I received a notification that I had a delivery on the way (yay!), and it seems FedEx’s policy is now to only try to deliver something once (boo!). With the heat lately, it’s probably best that the bottle wasn’t baking on the truck until they were finally able to deliver it.
Chardonnays are in my standard rotation, so I was happy to have the opportunity to be a lab rat for this one. I put the bottle in the wine fridge when it arrived and removed it around 8 hours later to bring along for dinner at a Thai restaurant.
After a 15-minute car ride, I opened the bottle and poured a small glass. My very first impression was that it smells like butter! This dissipated almost instantly. The wine was very smooth, and the first sip I tasted what I’d describe as earthy pear.
I place my appetizer order (spring roll and shrimp in a blanket) and when they arrived, I noticed that the only astringency is like that from a neutral apple, not sweet, not dry; balanced. I now get a hint of melon from the aroma. There is a quick bite as you swallow, that doesn’t persist. After I swallow, I’m left with a hint of lemon.
After dinner arrives, (crispy chicken with basil leaves) I taste lemon, melon, and some spice. The aroma is a mix of cantaloupe and butter. Starts crisp, finishes as a chardonnay. I said if this is $13 a bottle I’d pick up a case, $13.33 is close enough! It’s a fantastic wine.
First time Lab Rat here in NYC. I go back to Wine Woot, and have only done one casemate share and that was very recently. A bit of some background…
I was always a West Coast/New World red guy, first Cabs then Pinot Noir then back to Cabs going back to the mid-90’s. Since March of this year I switched to dry whites and bubbly after being on a strict diet (with no alcohol) for about 2 months (I dropped 32 lbs). I still have a nice collection of reds and ports in the cellar and will tap into them again starting in the late fall.
When I did drink whites, pre-diet, I preferred the butter bomb chards with food.
On to this Chard. I never heard of this Sonoma Winery, looks like a single vineyard in the heart of Sonoma! Attractive understated label, looks classy. I see only 175 cases were made and this looks very promising! I used to love Sonoma buttery and oaky Chards with seafood, so I went out and got some lobsters. I let the bottle chill and rest overnight in the fridge.
Out of the fridge, light in color, very little on the nose. first sip impression- a bit tight, some nuances of oak with a little citrus. Letting it sit a bit as I prepared Lobster over Palmini. Normally I’d make it in a light cream sauce but with this wine, I made it lighter. Garlic, olive oil, fresh parlsey, fresh squeezed lemon juice, a bit of butter, fresh ground black pepper and a dash of kosher salt, freshly grated parmesan cheese. I’ll sip it again as I cook and it loses its chill.
Same subdued tasting notes as the wine opened up while I prepped and cooked, with a longer mid-palate, and a bit of oily finish. A bit of alcohol coming through as well.
Similar tasting notes with the dish, slightly more open with the citrus coming through with some tartness. Not the buttery Sonoma Chard I was expecting. A lighter summery barreled chard that would go over nicely in an outdoor setting. I would think a grilled chicken breast over a mesclun/spring mix salad with a light dressing would match nicely.
Post dinner, a very pleasant sipper perfect for a summer sunset!
Overall a nicely vintered summer chardonnay, pleasant and subdued, with a bit of tartness.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2015 Attune Reserve Chardonnay - $40 = 19.99%
@thelecroy and I split a case of their Pinot Noir and agreed it was fantastic. Right up my (and my wife’s) alley. Neither of us are in need of whites right now, and short of money for the same (casemates) reason, but are thinking of getting a case on the strength of our previous Attune experience. Hard to believe we’d love their PN that much and not their chard.
But we’re short on money, so, any help from NOVA casemates on this one?
“Elegant and straw colored, this racy single vineyard wine captivates with aromas of spring flowers and lemon peel. Notes of gravenstein apple, brioche and chalk emerge from a flash of focused acidity. On the palate, it is bright and structured with a backbone of minerality supporting rich fruit and a long, creamy finish.”
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
2015 Attune Reserve Chardonnay, Station Ranch Vineyard, Sonoma County
Our grapes are harvested by hand, in the middle of the night, then brought to the winery in small bins to protect their fragile integrity. The clusters are then cold-soaked and allowed to ferment slowly over the course of several days. After a gentle pressing, the juice goes into a carefully selected mix of neutral and new French oak barrels. We bottle after 18 months in barrel, then age the wines for an additional year before release.
Specifications
Vintage: 2015
Appellation: Sonoma County
Harvest Date: 2015
Aging: 18 months mix of Neutral & New French Oak Barrels
Winery: Attune Wines
Founders: Mike & Nancy Scribner, Ken & Debbie Venner
Founded: ca. 2013
Location: Sonoma, CA
Attune (v.): to bring into balance or harmony.
Balance is a profound and elusive state where science, art, belief and actions align. It’s this beautiful state of balance that we strive for in our wines.
Winemaker Kenneth Juhasz guides every step of the winemaking process at Attune. With each decision on technique and timing, he focuses on finding harmony between power and elegance, structure and finesse.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
@smittypap
That’s where the refrigerated truck hands it off to FedEx (“Summer Shipping”). Hopefully you don’t live too far from St. Louis. I am in Northeast OH and cannot accept St. Louis as a reasonable drop point, therefore I pay the extra $15 for 2-day shipping w/styrofoam and ice packs.
I thought that for people on the West Coast, summer shipping didn’t necessarily include the reefer truck. But going to St. Louis to then be trucked back West – interesting routing!
@chipgreen@InFrom@smittypap hah, yea. I’m pretty much thinking that is a sort error. Check it out, we’ll be quick to replace If any issues. Apologies for the misque. Btw, I dig this wine. Hope you do too.
Attune Reserve Chardonnay
3 bottles for $49.99 $16.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2015 Attune Chardonnay
I received a notification that I had a delivery on the way (yay!), and it seems FedEx’s policy is now to only try to deliver something once (boo!). With the heat lately, it’s probably best that the bottle wasn’t baking on the truck until they were finally able to deliver it.
Chardonnays are in my standard rotation, so I was happy to have the opportunity to be a lab rat for this one. I put the bottle in the wine fridge when it arrived and removed it around 8 hours later to bring along for dinner at a Thai restaurant.
After a 15-minute car ride, I opened the bottle and poured a small glass. My very first impression was that it smells like butter! This dissipated almost instantly. The wine was very smooth, and the first sip I tasted what I’d describe as earthy pear.
I place my appetizer order (spring roll and shrimp in a blanket) and when they arrived, I noticed that the only astringency is like that from a neutral apple, not sweet, not dry; balanced. I now get a hint of melon from the aroma. There is a quick bite as you swallow, that doesn’t persist. After I swallow, I’m left with a hint of lemon.
After dinner arrives, (crispy chicken with basil leaves) I taste lemon, melon, and some spice. The aroma is a mix of cantaloupe and butter. Starts crisp, finishes as a chardonnay. I said if this is $13 a bottle I’d pick up a case, $13.33 is close enough! It’s a fantastic wine.
First time Lab Rat here in NYC. I go back to Wine Woot, and have only done one casemate share and that was very recently. A bit of some background…
I was always a West Coast/New World red guy, first Cabs then Pinot Noir then back to Cabs going back to the mid-90’s. Since March of this year I switched to dry whites and bubbly after being on a strict diet (with no alcohol) for about 2 months (I dropped 32 lbs). I still have a nice collection of reds and ports in the cellar and will tap into them again starting in the late fall.
When I did drink whites, pre-diet, I preferred the butter bomb chards with food.
On to this Chard. I never heard of this Sonoma Winery, looks like a single vineyard in the heart of Sonoma! Attractive understated label, looks classy. I see only 175 cases were made and this looks very promising! I used to love Sonoma buttery and oaky Chards with seafood, so I went out and got some lobsters. I let the bottle chill and rest overnight in the fridge.
Out of the fridge, light in color, very little on the nose. first sip impression- a bit tight, some nuances of oak with a little citrus. Letting it sit a bit as I prepared Lobster over Palmini. Normally I’d make it in a light cream sauce but with this wine, I made it lighter. Garlic, olive oil, fresh parlsey, fresh squeezed lemon juice, a bit of butter, fresh ground black pepper and a dash of kosher salt, freshly grated parmesan cheese. I’ll sip it again as I cook and it loses its chill.
Same subdued tasting notes as the wine opened up while I prepped and cooked, with a longer mid-palate, and a bit of oily finish. A bit of alcohol coming through as well.
Similar tasting notes with the dish, slightly more open with the citrus coming through with some tartness. Not the buttery Sonoma Chard I was expecting. A lighter summery barreled chard that would go over nicely in an outdoor setting. I would think a grilled chicken breast over a mesclun/spring mix salad with a light dressing would match nicely.
Post dinner, a very pleasant sipper perfect for a summer sunset!
Overall a nicely vintered summer chardonnay, pleasant and subdued, with a bit of tartness.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2015 Attune Reserve Chardonnay - $40 = 19.99%
If anyone in CT wants, I’ll share!
/giphy skilled-springy-furniture
@thelecroy and I split a case of their Pinot Noir and agreed it was fantastic. Right up my (and my wife’s) alley. Neither of us are in need of whites right now, and short of money for the same (casemates) reason, but are thinking of getting a case on the strength of our previous Attune experience. Hard to believe we’d love their PN that much and not their chard.
But we’re short on money, so, any help from NOVA casemates on this one?
No love for Illinois…
Tasting Notes
91 Points, The Prince of Pinot
“Elegant and straw colored, this racy single vineyard wine captivates with aromas of spring flowers and lemon peel. Notes of gravenstein apple, brioche and chalk emerge from a flash of focused acidity. On the palate, it is bright and structured with a backbone of minerality supporting rich fruit and a long, creamy finish.”
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
2015 Attune Reserve Chardonnay, Station Ranch Vineyard, Sonoma County
Our grapes are harvested by hand, in the middle of the night, then brought to the winery in small bins to protect their fragile integrity. The clusters are then cold-soaked and allowed to ferment slowly over the course of several days. After a gentle pressing, the juice goes into a carefully selected mix of neutral and new French oak barrels. We bottle after 18 months in barrel, then age the wines for an additional year before release.
Specifications
Included In The Box
Price Comparison
$531.80/case at Attune Wines (including shipping)
About The Winery
Winery: Attune Wines
Founders: Mike & Nancy Scribner, Ken & Debbie Venner
Founded: ca. 2013
Location: Sonoma, CA
Attune (v.): to bring into balance or harmony.
Balance is a profound and elusive state where science, art, belief and actions align. It’s this beautiful state of balance that we strive for in our wines.
Winemaker Kenneth Juhasz guides every step of the winemaking process at Attune. With each decision on technique and timing, he focuses on finding harmony between power and elegance, structure and finesse.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Friday, July 26th - Tuesday, July 30th
There Pinot Noir was so so good…I need some Chard…done.
Yes, absolutely loved their PN from the previous offer…Feb/Mar, I believe.
Really liked the PN. Anyone in SF want to split?
/giphy sorrowful-precious-mine
Anyone in Portland (OR) interested in splitting a case?
Looks like a great deal…however, July, another no-ship month
Their pinot was gorgeous. Anyone in upstate NY want to split a case?
@propvin i know right? that pinot was a Attune screamer of a deal! glad you liked it.
Seems a bit odd to be shipping from St. Louis, MO.
@smittypap
That’s where the refrigerated truck hands it off to FedEx (“Summer Shipping”). Hopefully you don’t live too far from St. Louis. I am in Northeast OH and cannot accept St. Louis as a reasonable drop point, therefore I pay the extra $15 for 2-day shipping w/styrofoam and ice packs.
@chipgreen I live about 4 hours north of Sonoma. Definitely did not request summer shipping. But I suspected that might be the case.
@smittypap @WineDavid49
Sounds to me like your box got put on the wrong truck. Four hrs. North of Sonoma should not have been routed through St. Louis.
@chipgreen @smittypap @winedavid49
I thought that for people on the West Coast, summer shipping didn’t necessarily include the reefer truck. But going to St. Louis to then be trucked back West – interesting routing!
@chipgreen @InFrom @smittypap hah, yea. I’m pretty much thinking that is a sort error. Check it out, we’ll be quick to replace If any issues. Apologies for the misque. Btw, I dig this wine. Hope you do too.