Synopsis, Our Opinion: Simply OUTSTANDING sparkling Chardonnay.
Producer/Winery: Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr; Sandhi Vintners; Petaluma, California.
Grape Variety: Chardonnay.
Geographic Appellation,, Region, Country: Sta. Rita Hills; Central Coast, California.
Vintage: 2014
Price: Free (See review Prologue)
Purchased From: Sandhi Wiines; Lompoc, California.
Paired With: Indian chicken with apricot sauce, served with rice noodles with garam masala sauce and torn stir fried cabbage with black vinegar, soy source and Sichuan pepper.
Tasting:
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Prologue: You will note that this wine was free…here’s why!!! As part of a Sandhi Club distribution we received two bottles of Sandhi Sta. Rita Hills Blanc de Noirs (Sparkling Pinot Noir @ $55.25). We drank one bottle and really thought it was not up to the Sandhi standard. It had STRONG medicinal aromas and aftertaste. We thought we had received a bad bottle and rather than review it we decided to wait and review the second bottle. Than we received an e-mail message from Sandhi saying if our wine was bad, let them know and it would be replaced at no charge. Before I could contact them I received notification that two bottles were in transit to me at no charge. This review is for the replacement wine (Sparkling Chardonnay).
Chilled before drinking. Clear, light wheat straw color with small radiant bubbles slowly making their way to the surface. Plentiful aromas with abundant whiffs of lemon, fresh bread right out of the oven, almond blossoms, pear and honeydew melon. Festive fine bubbles, effervescent mouthfeel, brut, 200-grit texture and a light-medium body. Layers of changing flavors included ripe Seckel pears, yellow apple and biscotti. Nice crisp acidity and a long flavorful and sensual finish. WOW, without question one of the best domestic sparkling wines we have tasted. It had it all… lingering fragrance, wonderful effervescence, multitude of flavors, and a magical rendition of the Chardonnay grape!!! Simply OUTSTANDING sparkling Chardonnay.
Note: We serve sparkling wines in our Chardonnay glasses because we find it greatly improves the aromatic qualities and tasting of flavors. Try it and you’ll never go back to the old flutes!!!
Photo from Skurnik Wines.
See also: All our reviews of other Sandhi wines.
Alcohol Content: 12%
Closure: Reconstructed agglomerated cork.
UPC Code: Not available.
Imported by: Not applicable.