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The JaM Cellars Butter Chardonnay 2021 is 100% Chardonnay and is a wine I found at Costco selling for $9.99 and is found on the web for 13 to $17. The JaM in the name stands for John and Michele Truchard.
John is a second-generation California winemaker his father owns Truchard Vineyards in Napa. In 1995 John set out on his own and established the John Anthony Family of Wines which includes Butter Chardonnay and Jam Wines. JaM has a winery in Napa that is well worth visiting.
The JaM Cellars Butter Chardonnay 2021 was cellared and bottled at their facility in the Lodi AVA. Cellared and bottled means just that, the wine was aged for an unspecified period and then bottled.
There is a JaM Cellars Butter Chardonnay 2021 sourced from a single vineyard in Napa, but this is their California Chardonnay. That indicates that the grapes came from 2 or more main AVAs, such as the North Coast AVA and Lodi, or possibly the Central Coast AVA and Clarksburg.
The Butter in the name is the important part of this Chardonnay, the tech notes do not give much information on the winemaking production. They say the Chardonnay was cold fermented and they used a specific selection of oak to get the desired flavor. Oak barrels have their interior flamed/toasted to bring out specific flavors in the oak. There are many flavors of toast that can be specified, along with different species of oak and even the way the oak logs are split.
The JaM Cellars Butter Chardonnay 2021 has an alcohol content of 14.8% which is in Red wine territory.
The JaM Cellars Butter Chardonnay 2021 Tasting Notes
The color is a bright sunshine yellow. The nose is a little shy on the nose there are scents of lemon, melon, apple, and a hint of honey, peach, pear, and a floral edge. The JaM Cellars Butter Chardonnay 2021 does have an oak influence but it is well-controlled and tasty.
This Chardonnay tastes like a stew of apple, peach, lemon curd, and honey, along with light vanilla creme. The mid-palate shows stone fruit (maybe dried apricot), very light butterscotch, spice, and Anjou pear. The acidity allows the flavors to fully unfold and gives this Chardonnay good length.
The Summary
- The JaM Cellars Butter Chardonnay 2021 is an interesting and flavorful Chardonnay.
- It is a unique drinking experience and well worth a try.
