Channing Daughters Winery in Bridgehampton has one of the largest portfolios on Long Island. Their white wine offerings are incredible and some of my favorite on the east end.
I noticed the very first sentence on the back of this chardonnay bottle from Channing Daughters — “We Love Chardonnay!” In fact they love it so much that currently they have three 100% chardonnay offerings and 6 wines where chardonnay is blended together to make some of their other white and orange wines.
Channing Daughters Winery 2010 Scuttlehole Chardonnay ($17) is a delight, but it gets even better with time in the glasse as it come closer to room temperature. The grapes from this vintage come from both North and South fork to make this a true Long Island wine.
The nose brings fresh sliced apple with river rock minerality and ocean water salinity. Pear and citrus fruit linger in the background with some subtle grass and citrus pith.
The palate brings bright clean acidity with a hint of spice — think white pepper. The apple and pear notes are prevalent, but the minerality of the wine takes center stage on the palate.
Photo from Channing Daughters
Crisp and refreshing cold, as the wine warms the tree fruit -apple and pear- really shine through. Stainless steel fermented, this bottle saw no oak. This is from the 2010 vintage, one of the hottest on Long Island, and it showed great balance between the flavors, acidity and alcohol. One of my favorite 2010 white wines.
One interesting note about this bottle that I found out. It came to full room temperature and it shows some wonderful floral notes, something I was not expecting. Please don’t serve this wine ice-cold. Take it out of the fridge about 10 minutes before you pour you glass. You will be rewarded with a delicious bottle of wine that shows wonderful aroma’s and flavors. And at under $20, it shows tremendous value.
Sláinte!
Undertaking Wine 