A crisp, lively, mineral-driven Chardonnay from a meticulously farmed vineyard near Occidental (which, btw, produces Chardonnays that go for way more). Partial stainless steel fermentation, with the rest in neutral oak (providing mouth feel without oak flavor) and just the teensiest bit of new oak (5%) to round it out. Partial malolactic fermentation keeps it crisp and fresh. We took a natural approach to this wine (as we always do) and let the fruit and the farming tell the story.
Winemaking Notes
Modeled after Mâcon Chardonnays, this 2019 is aged in neutral barrels to give it proper structure without oak flavor. Partial malolactic fermentation allows the wine to retain that bright freshness you want in a wine (and that you’ll want all summer long!). Fermented in 50% stainless steel, 45% neutral French oak, and 5% new French oak. Partial malolactic fermentation, direct to press, whole cluster with 24 hours settling. Unfined and unfiltered
We are pleased to introduce The Fields, a wine that embraces the varied interests and experiences that brought us into the wine business to begin with. At the same time, our goal is to produce wine that is simple, elegant, and delicious. The project came about as a kind of opportunity to acquire pristine selection of heritage Chardonnay grapes in the Sonoma Coast. The quality and value were too good to pass up. The grapes are Spring Mountain and Robert Young selections, and let’s just say there are Chardonnays from the same grapes and vineyard that cost more than twice what we charge. This in an effort to make great wine accessible.
The Fields wines are grown in the Sonoma Coast, where the influence of cool maritime breezes provide perfect conditions for balanced, structured Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. But we also derive spiritual force from the slowed-down western edge of San Francisco, where artists, craftspeople, plovers, herons, and salt-air thrive.
Good wine is part of a balanced life. The Fields is a reflection on our varied interests and areas of expertise.
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, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2019 The Fields Chardonnay - $45 = 27.26%
Happy St. Pattys and lucky me, scored a bottle of 2019 Chardonnay from The Fields to rat for y’all. Looks like a pretty basic bottle with a giant purple square on it. On the pour, it had a pale straw color that sparkled with small floating crystals. Smelled fresh with tropical fruit. Tasted crisp with slight peach, citrus, and pineapple. Getting a zing of minerality and finishes with a round mouthfeel that doesn’t seem to linger, but has you coming back for another sip. On the second day, I’m definitely getting more floral and less fruit with a watered down saline like viscosity.
Overall Impressions indicate it is not your oaky buttery chard. It was an easy drinking white wine, especially with the warmer weather coming up. It did not go well with the smoked cornish hens we had for dinner, but did better with saltier cheeses. I don’t normally drink chardonnay and have no interest in this particular bottle in my cellar. It wasn’t anything bad, it’s just not my caliber of wine. I’m guessing it’s going to sell here around $9 a bottle and it will probably serve nicely to some as a table white wine or perhaps a gift. As always, thank you CM for putting together the opportunity to rat a bottle.
Apparently a Baker Lane project. I noticed the offer page mentioned sold by Baker Lane, and it is for sale on the Baker Lane website. A little blurb here with pretty much the same info already mentioned:
@kaolis Hi! We are indeed a kind of subsidiary label project of Baker Lane, though with different approach (e.g. Baker Lane has never made a Chardonnay!). Stephen and I started The Fields after working together for many years.
Hey, Ivan here from The Fields. Thanks for having a look at our Casemates offer. We started The Fields to as a kind of creative pursuit, making accessible, very drinkable wines that can be cracked open any night of the week. If there are questions or comments, please let me know!
@The_Fields Can you talk a bit about the Robert Young and Spring Mountain selections? I know zip, and a quick looks tells me these tend to be a musque/aromatic style derived from Wente?
@kaolis Yes, this Chardonnay selection, known as the Wente/Robert Young clone, is noteworthy for the botanical relationship it has to the Musque / Chardonnay identity. It presents a version of Chardonnay has a particularly appealing set of floral and lively fruit aromatics. This doesn’t translate to the wine being sweet, but rather one that is subtly perfumed with lively balancing acidity and freshness. Great catch!
I was excited to receive an email from Alice on Thursday last week about being a Lab Rat. I always dream of the bottle I’ll receive (or dare to dream… two bottles?!). I love a good surprise. I watched the UPS tracking to ensure I’d be home. I got lucky as my UPS delivery person likes to ring and dash (and in the process often wakes up my napping daughter), but I ran out to the truck to catch him this time. The bottle arrived Friday, and I was shocked (but probably shouldn’t have been with summer approaching) to have received a white. Luckily, a chardonnay, my go-to drinking and cooking white. And with enough time to chill and taste over a few days. Great timing, Casemates!
Just a bit about my drinking habits: I’m more of a red drinker. I particularly enjoy a fuller-bodied (full for the variety) Willamette Valley Pinot Noir but can enjoy anything from a Bordeaux to Burgundy to … well, any decent red, really, as long as it isn’t too sweet or too jammy. I also love a sparkling (white, rose, take your pick!) for a special occasion or while packing- it helps get the job done! I typically drink in the $10-20/bottle Casemates price.
When opening the box, I noticed the color of the bottle which was very straw colored and wondered if the wine would be that color as well. I appreciated the simple label. We recently moved into a new house and don’t have a proper wine fridge yet, so I stored the wine in our regular fridge for tasting the next day.
Day 1: We opened the wine on Sunday and made sure to save some for tasting Monday and Tuesday. The cork popped easily and I couldn’t detect much on the nose initially. My husband said the bottle smelled like alcohol. After a few minutes, I smelled a little fruit and sweetness and nothing offense, just still not much. I poured a small amount in a glass, as I was interested in the color, which can be seen to be very very pale.
When a full glass is poured, the wine is a bit more yellow, but still, I felt, a very pale wine. At first taste, the wine was bland. It needed a few minutes and finally some sweetness and fruit (a bit tropical, maybe some pear? lychee?- my husband agreed on lychee). We tried the wine across three glasses (two technically meant for sparkling but it’s what we had on hand- sorry, I mentioned we don’t drink a lot of white).
My favorite was on the right: I thought it brought a nice brightness out in the wine and I got a lot more tropical notes with sweetness but not overly sweet. Not very layered, pretty single noted with not lingering finish but nothing bad either. Tasted like a nice, easy sipping table white. My husband preferred the left most glass which he said brought out a bit more minerality to the wine. We let the wine warm and I’d say not to do that. The wine was much better a bit chilled and lost anything desirable as it warmed. We drank the wine with lentil soup and rye bread on the side and it was a pleasant addition. I stored the wine in my fridge for day 2.
Day 2: On Monday, the wine had opened up a tad, and I could taste the minerality my husband had described day 1. Still a little sweet, not very layered, easy to drink.
Day 3: On Tuesday, not my cup of tea. I can almost never drink white wines on day 3, though. A lot more alcohol. I wished I had something to cook that needed a white.
If I had bought this at a grocery store on a random buy, I wouldn’t be disappointed, but since I’m picky about my whites, I don’t plan to purchase. I’d be happy to bring this to a party as well. I think this would be decent at ~$10/bottle but a deal at $8. I would spend more than $12/bottle on Casemates but would be happy if I’d paid up to $15 at the grocery store as I’ve had much worse for the money.
*Looking at the site after writing this, I’d say a case is worth the price tag.
2019 The Fields Chardonnay
Tasting Notes
Winemaking Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$385.76/Case at The Fields for 12x 2019 The Fields Chardonnay
About The Winery
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, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 5 - Tuesday, Apr 6
The Fields Chardonnay
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2019 The Fields Chardonnay - $45 = 27.26%
The Fields 2019 Chardonnay
Happy St. Pattys and lucky me, scored a bottle of 2019 Chardonnay from The Fields to rat for y’all. Looks like a pretty basic bottle with a giant purple square on it. On the pour, it had a pale straw color that sparkled with small floating crystals. Smelled fresh with tropical fruit. Tasted crisp with slight peach, citrus, and pineapple. Getting a zing of minerality and finishes with a round mouthfeel that doesn’t seem to linger, but has you coming back for another sip. On the second day, I’m definitely getting more floral and less fruit with a watered down saline like viscosity.
Overall Impressions indicate it is not your oaky buttery chard. It was an easy drinking white wine, especially with the warmer weather coming up. It did not go well with the smoked cornish hens we had for dinner, but did better with saltier cheeses. I don’t normally drink chardonnay and have no interest in this particular bottle in my cellar. It wasn’t anything bad, it’s just not my caliber of wine. I’m guessing it’s going to sell here around $9 a bottle and it will probably serve nicely to some as a table white wine or perhaps a gift. As always, thank you CM for putting together the opportunity to rat a bottle.
@TechnoViking Thank you for the rattage. That cheese looks pretty darn good. Happy St. Pat’s Day
Apparently a Baker Lane project. I noticed the offer page mentioned sold by Baker Lane, and it is for sale on the Baker Lane website. A little blurb here with pretty much the same info already mentioned:
https://bakerlane.vinespring.com/purchase/detail?item=the-fields-chardonnay-2019
@kaolis Hi! We are indeed a kind of subsidiary label project of Baker Lane, though with different approach (e.g. Baker Lane has never made a Chardonnay!). Stephen and I started The Fields after working together for many years.
Hey, Ivan here from The Fields. Thanks for having a look at our Casemates offer. We started The Fields to as a kind of creative pursuit, making accessible, very drinkable wines that can be cracked open any night of the week. If there are questions or comments, please let me know!
@The_Fields Thank you for chiming in.
@The_Fields Can you talk a bit about the Robert Young and Spring Mountain selections? I know zip, and a quick looks tells me these tend to be a musque/aromatic style derived from Wente?
@kaolis Yes, this Chardonnay selection, known as the Wente/Robert Young clone, is noteworthy for the botanical relationship it has to the Musque / Chardonnay identity. It presents a version of Chardonnay has a particularly appealing set of floral and lively fruit aromatics. This doesn’t translate to the wine being sweet, but rather one that is subtly perfumed with lively balancing acidity and freshness. Great catch!
I was excited to receive an email from Alice on Thursday last week about being a Lab Rat. I always dream of the bottle I’ll receive (or dare to dream… two bottles?!). I love a good surprise. I watched the UPS tracking to ensure I’d be home. I got lucky as my UPS delivery person likes to ring and dash (and in the process often wakes up my napping daughter), but I ran out to the truck to catch him this time. The bottle arrived Friday, and I was shocked (but probably shouldn’t have been with summer approaching) to have received a white. Luckily, a chardonnay, my go-to drinking and cooking white. And with enough time to chill and taste over a few days. Great timing, Casemates!
Just a bit about my drinking habits: I’m more of a red drinker. I particularly enjoy a fuller-bodied (full for the variety) Willamette Valley Pinot Noir but can enjoy anything from a Bordeaux to Burgundy to … well, any decent red, really, as long as it isn’t too sweet or too jammy. I also love a sparkling (white, rose, take your pick!) for a special occasion or while packing- it helps get the job done! I typically drink in the $10-20/bottle Casemates price.
When opening the box, I noticed the color of the bottle which was very straw colored and wondered if the wine would be that color as well. I appreciated the simple label. We recently moved into a new house and don’t have a proper wine fridge yet, so I stored the wine in our regular fridge for tasting the next day.
Day 1: We opened the wine on Sunday and made sure to save some for tasting Monday and Tuesday. The cork popped easily and I couldn’t detect much on the nose initially. My husband said the bottle smelled like alcohol. After a few minutes, I smelled a little fruit and sweetness and nothing offense, just still not much. I poured a small amount in a glass, as I was interested in the color, which can be seen to be very very pale.
When a full glass is poured, the wine is a bit more yellow, but still, I felt, a very pale wine. At first taste, the wine was bland. It needed a few minutes and finally some sweetness and fruit (a bit tropical, maybe some pear? lychee?- my husband agreed on lychee). We tried the wine across three glasses (two technically meant for sparkling but it’s what we had on hand- sorry, I mentioned we don’t drink a lot of white).
My favorite was on the right: I thought it brought a nice brightness out in the wine and I got a lot more tropical notes with sweetness but not overly sweet. Not very layered, pretty single noted with not lingering finish but nothing bad either. Tasted like a nice, easy sipping table white. My husband preferred the left most glass which he said brought out a bit more minerality to the wine. We let the wine warm and I’d say not to do that. The wine was much better a bit chilled and lost anything desirable as it warmed. We drank the wine with lentil soup and rye bread on the side and it was a pleasant addition. I stored the wine in my fridge for day 2.
Day 2: On Monday, the wine had opened up a tad, and I could taste the minerality my husband had described day 1. Still a little sweet, not very layered, easy to drink.
Day 3: On Tuesday, not my cup of tea. I can almost never drink white wines on day 3, though. A lot more alcohol. I wished I had something to cook that needed a white.
If I had bought this at a grocery store on a random buy, I wouldn’t be disappointed, but since I’m picky about my whites, I don’t plan to purchase. I’d be happy to bring this to a party as well. I think this would be decent at ~$10/bottle but a deal at $8. I would spend more than $12/bottle on Casemates but would be happy if I’d paid up to $15 at the grocery store as I’ve had much worse for the money.
*Looking at the site after writing this, I’d say a case is worth the price tag.
And a few more photos, as I had trouble inserting them all.
@jchasma Thank you so much for the great review and photos.
@jchasma @WCCWineGirl Great review! thanks!