The Corkdork - Wine and Food Musing

2010 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay - A wine I will no longer, um, overlook.

I get a lot of Chardonnay samples. Most of them are a lot less than the retail $25.00 that this wine is asking, but most of them are not my cup of tea. As you know, gentle reader, I try to praise not scorn in this blog, so I only try to put up things I like. This wine is one of them and I feel it is a great value. It was also sent to me as a press sample.

Landmark is no newcomer to the wine world. It's been producing good Sonoma wine up in Kenwood for the last 38 years. It was founded by Damaris Deere Ford, great-great granddaughter of John Deere in 1974. I like the whole cluster/natural fermentation process this wine went though.  

The Overlook is a beautiful, pleasantly rich Sonoma Chardonnay that right now is showing pretty acid-forward and a pinch woody, but I'm sure this is structured enough to mellow out its angularity. The flavor model is like a lemony Santa Barbara Chardonnay blended with a rich Russian River Chardonnay.  It has little hints of tangerine peel, and white peach, balanced with a nice acid hit. I opened this while I am cooking dinner, and I may just leave the bottle of Puligny-Montrachet I have chilling in the 'fridge where it is tonight and drink this instead!...Recommended. 

An Opportunistic Moment...to drink Riesling

...and oh, what a riesling. 

Mrs. Corkdork (oh, forgive me for that moniker) is feeling under the weather, and I've cooked up a huge pot of Chicken Soup with fresh dill clipped from the garden. Sounds like a perfect opportunity to open a good Riesling, the one wine that she hasn't really taken a shine to. I however, am addicted to the wonder of it. So, this seems a good time to crack open a nice one for myself! I usually taste at least a hundred or so Rieslings at big tastings around the City, and I am in constant wonder how one grape can have so many personailites and manifestations. It can be bone dry or teeth-achingly sweet, clean or sauvage, floral or flinty. 

One of my favorite producers is Willie Schaefer and while this is one of his more humble offerings, the 2009 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett from the Mosel district is perfection. It has perfectly balanced acidity, has a big hit of mineral salinity and a completely pleasurable touch of sweetness. Seek this out - and look for the 2009, especially. Highly recommended.

Terry Theise's (the importer and author of my favorite wine book) notes for this wine are: 

Oh, class here! Boy oh boy oh boy – what a Domprobst. And Kabinett?? Fuhgeddaboutit.Massively salty, lavishly juicy and yet with tautly stretched fruit; as energetic and laughingas I ever recall.