Bernardus Chardonnay
5 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley
298-8020, www.bernardus.com
Having been known to source fruit from some of the better vineyards in Monterey County—Rosella’s and Sleepy Hollow to name a couple—the Bernardus brand delivers year after year. For those that can appreciate the acidity in Chablis, or those that list Rombauer as their guilty pleasure, this baby bridges a very drastic gap. Dean DeKorth, winemaker, has studied in Burgundy, getting first-hand knowledge of how Chardonnay should be made. While working at Comtes-Lafon, he’s learned when to stir the lees, but also how to prevent wines from oxidizing prematurely. With that said, he relies heavily on Matt Shea, vineyard manager, to decide when to pick, prune and do what needs to be done in the vineyard. Mr. Bernardus Pon, owner, should be proud of the people he’s employed and what he has done for winemaking in this area.