6FEB03 Rafael et Fils “Pour Rosie” CHARDONNAY, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, California 2018 (F, O)
4 and 6 bottle levels $40 (member price $24)
100% Chardonnay 13.3% ABV
In 1982 Georg Rafael – a French immigrant who came to the US with nothing – saved enough money to purchase 50 acres in Oak Knoll. He planted a vineyard, then sold the grapes to prestigious Napa wineries. In 1996, he and son Marc (the Fils in the name) founded their namesake winery. Georg’s intention was to plant only Cabernet Sauvignon, but his wife Rosie asked him to plant some Chardonnay, hence the “Pour Rosie” name. This wine was made in a restrained style, aged 11 months in large neutral oak barrels. Lime, bosc pear, almond, minerality. They release their wines later than most wineries. The current vintage is 2020, so this is a library vintage, resulting in less fruit on the palate. Burgundy lovers will enjoy it; buttery/toasty/oaky fans not so much.
Food Pairing Suggestions:
Enjoy this Chard with everyday dishes like spaghetti tossed with a lemony cream sauce, tarragon chicken salad-stuffed croissants, ricotta gnocchi with basil pesto, classic chicken scallopini, mushroom stuffed chicken breast over wild rice and rosemary pork tenderloin with roasted cauliflower. This versatile chardonnay can also stand up to roast quail with balsamic reduction over crispy potatoes, classic coq au vin, poached salmon with caper-butter sauce, grilled sea bass drizzled with parsley-cream sauce, and chicken buerre blanc over Chanterelle polenta. Try a glass with Boursin, Gouda, Havarti, Majorero, Mahon, Bucheron, Neufchatel, Saint -Felicien, and of course regional selections like Époisses or Delice de Bourgogne.