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Frenchman’s Gulch Winery 2012 Chardonnay, Idaho, $20

By on December 10, 2014

frenchmans-gulch-iconYakima Valley winemaker Charles Smasne, a former vineyard manager at Kestrel Vintners, recently has taken over the program at this Sun Valley winery. Chardonnay from Idaho fruit has been a recent addition for Stephen McCarthy, who launched the brand in 2000. No other winery in the Pacific Northwest stages fermentations at an altitude of 5,700 feet, and the texture of this Chardonnay is delicious. It begins with aromas of pear butter, lemon oil and lots of minerality, a theme that makes its way to the palate, which is joined by Golden Delicious apple and a burst of acidity that seems to blend lime juice and Granny Smith apple. This wine picked up a silver medal at the 2014 Idaho Wine Competition.

Rating: Excellent

Production: 50 cases

Alcohol: 13.6%

Winery website

About Great Northwest Wine

Articles authored by Great Northwest Wine are co-authored by Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue. In most cases, these are wine reviews that are judged blind by the Great Northwest Wine tasting panel.

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