★ Wine Club 40: California Chardonnays

Date: April 2nd, 2013
Host: Kim
Served: Chicken rolls, roasted vegetables, oranges with rosemary-infused honey

Hahn Estates Chardonnay 2006 (Monterey County, CA, USA), 14% alcohol, $10 at Discount Liqour

Kim says (13.5): A beautiful color, like polished brass by candle light. I smelled wood... just raw, naked wood; and a hint of general spices. When I swirled my glass, this wine instantly brightened up... it was so extreme that there was something that stung my eyes and palate. Possibly the alcohol? But there was also something sweet, making the tart finish a bit of a surprise.

Andrea says (15): A pretty golden color, looked like honey. The smell was crisp and tart. A smelled apple, pear and honey, and a slightly oaky smell. The first taste was surprisingly oaky, with an apple/pear taste in the middle, and tart, dry finish that tasted mostly of alcohol. Not as sweet as it smelled. But I still liked it. I would drink it again. It went well with the meal, but clashed with the dessert.

Christine says (16.5): Deep and intense gold color. Smelled like honey, pear and oak. It was more tart than expected, but was well-balanced. The wine had nice underpinnings of spices and a medium to long finish. Not much of any specific taste except oak. Versatile wine that was good with the fresh-tasting veggies (summer squash, leeks and mint).



★ BearBoat Chardonnay 2010 (Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA, USA), 13.5% alcohol, $10 on sale from $15 at Discount Liquor

Kim says (18): Identical in color to the Hahn... I think I've decided that Chardonnays are the prettiest wine! I smelled tropical, fleshy fruit- like mangoes. Swirled the glass and wow! Again, this wine really brightened up. The change was extremely dramatic and instantly brought grass, spring rain, and apple blossoms to mind. Great body but I was not crazy about the taste (oaky?) and while I thought this wine was well-balanced, the long, complex finish actually made me pucker (which I liked). I am very surprised by my score... 18 seems high given how I feel about this wine. But it's simply a technically superior wine... the two missed points were in a subjective category. It paired very well with the roasted veggies and chicken but blech! with the dessert.

Andrea says (17.5): This wine was also a golden color, almost the same as the Hahn, maybe a little more goldenrod. The smell was delicious, very sweet! Banana and pear at first, then citrus, honey, and floral. It had a buttery texture, very smooth and clean. Taste was citrus-y like pineapple and a little smoky. I approve! 

Christine says (19): Deep honey gold color with clear edges. Smelled very much like honey, plus orange, pineapple and floral. Kim picked up apple blossoms, which I think is a perfect description. The aroma was wonderful. Oak taste, nice structure, long finish. Elegant style of Chardonnay. I only docked it a half-point each for bouquet and overall likeability: it did well in these categories but wasn't exceptional. We liked it better than Hahn with the Neufchâtel-stuffed chicken rolls. It would also be good with cream sauce or smoked cheese.

Chicken Rolls

6 oz block Neufchâtel cheese (I use the easy-to-find, domestic/US Neufchâtel, not the true Neufchâtel from France)

1 green onion, chopped

2 T melted butter

2 C cooked chicken breast, bite sized (I used shredded rotisserie chicken this time)

2 packages crescent rolls (8 crescents each)

Mix together the cheese, onion and chicken. To form each chicken roll, leave two crescents together to form a square, add a dollop of the chicken mixture and fold the dough over. Turn right side up and be sure to pinch closed the seam on top. Dip the top in melted butter and roll in bread crumbs, sesame seeds or crushed croutons. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with vegetable oil and cook at 350° for 20 min or until browned. Depending on how much you stuff them, this recipe will make 6-8 chicken rolls.

I wanted every other dish to be nice and light so I opted for Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash with Mint for the side (Weeknights with Giada), and Food & Wine's Oranges with Rosemary-Infused Honey for dessert (and wound up adding a pinch of cayenne to the honey).