The last time most winemakers poured a 2008 Chardonnay was 2009, or thereabout. Bill Brosseau’s approach is different.
“I’m not in a rush,” he explains. “The wines open up in years five and six.”
All well and good, but the 2008 Brosseau Chardonnay is going on 18. And yet there is a mature calm to the wine, which is part of his library collection. Although it was tempered in French oak for a year before bottling, there is no trace of buttery vanilla – and keep in mind this was produced in an era when California winemakers flaunted ostentatious Chardonnays. But Brosseau follows a different mantra. “I can never let oak be dominant,” he says. “I want oak to be background music.”
The wine is comfortable with its age, offering aromas of caramelized pineapple, apple pie and warm hazelnut – sedentary sensations that gain a more youthful spirit on the palate. The fruits are bright, with a hop in their step. Yet the crisp apple and pineapple are in no hurry, instead mingling as notes of pomace and toasting bread drift in. The flavors linger, with a candied heft.
Library wines are references. “It was a good year – good acidity,” Brosseau recalls. As his 2008 Chardonnay proves, it’s a plus to have one in your collection, if there are a few bottles left.
Fortunately, Brosseau has other wines available at his new Marina tasting room.
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