Another pick from my Wine Insiders haul, this Cannery Row Cellars Chardonnay hails from my old stomping grounds just outside of the Monterey Bay area of California’s Central Coast. Central Californian Chardonnay has quickly become one of my favorite wines of Summer with plenty of bright tropical fruit and crisp acidity to cut through the humidity and pair with a wide variety of summer foods.
I may not have stepped foot on Cannery Row since I was wearing Ninja Turtle underwear, but at least now I can drink wine vinted in the foothills of one of this country’s truly spectacularly scenic places.
Cannery Row Cellars Chardonnay 2008
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Vitals: 12.6% abv
Company Line: “Fresh fruit aromas herald delicious flavors of apple, nectarine and ripe melon. Oak aging adds depth and complexity with hints of toasty oak and vanilla. Balanced acidity makes this wine particularly refreshing.”
My take: pale straw yellow in the glass. Nose opens with sharp apple and tropical fruit flourishes ensconced in a veil of soft vanilla. Apple and citrus blanket the palate with a satisfying acidity. Body is emboldened with rich oakiness which also serves to taper the acid in the finish.
This sits right in the middle of the California Chardonnay spectrum between intense tropical fruits and buttery oakiness. While I certainly wouldn’t call this example buttery, it’s oaky and vanilla softness acts as a nice counterbalance to the fresh fruit that dominates the front of this wine. A nice summer drinker with the versatility to pair with poultry, fish, cheese or fruit and pastry-based desserts.
43north/89west 
Thank you for reviewing some of the wine from wineinsiders. I also read your Fair Oaks Zin review. I have a groupon also and I can’t decide what to get. Can you please tell me which of the wines you got that you’d recommend and which ones to stay away from? Thank you so much!