Skip to main content

Review: Forgeron Cellars Vigneron Select 2010 Chardonnay

Impressed again.

I continue to be impressed by the skill of winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla of Forgeron Cellars in Walla Walla, Washington. While it is easy to be impressed wine tasting at a winery, the true qualities of a winemaker are most evident at home, when sharing wine with family and home cooked meals.

Forgeron Cellars Vigneron Select 2010 Chardonnay Columbia Valley.

On day one, this wine was an elegant Chardonnay with an endearing golden yellow color, the attack was all racy, spicy, ginger and fresh pastry which followed through the finish. It was balanced, restrained, elegant, and graceful.

By day three this wine blossomed. A floral quality with vanilla was noticeable on the nose, it was fuller in the mouth, with stone fruit, bright on the tongue, creamy on the  edges, and eminently enjoyable with dinner. Tonight I baked a whole cut-up chicken – a simple recipe of salt, pepper, and garlic, half-way through baking I turned the chicken over and added apple cider to the pan. The cider made a wonderful sauce for the finished chicken. I had to run an errand, so I covered the chicken with foil and turned off the oven. When I returned 1.5 hours later, I re-heated the chicken, made fried rice with onion, smoked sausage and two eggs, while my son made the salad. Dinner was delightful with the Forgeron Cellars Vigneron Select 2010 Chardonnay.

Slow down and enjoy a delightful Chardonnay with family, friends and a home cooked meal. This wine has none of the heavy handedness associated with Chardonnay some of you have come to detest (notice that I never needed to use the words “buttery” or “oaky”). It's time to re-visit Chardonnay my friends. Forgeron Cellars Chardonnay. This wine held up extremely well over three days in the refrigerator, drink now or hold for a few more years. Delightful and Recommended.

Release Info:

Vineyards:
56% Weinbau Vineyard ~ Wahluke Slope, close to Mattawa
24% Crawford Vineyard ~ Near Benton City, Yakima Valley
16% Oasis Vineyard ~ Near Benton City, Yakima Valley
4% Grenache Blanc, Boushey Vineyard ~ Near Grandview, Yakima Valley
ABV 14.1%
Closure: Real cork.
Total production: 635 cases
Sample provided by the winery
Retail Price: $25

www.forgeroncellars.com

* For my out of town friends, Forgeron Cellars can ship direct to:
Pacific States: Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Central States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Wyoming.
Alaska and Hawaii.


Cheers!

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle must

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine.  That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d

Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon. The style has changed.

“There is something special going on at Col Solare." In mid-June 2022, I began working for Col Solare winery on the Red Mountain AVA in Washington state. The Red Mountain AVA and Col Solare are famous for stunning Cabernet Sauvignon. That I knew going in.  We are not here to make more wine... We are here to showcase place. At the end of June 2022, Col Solare winemaker Darel Allwine retired. Darel had been winemaker since 2013. Prior, he had been Col Solare assistant winemaker for Marcus Notaro. Marcus had been Col Solare winemaker when the Red Mountain facility opened and was winemaker before we had our Red Mountain facility.  On July 1, 2022, Col Solare assistant winemaker, Stephanie Cohen, was promoted to Col Solare winemaker. I was present for this change. It was the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Col Solare is the third winery I have worked for. I chose well.  Often, I am asked by Col Solare guests, as I was last week, “Tell me about Col Solare. Who are you