Pellegrini Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2009 (California)

Unoaked Chardonnay, beautiful straw color with green highlights. The nose is very floral, gardenia flowers. It is not similar to any Chardonnay I've ever had. This had no buttery taste/smell common with Chardonnay. It was citrusy almost like a Sauv Blanc, lemon zest, pear and apple. Easy to drink wine, would pair well with seafood dishes.

This wine is from The Russian River Valley of California. Russian River Valley is a region rich in history. Grape growing and winemaking are integral to the story of the land and its past. The Russian River Valley climate is sculpted by the regular intrusion of cooling fog from the Pacific Ocean a few miles to the west. Much like the tide, it ebbs and flows through the Petaluma Wind Gap and the channel cut by the Russian River. The fog usually arrives in the evening, often dropping the temperature 35 to 40 degrees from its daytime high. The fog retreats to the ocean the following morning. This natural air-conditioning allows the grapes to develop full flavor maturity over an extended growing season — often 15 to 20 percent longer than neighboring areas — while retaining their life-giving natural acidity.