California chardonnay is
often a difficult proposition for me. So much oak, so much alcohol, so little
balance. That is, of course, a big generalization, but after so much criticism
of the style, it’s remarkable how many California chardonnays are still made in
that clumsy, overbearing style.
One that is not is Anaba’s 2012 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, a subtle and beautifully
balanced wine that is also an excellent value at $28. There is opulent fruit
here, to be sure, evoking apple with an orange punctuation mark. There are
floral and vanilla notes as well along with subtle touches of caramel and
butterschotch from judicious oak treatment.
This is medium-bodied
chardonnay with alcohol listed at 13.9 percent. And that medium-ness, so to
speak, is part of what makes it stand out. It’s “easy” to drink in the sense
that it invites you back to sip and savor it it again. Enticiing and complex, a
wine that other California producers might do well to taste -- and
contemplate. Received as a press sample.
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