my grandpa!
I was doing some job searching and got a little distracted, but I got so excited when I saw this!
Flintwood Chardonnay - Brief Article
Wines & Vines, June, 2000 by Philip E. Hiaring
One of the first wines tasted after the ball fell on New Year's was 1997 Elintwood Chardonnay from Clos du Bois (3,000 cases, $22 suggested retail.) It's barrel-fermented 100% malolactic and relatively low in acidity--.55. The grapes were ripe at harvest, 23.40[degrees] brix. Brix, incidentally, is the same as [degrees] balling, as the late Hod Berg once responded to a hapless individual who asked him what "brix" was. Anyway, without all the above you could have wound up with a Chardonnay that looked and acted more like a Chablis. Still, the name "Flintwood" is a tip that the wine isn't a fat slob of a Chardonnay. Actually, it's rather subdued in the oak department although wood fans would approve. It's rich in the mouth and should do justice to some cold cracked crab with maybe a bit of lemon juice, sourdough French bread and a good tossed salad. The funny thing is, Chardonnay doesn't need a lot of gimmickry. I recall finding a forgotten bottle of Paul Masson Pinnacles Chardonnay that no doubt was made by or under Masson's ace, Joe Stillman. I doubt this Chardonnay had any o ak exposure at all, unless someone mentioned oak in the winery when the wine was being made. Anyway, it was first-rate, and served as a reminder to poke around in my cellar (closets) more often.
I really wish I would have talked to him about his experiences more...
Flintwood Chardonnay - Brief Article
Wines & Vines, June, 2000 by Philip E. Hiaring
One of the first wines tasted after the ball fell on New Year's was 1997 Elintwood Chardonnay from Clos du Bois (3,000 cases, $22 suggested retail.) It's barrel-fermented 100% malolactic and relatively low in acidity--.55. The grapes were ripe at harvest, 23.40[degrees] brix. Brix, incidentally, is the same as [degrees] balling, as the late Hod Berg once responded to a hapless individual who asked him what "brix" was. Anyway, without all the above you could have wound up with a Chardonnay that looked and acted more like a Chablis. Still, the name "Flintwood" is a tip that the wine isn't a fat slob of a Chardonnay. Actually, it's rather subdued in the oak department although wood fans would approve. It's rich in the mouth and should do justice to some cold cracked crab with maybe a bit of lemon juice, sourdough French bread and a good tossed salad. The funny thing is, Chardonnay doesn't need a lot of gimmickry. I recall finding a forgotten bottle of Paul Masson Pinnacles Chardonnay that no doubt was made by or under Masson's ace, Joe Stillman. I doubt this Chardonnay had any o ak exposure at all, unless someone mentioned oak in the winery when the wine was being made. Anyway, it was first-rate, and served as a reminder to poke around in my cellar (closets) more often.
I really wish I would have talked to him about his experiences more...