What Kind of Wine Is Sutter Home Chardonnay?
Sutter Home Chardonnay is a dry white wine from California. It has an impressive lineup of exotic and peach fruit flavors and an enduring impression on the palate. With smooth, creamy tones and a luxurious aftertaste, Sutter Home Chardonnay is compelling. As a grape, Chardonnay can be grown and ripened in a wide variety of climates, meaning grape-growers don’t find it tough to cultivate. Well, that’s true, but to a certain extent. Because it is early budding, Chardonnay suffers in areas with spring frosts and hail. Now, this Old World signature variety gives wines with pronounced green fruit and citrus flavors when grown in cool and moderate climates.
Yet, in warm regions, ripe tropical fruit tastes are more common. The elegant aromas and flavors of Chardonnay enable it to undergo several complex wine-making techniques, such as malolactic conversion. For this reason, there are many Chardonnay styles, from vibrant with primary fruit flavors to complicated aromas of nuts and mushrooms. Further, in the New World, the Chardonnay style depends on the winemaker, with many producing heavily oaked Chardonnays, completely different than the lean ones of Chablis.
Sutter Home Chardonnay Review
- Winery — Sutter Home Wines
- Country/Region — United States, California
- Type — Californian Chardonnay
- Aroma — Pear, Apple, Gooseberry, Chard, Lemon, Vanilla Spice
- Grapes — Chardonnay
- Taste — Pineapple, Mango, Peach, Grapefruit, Butter, Honey, Almond, Flint, Charred Wood
- Alcohol Content — 13%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Seafood, Poultry, Pork Chops, Brie Cheese
Sutter Home Chardonnay has a fine character and zest. With a pretty green apple nose and pineapple aromas, the wine is well balanced—it even has some unexpected toasty notes. And even though it finishes somehow too sweet, Sutter Home Chardonnay is a super affordable white wine. To sum it up, it is of outstanding value.
Tasting Notes
With a delicate nose and a rich palate, Sutter Home Chardonnay has a suggestive tasting profile. Delightful green fruit aromas blend with gooseberry as they commence a happy dance. Likewise, in the mouth, luscious pineapple interlaces with peach and grapefruit to deliver a round, creamy mouthfeel. On top of that, the crisp acidity is refreshing and offsets the ripeness, driving to the lingering finish.
Appearance
Sutter Home Chardonnay wine has an attractive appearance. It has an almost golden color, reminiscent of sunbeams. Furthermore, the core is translucent and white on the sides after a few swirls, a deep lemon color appears. The tears of the wine are long and watery and complement the bright but bold look.
Aroma
Sutter Home Chardonnay has an enchanting aromatic profile filled with elegant aromas of green fruits. Pear and apple, emerge as the wine reaches the nose, while notes of gooseberry and chard remind you of Sauvignon Blanc. On top of that, fresh citrus exists as a layer of lemon unfolds and mingles with vanilla spice. In fact, the spiciness is intense, and while it does not overwhelm, it may feel a bit out of place.
Taste
In the mouth, Sutter Home Chardonnay shows ripeness. Plenty of tropical fruits, like pineapple and mango, join peach and grapefruit flavors to define the palate. At the same time, a hint of grapefruit is accentuated by minerality and a touch of almond. All of the flavors, though, are coated with butter and honey. As a consequence, Sutter Home Chardonnay has a distinctive roundness and smoothness. The zippy acidity also is pleasing and refreshes the mouth.
Finish
A great Chardonnay needs a lengthy and lingering finish and Sutter Home Chardonnay, luckily enough, has that. The lingering aftertaste restores the pineapple taste, previously found in the mouth, before adding a lasting impression of charred wood. This slight oakiness is delightful and contributes depth and structure. Sutter Home Chardonnay has a proper conclusion that does not disappoint. Super!
Rating
Fruity, ripe, and round, Sutter Home Chardonnay is of outstanding value. It is a creamy but cleanly made wine, with fresh fruit flavors and a lingering finish. For wine enthusiasts on the lookout for an enjoyable white wine, Sutter Home Chardonnay might be the best choice on the market. Not one to be missed!
Sutter Home Chardonnay Food Pairing
Sutter Home Chardonnay pairs nicely with seafood or poultry. An assortment of fried calamari or shrimp or a juicy slice of roast chicken, together with a glass of this Chardonnay, brings endless pleasure to wine enthusiasts. In addition, do try and combine Sutter Home Chardonnay with honey-glazed pork chops. The creaminess of the wine blends incredibly with the fatty nature of the pork.
As always, Chardonnay wines make excellent companions to creamy, white cheeses. For this reason, crumbled pieces of milky Brie used as toppings on a French salad with pears is perhaps the best way to enjoy Sutter Home Chardonnay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Makes Sutter Home Chardonnay?
Sutter Home Chardonnay is a product of Sutter Home Winery, located in Saint Helena, California. Founded in 1890, the Sutter Home Winery was closed during Prohibition. Then, the Trinchero family bought it, and in 1948 they reopened.
Sutter Home created the iconic American rosé, white Zinfandel, in the 1970s. Specifically, the 1974 vintage White Zinfandel suffered a stuck fermentation, leaving the wine with a light pink color and about two percent residual sugar. Sutter Home’s customers loved this wine style, though, and by 1987 White Zinfandel had become the best-selling wine in the United States with over 4.5 million cases sold.
Today they offer more than twenty crowd-pleasing varieties, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Moscato, and Sangria.
How Is Sutter Home Chardonnay Made?
Sutter Home Chardonnay from California is a primarily fruit-forward white wine, and therefore it is crafted by following the typical wine-making method. The grapes need careful handling to avoid oxidation and acidification. After harvest, the grapes are de-stemmed, crushed, and pressed to release their juice. Then, that juice is clarified to conserve bright flavors and aromas before being placed into stainless steel vessels to undergo cold fermentation.
Meanwhile, Sutter Home Chardonnay might undergo malolactic conversation to increase its body and soften, round its mouthfeel. When the fermentation is over, the wine is filtered from sediments and bottled.
Where Is Sutter Home Chardonnay Made?
Sutter Home Chardonnay is from Saint Helena, California, where vineyards inspire, and offering remarkable fruit. California is considered the center of the American winemaking industry. The Mediterranean climate provides crucial warmth to the vines, resulting in elegant wines. Unlike wines produced in other parts of the world, Californian wines prefer to conserve their refreshing fruitiness in favor of structure and great elaborateness. They remain delicate, ignoring unnecessary complexity.
Saint Helena is in the north of Napa County. It receives the warmest daytime temperatures and produces some of the most concentrated, full-bodied wines in the region. Cool air through the Chalk Hill and the Mayacamas Mountains provides relief from oppressive afternoon temperatures. The also much cooler night-time temperatures preserve acidity in the grapes. Although Cabernet Sauvignon is the focus here, Zinfandel and Syrah are also grown.
How to Serve Sutter Home Chardonnay?
As a typical white wine, Sutter Home Chardonnay needs chilling at fifty degrees Fahrenheit (ten degrees Celsius). If served warm, the aromas and flavors get mixed up—too cold, and they die out, leaving behind a dull wine.
To chill Sutter Home Chardonnay, place it for an hour or two in the refrigerator. Afterward, uncork it and serve in standard-sized wine glasses. The surface of the glass provides the wine with essential aeration. As the air comes into contact with the wine surface, the wine’s aromas and flavors elevate.
Do not forget that you need to keep Sutter Home Chardonnay cool to enjoy it. To do that, place the bottling in an ice bucket or wine cooler. The bucket should be filled three-quarters full with equal quantities of ice and water so that iced water surrounds the bottle. The water is then able to transfer the heat from the bottle to melt the ice. Air acts as an insulator, and the bottle chills. Keep in mind, however, that over-chilling is damaging to wines as it overshadows their flavors.
How Much Does Sutter Home Chardonnay Cost?
Sutter Home Chardonnay is super affordable. Consumers, can easily purchase it without worry. Sutter Home Chardonnay prices range from $5 to $8 per 750ml bottle, depending on the merchant. Sutter Home Chardonnay has a very low-price point, indeed, making it ideal for an everyday wine that can accompany most lunches, dinners, or the occasional special event. As a wine fan, don’t delay, buy the wine on your first opportunity, as soon as you see it on the store shelves. You won’t be disappointed.
How Long Does Sutter Home Chardonnay Last?
Sutter Home Chardonnay is not an ideal wine for bottle aging. It cannot benefit from it. In fact, by putting it for long-term storage, you risk damaging its delightful aromatic and tasting profile. Therefore, even though most Chardonnay wines have the structural components to withstand maturation, Sutter Home Chardonnay does not. For this reason, it should be consumed within one year from the date of bottling. Otherwise, as long as it stays uncorked, the greater the decay of the wine’s vibrant nature.
How Many Calories Does Sutter Home Chardonnay Have?
Sutter Home Chardonnay is a very suitable dietary choice, as it has a low-caloric density. There are about 20 calories in 1 fluid ounce of the beverage, equating to almost 120 calories per serving. The calorific breakdown is 0 grams of fats, 0 grams of sodium, 3.8 grams of total carbohydrate, 0.5 grams of protein, and 0 grams of total sugars. Sutter Home Chardonnay calories, therefore, will not harm consumers on a diet and certainly allow them to enjoy this bottling on a day-to-day basis.
Sutter Home Chardonnay has an alcohol content of 13%. That is the standard alcohol concentration for a medium-bodied white. Keep in mind that unless specified on the label, most wines are not vegan. During wine-making, wines are clarified through fining, where the most commonly fining agents are animal-based. Vegans, consequently, need to consider this information before taking a sip of Sutter Home Chardonnay.
Conclusion
Sutter Home Chardonnay has a fine character and zest. With a pretty green apple nose and pineapple aromas, the wine is well balanced—it even has some unexpected toasty notes. And even though it finishes somehow too sweet, Sutter Home Chardonnay is a super affordable white wine. To sum it up, it is of outstanding value.
