There are just some things in nature that are made for each other. One of those “perfect pairings” is Fresh Dungeness Crab and Napa Valley Chardonnay. As the first boatload of fresh, sweet crab meat reaches our stores, we are ready to pair it with two of our favorite Napa Valley Chardonnays from Frank Family and Groth.
Frank Family Napa Valley Chardonnay
The expressive 2012 Carneros Chardonnay is fruit forward and balanced, delivering scents of pear, apple, butterscotch and pineapple, laced with delicate floral notes of honeysuckle. The attack is layered with succulent stone fruit flavors and buttery, toasted pastry dough. The lively acidity, combined with a rich creaminess and almond toffee flavors, give this wine a long, pleasing finish.
Groth Napa Valley Chardonnay
All of the 2012 Chardonnay fruit was whole cluster pressed. This yields juice with incredible fruit flavors and softness. After pressing and cold settling, the juice was transferred to French oak barrels, 25% of which were new, for fermentation and aging. After eight months of aging “sur lie,” the wine was racked off the yeast lees, blended and finished for bottling. Long, cool fermentation in a mixture of old and new barrels gives this Chardonnay layers of fruitiness and complexity that result in a wine that is very enjoyable when young or after several years of bottle aging. This method of fermentation, in conjunction with whole cluster pressing and “sur lie” aging, adds layers of toastiness and creaminess to the wine. Together these components meld together harmoniously to create a balanced wine that is both lively and rich in aroma and flavor.
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