2002 Mer Soleil Chardonnay, 3.0ltr

Mer Soleil is Chardonnay made in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County. The estate also makes a Chardonnay called Silver. Mer Soleil is fermented in French oak, Silver is unoaked. Both are part of the Wagner Family of Wine, an umbrella company for a portfolio of family-produced wines, the most famous of which is Caymus. Chuck Wagner, current patriarch of the Wagner family, descends from Alsatian immigrants who settled in Rutherford in 1906 and produced bulk wines until Prohibition. Several generations later in 1972 the family established Caymus Vineyards, widely recognized as one of Napa’s finest producers. Today Chuck Wagner’s adult children are also involved in the family’s wine enterprise, which includes the labels Red Schooner, Mer Soleil and Emmolo. Charlie Wagner is winemaker and viticulturist from Mer Soleil and Silver.

Central Coast AVA is a huge wine producing area that extends from Santa Barbara County in the south to San Francisco in the north. With more than 100,000 vineyard acres, it includes parts of six counties near the Pacific Ocean. Nearly 20 smaller AVAs lie within the Central Coast AVA. Central Coast earned appellation status in 1985. Included in the appellation are parts of the counties of Contra Costa, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. Nearly every grape varietal grown in California is grown somewhere in the Central Coast AVA, though Chardonnay accounts for nearly 50% of the entire wine grape crop.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.