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Bacchant Wines Luli Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, USA
Chardonnay is the world's most famous white-wine grape and also one of the most widely planted. Although the most highly regarded expressions of the variety are those from Burgundy and California, many high-quality examples are made in Italy, Australia, New Zealand and parts of South America.
Describing the flavors of Chardonnay is not easy. While many Chardonnay wines have high aromatic complexity, this is usually due to winemaking techniques (particularly the use of oak) rather than the variety's intrinsic qualities. Malolactic fermentation gives distinctive buttery aromas. Fermentation and/or maturation in oak barrels contributes notes of vanilla, smoke and hints of sweet spices such...
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Santa Lucia Highlands is a long, narrow AVA that runs down the western side of the Salinas Valley in Monterey, California. Oceanic influences from the cold Monterey Bay make the area suitable for the production of premium, cool-climate wines. The AVA has earned a reputation for intensely flavored Chardonnay and weighty Pinot Noir.
The AVA covers an area that runs south-east along the foothills of the Santa Lucia mountain range, stretching from the town of Gonzales to the neighboring AVA of Arroyo Seco in the south. Vineyards are planted on south- and east-facing hills, often at elevations of up to 1200ft (365m). Wine growing in the area dates back to the late 18th Century, when Spanish...
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