Francis Coppola Diamond Series - 2004 Gold Series Chardonnay

In honor of my experience this evening at New York Magazine's NY Taste food and wine event, I've decided to post on the only wine I opted to part-take in (my palette was guilty of craving exotic seasonal mixed cocktails instead - shame on me!)

The fine folks at Coppola Wines were sampling their Diamond Series '04 Chardonnay in the VIP lounge (its nice to have such a status, huh?). Now I must admit that when it comes to whites, I'm more of a dry wine sort-of gal, so perhaps my affinity for Chardonnay, you can say, is a bit discriminatory. I felt a bit overpowered by the powerful ripened fruit flavors - rich pears, sweet apples, and tart pineapple. To help mask some of the richness, you will notice a hint of oak from having been aged in a French oak barrel for some time. 

Now, as I disclosed (and let's be subjective here), I wouldn't necessarily pick this bottle up and stock my wine fridge with it, but next time I do think I would attempt to manipulate the overall experience of the wine by partnering it with a bland brie cheese to help subtle the wine's overall taste. I also think this may be a great summertime wine. So, come July, I'll re-try it out for you and let you know if my opinion changes. 

Until then, if you're interested, the Diamond Series grapes are grown in California's inland and coastal valley and can be purchased at a retail value of about $15/bottle.