in being just a little bit different, after all he had Missouri Nortons in his wine cellar.

The color of the wine in the glass is a light golden color, and on the nose are aromas of green apples, pears, honeydew melon, and minerality. On the palate the aromas are confirmed with the apple and pear being the primary flavors, followed by a slight hint of tropical, with the slate minerality on the finish. This is a lighter, unoaked Chardonnay, which definitely reflects the natural characteristics of the Chardonnay grape. It has a nice medium finish which lingers in the mouth. One to search out and buy.

In many ways this wine is a tribute to the famous children's book The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. It reminds me of Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel.