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The White Queen by Wonderland Project, Chardonnay

California, United States 2014 (750mL)
$22.00
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The White Queen by Wonderland Project, Chardonnay

There are still plenty of California Chardonnay drinkers out there who want “big and buttery,” and they don’t care who knows it. That’s cool with me, I’m not judging—I just don’t want that personally. I prefer more brightness and freshness.
Obviously, it’s wrong to typecast California Chardonnay these days, as it is actually a quite diverse and exciting category, but at the lower end of the price spectrum, I encounter more sweetness/butter than the opposite. Enter Matt Ahern, a seasoned sommelier and wine sales pro whose mission in starting his Wonderland Project was to create affordable California Chardonnay that he, himself “wanted to drink.” In the case of the 2014 “White Queen,” it means lively, mineral, minimally oaked Chardonnay with no shortage of depth—but no excess of extract or sweetness. This is Chardonnay I want to drink, too, and if your tastes run to the cleaner, crisper end of the Chardonnay spectrum (Puligny, Chablis, etc.), I’d highly recommend picking some up. At this price-point, there is nothing like it on the market.
Matt had restaurant by-the-glass programs at top restaurants in mind when conceiving The White Queen. So many people order “a glass of Chardonnay” without giving it any thought, and how often, if ever, is it something memorable? Not very often. The White Queen is meant to change that, with an emphasis on balance, energy, and, interestingly enough, moderation. There are a lot of “show” wines out there that are just too plodding, too ponderous—you’re done after one glass. Matt’s wine is about refreshment, varietal purity, and the enlivening, not deadening, of the palate.

Named for a character in the Alice in Wonderland sequel Through the Looking-Glass, The White Queen carries a Sonoma County appellation but is sourced almost entirely from organic vines in cool Carneros. It was fermented using only native yeasts in stainless steel, then aged 7 months in mostly stainless steel; a bit of neutral French oak; but no new French oak whatsoever. The alcohol is a modest 13.2%, the oak expressed as sweet cream (not buttered toast), and the acidity is bright and snappy with zesty lemon notes. I even get a little mineral grip here, an unusual bonus given the loamy soils of Carneros.

There’s a Chablis-meets-Sonoma-Coast vibe going on here: In the glass it’s a vibrant yellow-gold, and the nose is all about fresh, fruity scents of lemon zest, peach pit, bosc pear, and green apple. On the palate there’s creamy texture and good weight but a barely perceptible wood influence. There’s a tension to the wine that keeps you engaged over the course of a few glasses, which is the point. It’s a perfect not-too-light white for apéritifs or to have in quantity for a way-above-average pour at a larger party. As I write this, it’s Dungeness crab season in the Bay Area, so here’s a preparation this wine would really sing with (from O.G. Master Sommelier Larry Stone no less!). Enjoy!
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Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesSonoma County
Soil
Black Wright Loam
Farming
Organic
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
Neutral French Oak and Stainless Steel
TEMP.
50
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2018
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Crab Louie

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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