Mer Soleil, Caymus' chardonnay project in the Santa Lucia Highlands, has been making superb wines for some time now. The Mer Soleil regular "gold" bottling is an oak-aged chardonnay that, while opulent, is also balanced and elegant. The "silver" - new in the BC market - is their unoaked chardonnay and is certainly also made with balance in mind.
The nose on this chard has nuts, caramel, butter, peaches and cream, pineapple, and banana sundae like you would expect from many California chardonnays. The palate continues the ripe and rich fruit with peach, pineapple, and coconut / pina colada. However, even with all the flavour this has great balance and fresh acidity. Texturally leaner and sharper on the palate than the oaked chard, this also makes the "silver" even more food friendly and perhaps more suitable for a hot day. While in California chardonnay abounds, quality balanced chardonnays are a bit harder to find. And, while if I were in the US I could recommend quite a few other very good chards at this price point, this is perhaps the best (or close to) California Chardonnay in BC for $35. As such, I highly recommend it for new world chard fans.
Very Good+
$35 at BCLDB
Friday, August 28, 2009
Mer Soleil "Silver" Chardonnay 2006
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2 comments:
I wrote a review of this wine back in July, and I absolutely loved it. Like you described, it had the luscious notes of a warm climate chardonnay combined with the crispness of a cold climate chardonnay. Great review of a great wine.
Alleigh,
That's a good description - it does taste somewhat like a combination of, say, a Chablis and a traditional big Cali chard. Your review is spot on.
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