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Charles Creek Vineyard
Las Patolitas
2003 Chardonnay
Outstanding In Every Way Rating: A+
The 2003 Las Patolitas
Chardonnay continues this winery’s tradition of excellence for choosing
superlative fruit from the best possible vineyard sources. This wine was
produced from four distinct vineyard sources: Sangiacomo and Bald Mountain
vineyards, as in years past, as well as new sources for this vintage; Hyde
Vineyard in Napa; and the Carmel Vineyard in Monterey. As always, the great
majority of grapes for this wine were sourced from the Sonoma Carneros region.
This area is known for bringing forth distinctive floral and white peach
qualities that delicately shine through the fruit and segue into the wine.
All of the vineyards have been farmed by families whose main profession
and livelihood are dependent upon producing the highest quality fruit
available. Soils from these various vineyards are typically gravelly, riparian
clay loam, characteristics that yield finer wines. Breezy, cool conditions from
the San Pablo and Monterey Bay areas make an ideal growing setting for cool
climate grapes like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and certain Merlot clones. With the
cooler climates in these areas, grapes usually enjoy a longer "hang
time" than many other warmer climate regions growing similar clones.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical Data
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Appellation: 80% Sonoma Carneros, 5% Sonoma County, 5% Napa Carneros and
5% Monterey
Vineyards: 80% Sangiacomo, 10% Bald Mountain, 5% Hyde, 5% Carmel
Alcohol: 14.6%
pH: 3.40
RS : 0.55%
Release date: September 2004
Taking a cue from Burgundy, the
aroma of the 2003 Las Patolitas Chardonnay is bright and fruit centered, with
inviting notes of honey, green apple, peach, caramelized pear, pineapple,
cinnamon and nutmeg. These are all characteristics of the Carneros and Monterey
climates where Chardonnay is so successfully grown. All of these nuances linger
delicately long after the wine is enjoyed. The 2003 Las Patolitas Chardonnay
makes an excellent accompaniment to many foods, with its delightful balance of
acid and fruit.
Proprietors Bill and Gerry Brinton suggest the 2003 Las Patolitas
Chardonnay is best paired with fish dishes, chicken, vegetables, and salads
that have a slightly sweet and mildly tangy flavor.
Bill Brinton
Proprietor
Bill Brinton resides in Sonoma, but his roots are deep in the Midwest.
Midwesterners are known for strong American values, respect for family and
institutions, and the ability to create and recognize value in products.
Bill is a direct descendent of a true pioneer, John Deere. His direct
family was at the helm of Deere until its recent transition to a public
company. Deere created the self-scouring steel plow, an invention that
revolutionized the agricultural world. It is this spirit of innovation and tradition
that Bill brings to the company he founded, Charles Creek Vineyard. Charles
Creek is named after his son Charley and his grandfather, Charles Deere Wiman.
Ten years prior to the start of Charles Creek Vineyard, Bill used this
same dedication to create new and innovative beverages. In 1993, Bill, a
graduate of the Columbia University MBA program, established a natural products
and nutritional beverage firm, The Wiman Beverage Company. This company was
sold to a larger firm in 2000.
Bill enjoys vineyard selection and development, as well as the critical
evaluation and blending of the juice from grapes into wine. The wines are
styled to pair wonderfully with a wide variety of fresh foods, and his vision
is to create wines that could be sold for $30 to $75 per bottle, but that
provide an exceptional value in the $20 to $25 price range. Value and integrity
are the cornerstone of Midwestern values, and the basis upon which Charles
Creek Vineyard was founded.
Gerry Brinton
Proprietor
Gerry has always had a very strong connection with the land.
Born and raised in Dubuque, Iowa, Gerry spent many mornings picking
raspberries outside her kitchen door, and many afternoons helping her
grandmother weed the vegetable garden, picking currants, gooseberries, apples and
even grapes as they ripened into the fall.
Gerry was educated in North Carolina at Duke University and Boston and
settled in San Francisco with her husband, Bill. However, the lure of a more
rural lifestyle brought them to Sonoma County to set up as an alternative
location in which to foster the same respect and love for the land, and the
values it promotes, in their two young sons. Over the years, their garden in
Sonoma provided more and more harvests for their table. As their boys grew up
and moved away, Gerry & Bill found they could shift their primary focus to
their Sonoma home. That same garden is the basis of many a delicious and
healthful meal that is complemented by the wines of Charles Creek Vineyard.
Somewhere along the way it occurred to them to follow the lead of many
others, and plant their property to vine. The success of early harvests spurred
them on to expand that part of their dream to produce exceptional wine at a
reasonable price. Gerry has worked in many capacities over the years, CPA,
management consultant, property manager, principal in a fresh juice company,
and volunteer director for a major medical center. Her goal has always been to
work on projects that she believes in: ones that she can ethically and
whole-heartedly support. The latest of these, Charles Creek Vineyard, meets
these criteria. The best fruit from the best land, well cared for and handled
properly, can yield wonderful wines, and that is the goal of this part of the
adventure.
Kerry Damskey
Consulting Winemaker
With 25 years of winemaking experience on four continents, Kerry Damskey
brings both expertise and perspective to Charles Creek Vineyard. Damskey has
spent his career gaining a better understanding of the entire ecology of wine,
including the impact of climate, soil, sun exposure, and temperature on the
grape growing and winemaking process. This concept, which the French call
terroir, is the name of his consulting company.
Damskey holds a B.S. in fermentation sciences from the University of
California, Davis, is a graduate of the intensive program for small business at
the Stanford University School of Business, and is a candidate of the Institute
of the Masters of Wine. Damskey is a two-time winner of the Sonoma County Wine
Sweepstakes award the highest award at one of the most competitive events, and
has received numerous other gold awards for his wines.
These reviews are available and have been seen on the Internet. Click here to see an index of other reviews on the worldwide web <http://www.punchin.com>. <http://www.wineonline.net>. They have been heard on WNCN, WEVD and WQXR radio, seen in Fodor's and Mobil Guide Books, and printed in Chocolatier, Troika, Trump and Metropolitan Millionaire magazines and newspapers and throughout the world, including the NY Post, Women's Wear Daily and the NY Times, via the Punch In International Network. This review may be reprinted free of charge, so long as source and byline credit are included: "The Walman Report," "Punch In International®," Wine On Line International®.
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