Should Bedrock make Chard…

Well, should I?

It is a thought I have been entertaining for a while. After several years of disavowing the varietal for all of its overdoneness, I have had a few versions this year that have reignited a belief that proper Chardonnay can possibly be made here in Sonoma. So, if I should find a Kistler-esque site (umh-um like Wildcat Mountain, Hudson, Hyde, Ritchie, or others) should I undertake it? Or is making Chard simply too banal….Just thinking out loud, love to hear thoughts…

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Published:: 01.05.09 / 10pm

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5 Comments

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Kim 01.06.09 / 12pm

The primary reason why our house doesn’t consume much Napa/Sonoma Chard any longer is oak–too much of it. Quite frankly, I see enough of them outside my window; I don’t need two trees included with every bottle of wine I purchase. Ok, so perhaps I exaggerate to make my point. We do go out of our way to find unoaked or lightly-oaked chards to drink, though.
Morgan 01.06.09 / 12pm

Hi Kim,

I hear ya on that one. I have been so put off by most examples that I do not even want to think of it. But perhaps a Chard made in the style of Chablis– little or no oak influence?
Eric H 01.06.09 / 12pm

I say if you can get access to superb AND distinct fruit, Morgan, then by all means do it! Yes, lots of boring Chard out there, but yours won’t be boring. I also think it would be a good compliment to the Graves Blanc blend in the lineup - one more Bedrock white to enjoy.

The only caveat I can think of would be that we are now in a period where wine buyers are getting especially price-conscious, so if you’re doing a Beaune-style wine with new oak and longer aging, the price you may need to ask for it might be a deterrent. Of course, by the time the wine would be ready in a couple of years, that price issue could well be behind us (let’s hope).
Joel 01.06.09 / 12pm

Do you really want to go there? You already have a kick-ass Cuvee Caritas and you are talking about, and have the foundation for a Galician project. Both are ever so much more interesting than an entry into the already over crowded, overplayed, over priced Chard market. Chard already exists in every conceivable style, what hubris would make you want to do another.
Mike Duffy 01.06.09 / 2pm

Like many other commenters, I think there’s a market for an unoaked Chard with some distinctiveness. The problem is that Chardonnay is done in many styles, but branded (by its name) with one (oaky?) brush. Maybe giving your wine its own distinctive name (e.g. Marlstone, Tapestry, …), or Magritte-like, “This is not a chardonnay.”