Review: Pam’s UN-Oaked Chardonnay

Summer is upon us and the heat is coming coming down, making this the season for crisp, light, fruity white wines. This one fits the bill perfectly!

Chardonnay is one of those wines that is really popular with many people, but also has a number of haters. I call those folks ABC wine lovers (i.e., Anything But Chardonnay). But let’s be fair to Chardonnay. In most cases, it’s not the grape’s fault people don’t like it, rather it’s the style of winemaking. The trend over the past few decades has been to make Chardonnay that is heavily oaked and buttery, from malolactic fermentation. However, there are other choices winemakers can make to produce Chardonnay in a different style.

When Ron Rubin purchased his Sonoma-based winery in 2011, his wife Pam — who is not a fan of oaky Chardonnay — requested he produce an un-oaked version of Chardonnay. Ron and his winemaker, Joe Freeman, came up with a plan to not only create an un-oaked Chardonnay, but to create one that stands out even among other un-oaked Chardonnays.

They took inspiration from German Riesling and set out to craft an off dry un-oaked Chardonnay with lower alcohol and prominent fruitiness. It took a bit of tinkering to strike the right balance between sugar, acid and alcohol levels. Finding that balance is critical for fine winemaking. But even with that, there was something missing which they solved by adding an ever-so-subtle, nearly undetectable amount of effervescence to the wine. The result is a lively, crisp, refreshing wine, brimming with fresh fruit aromas and flavors.

This is a really cool wine. Pear aromas dominate the nose, but it also reveals mango, tangerine and flinty mineral aromatics. The flavors and mouthfeel are super rich too, offering concentrated ripe pear, tangerine, pineapple and peach flavors. The acidity is sufficiently vibrant. The finish is really long, with tropical fruit flavors that last for minutes.

While I generally advise serving white wines a little warmer than refrigerator temperatures, this is one you can serve well-chilled on a hot summer day.

Wine: Pam’s UN-Oaked Chardonnay
Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2018
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 90
Average price: $14
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.