The La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021 is one of the brands from the Jackson Family Wines (think Kendall-Jackson) that offer wines from all over California, Oregon, and the world. They have an impressive portfolio of wines there is a link to their website above.
The La Crema brand showcases Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines from Oregon and 6 different AVAs in California. The Sonoma Coast AVA runs from San Pablo Bay from the south to the border with the Mendocino AVA in the north. The Sonoma Coast is the largest AVA inside Sonoma and it is filled with Coastal Mountains and valleys. It is a cool weather grape-growing region with plenty of influence from the Pacific Ocean with plenty of rain and morning fog.
The La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021 is sourced from at least 7 La Crema Estate vineyards and uses grapes from at least 10 Chardonnay grape clones. This Chardonnay is a taste of La Crema’s Sonoma Coast vineyards.
The 2021 vintage was still a drought year and there was early spring frost as well as summer heat spikes. The heat brought on an early harvest but provided complex, flavorful grapes. The La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021 was oak barrel fermented. 15% of the barrels underwent malolactic fermentation during fermentation with the other 85% receiving MAlolactic after the initial fermentation.
This Chardonnay was aged in 75% French oak and 25% American oak for 7 months with 17% of the barrel new. American and French oak are two separate oak species and impart different flavors into the Chardonnay. French oak has more subtle flavors than American oak.
The La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021 was aged on-lees which means the dead spent yeast and grape residue from fermentation are left in the aging barrels. The lees are stirred at the desired interval with more stirring giving the Chardonnay a creamy feel. Here the lees were stirred once or twice a month. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021 Tasting Notes
The color is wheat yellow with a bit of gold. The nose is lemons, apples, melons, limes, pears, a little honey, a hint of tropical fruit, and lightly floral. The La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021 has a hint of butter with a flavorful mix of citrus and fruit flavors.
This Chardonnay tastes like French vanilla, tart lime, rich lemon, crisp apple, peach, Anjou pear, and oak spice. The mid-palate adds dried pineapple, and even though this wine was aged on-lees I am not getting that nutty/salty sensation that on-lees usually provides, a touch of butter, not too much just a little added flavor. The acidity is nicely balanced giving the flavors plenty of time to unfold and setting your palate up for the next sip.
The Summary
- The La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021 is an excellent estate Chardonnay at a solid price (I found it for $15).
- Jackson Family Wines know their Chardonnay and that shows with La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021
- This is not a sip-and-forget wine it deserves a little contemplation with the first few sips, then you can drink to enjoy.
