The Stone Fly Vineyards Chardonnay 2015 is sourced from more than one AVA in California. Stone Fly Vineyards had been a boutique winery based in Napa, California, but they sold off their business and the name now seems to be used for a House Brand line of wines for Binny’s Beverage Depot, a chain of 35 huge liquor stores in Illinois. When a wine label shows California (or any other state) as the place of origin for the grapes, that indicates that less than 75% of the grapes were sourced from 1 single AVA. There are plenty of good reasons to source the grapes from more than 1 AVA, ranging from price considerations to obtaining grapes with different characteristics that will blend well together. So, simply showing the state rather than a single AVA (such as Sonoma or Paso Robles) is neither a good or a bad thing, how well the producer chooses the grapes is the important thing (especially in this price range, sub 10 bucks). There is not much info on the making of Stone Fly available, but they do make mention of toasted oak flavors so this Chardonnay, some way some how, saw at least a little oak wood conditioning. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is a shiny, golden-yellow. The nose is lemons, apple, melon and dried tropical fruit, with a hint of spring flowers. The Stone Fly Chard has firm acidity (this is a food wine), with a good display of tart and smooth flavors. It tastes of lemon mixed with pear, a blend of apple and lime, along with nectarine. The mid-palate adds creamy vanilla and tart grapefruit. The acidity allows this Chardonnay to used as a sipping wine, but it may better reach its balance when used to accompany the meal. The finish is full but fades before too long.
The Stone Fly Vineyards Chardonnay 2015 is a solid $8 California Chardonnay. It has a touch of cream, but otherwise, does not show too much oak influence. The flavors blend well together and this Chard will pair well with pasta in white sauce, spicy Asian shrimp, and gourmet chicken or pork tacos.
