Mer Soleil Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands Silver Unoaked 2006

A new Wagner family project from the owners of Caymus. The wine is fresh and clean with intense spice and mineral intertwined throughout the lush fruit, with a long powerful finish. The fruit is sourced from the same vineyard as Mer Soleil but no oak here!

Fresh and tangy, with vibrant peach, nectarine and citrus flavors that are clean and refreshing. Drink now. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 20,000 cases made. -JL Wine Spectator. A Chardonnay wine from California in USA. 2006 Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay Unoaked 750ml

Light gold color with a pale green tint. Clean, lively aromas of honeydew melon and green apple carry over to delicate tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and papaya, balanced with crisp mineral notes. The full texture lasts through a luxuriously long finish.

I applaud the trend toward unoaked Chardonnay, but it sometimes seems to be mostly a marketing gimmick. Chardonnay can be on the bland side, and when there’s no oak present, inferior fruit has nothing to hide behind. That’s not a problem for the Silver Unoaked Chardonnay from Mer Soleil. Winemaker and viticulture director Charlie Wagner II uses Chardonnay grapes grown in special blocks of the Mer Soleil Vineyard, which is at the cooler northern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. The grapes are harvested when they’re just ripe, and the wine is fermented in stainless steel and cement vats. There’s no oak contact, and the wine doesn’t go through malolactic fermentation. The result is a fresh, vivid Chardonnay with ample pear, lemon, green apple and pineapple flavors. There’s plenty of juicy acidity, a hint of minerality and a long finish. Wagner says he’s trying to combine the crisp mineral essence of Chablis with the tropical elements of California coastal Chardonnay. I’d say he’s succeeded with this wine, which sells for $42. This is the second vintage of Silver – here’s hoping there are many more.

Clear green-gold color. Fresh, bright aromas of honeydew melon, citrus and green apple peel plus a hint of steely minerals. In the mouth, light pineapple/tropical fruit flavors merge in, again with mineral notes. The texture is full, with a satisfying balance, and the finish is exceptionally long. To me, this wine is almost a new style, combining elements of the stony minerality of classic Chablis with the exceptional fruit quality of Chardonnay grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Mer Soleil Chardonnay Silver 2006 Santa Lucia Highlands and all other wine from Mer Soleil are readily available to ship at discount prices. We carry many premium wine from across the world.

Ripe tropical fruit explodes from this glass. The fruit is sweet, rich and mouth-coating, while the finish is still fresh and bright, with hints of lime; kiwi and spice linger on the palate.