Fetagang wine club - week 1: Stony Hill Chardonnay (Napa Valley)

Tonight's wine is a chardonnay, but not my customary chablis. Instead, we venture to Napa valley for a twist on Napa valley chard: a burgundian style.

This wine is contrary to everything Napa is known for: French oak and malolactic fermentation. Napa chardonnay has been a race to the bottom over the last 10 years to see how much oak and butter they can cram into a wine, which on my opinion has made many lower-priced Napa wines undrinkable.

Color: a faint green, like water used to soak green apple skins

Smell: pear with a subtle hint of wet stone. Not nearly the intensity of a true chablis, but this is to be expected as Napa valley lacks the characteristic limestone soil burgundy is known for. Still, this wine certainly has the essence of earth and stone

Taste: bright acidity greets you, with pear and apple dominating. After that fades, the minerality bursts onto the scene. Wet stone throughout the middle, but with a subtle amount of buttery mouthfeel. This is followed by a combination of subtle fruit at the finish.

WaterScore™: 95 points. Really a great nod to the burgundy style while still keeping the buttery texture that is characteristic of Napa wines. Something truly unique.

$38, Costco