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WINE: Edna Valley "Paragon" Chardonnay, San Louis Obispo County
FOOD: Chicken Kiev
This is a great inexpensive example of "California-style" chardonnay. Its pleasantly aromatic with vanilla and other sweet spices, as well as peach, citrus and pineapple. The palate's full and round peach, pear and tropical fruit flavors will assert themselves when paired with Greg's crisp and buttery Chicken Kiev. The wine definitely benefits from malolactic fermentation, creating a buttery, creamy mouthfeel which also complements the dish's butter component. A noticeable minerality on the wine's midpalate keeps it bright, and picks up well on the chicken's herbal flavors.
Malolactic fermentation is a winemaking process that converts the grape's tart-tasting malic acid (think green apples), into softer-tasting lactic acid (think dairy products). MLF is a major factor in producing the creamy, buttery style of wines most associated with California chardonnays. In my opinion, some winemakers took this concept too far, and many of the well-known Napa Valley chardonnays became "oenological Frankenstein's monsters." Thankfully, the MLF pendulum seems to be swinging back towards a more restrained style.
GRANT HENRY
PRICE: about $10.00
Also pairs well with: Butter or cream-based sauces, cheeses, crab, fish, lobster, scallops, veal
Category- White
Varietal- Chardonnay
Region- Edna Valley, CA
Available at:
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