Eric Asimov’s most recent column on Sonoma Coast Chardonnay strikes me as particularly relevant amidst the several conversations I’ve had recently about American wine. Personally, I’ve been drinking California wines since my conception (thanks, Mom!), and there are many wines from my youth that I still admire today. But as I grew up and became exposed to Barolo, Burgundy, and Riesling, I developed a connection to wine that I never quite found with California. Aside from my palate’s preference for the former, the history behind the wines consumed me as well—vines that have seen two World Wars and families that can trace their winemaking regimes back centuries; these wines awoke the closet romantic in me.
But over the past year or so, American wines have reclaimed a special role in my personal wine narrative. I’ve discovered a sense of patriotism I never knew I was capable of possessing. In me grew an earnest hopefulness about the future of our wines, and an excitement in drinking those that prove we’re moving in some new direction, however meandering. As Asimov so eloquently puts it:
“The path of wine evolution is about as straight as the Pacific Coast Highway, which twists its way along the actual Sonoma coast. As it winds and doubles back, a meandering drive can be frustrating to those impatient to reach a destination.
Yet, just as the gorgeous vistas provide a remarkable, almost spiritual satisfaction, the journey of California chardonnay in its Sonoma Coast manifestation offers fascinating views of an unfolding style. It’s not so much an arrival as an exploration.”
Fine with me. I was never much for California toll roads anyway.
As per usual, here is a list of where you can find the panel’s top ten wines:
MacRostie Sonoma Coast Wildcat Mountain Vineyard 2006
Where to buy: Stirling Fine Wines (NJ)
Freestone Sonoma Coast Ovation 2006
Where to buy: Wine.com
Peay Sonoma Coast Estate 2008
Where to buy: Amanti Vino (NJ)
Kistler Sonoma Coast Les Noisetiers 2008
Where to buy: California Wine Merchants
Chasseur Sonoma Coast 2006
Where to buy: 67 Wine
Flowers Sonoma Coast Andreen-Gale 2006
Where to buy: Union Square Wine & Spirits, 67 Wine
Johnson Family Sonoma Coast 2008
Where to buy: Chelsea Wine Vault
Paul Hobbs Sonoma Coast CrossBarn 2008
Where to buy: 67 Wine
Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast 2007
Where to buy: Morrell & Company
Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast 2006
Where to buy: Sherry Lehmann
