<b>2001 Hamacher Oregon Chardonnay "Cuvee Forets Diverses"; 13% ABV; $25</b>
NICE! Cindy and I do not drink much chardonnay for the same reasons a lot of folks do not: oak and butter. But this wine tasted far different than a Cali Chard. The mouthfeel, while significant, was not the huge weight of an overoaked chard. The most apparent aroma and taste was fruit, not butter. And the wine possessed a streak of acidity that is usually missing in populist chards.
Consumed this with Christmas Eve dinner of carrot soup (Emeril's recipe featuring carrot, apple, and cumin), shrimp with cocktail sauce, sauteed green beans, and roasted potatoes (Robin's latest Foodletter).
The wine was purchased in June, 2005 at the Carleton Winemakers' Studio in the Willamette Valley. IIRC, Eric Hamacher is one of the owners of this facility. CWS leases equipment and time to winemakers who lack the resources to acquire their own. One of the better known alums is Lynn Penner-Ash who now has her own facility.