The 2013 Franciscan Estate Chardonnay Napa Valley has 13.5% alcohol. It was barrel fermented and ages sur lie, that’s resting on the dead yeast, while it matured in small oak barrels for seven months. This adds a creamy note to the wine. It has plush scents of pear, and baked apple. Then, the malolactic fermentation (ML) changed the Chardonnay’s apple and citrus aromas into a more tropical style with, mango, and papaya fruits. It ended with a creamy vanilla finish.  It tasted as though just a part of the wine went through the ML.

Served last night with a simple tortellini soup powdered with heavy freshly grated cheese, the really simple meal became a delightful experience. It scored 16+ points on the 20-point Dionysian Scale.

After a wine is made, a second fermentation (ML) changes the sharp malic acid, found in apples, into a softer, rounder lactic acid like the one in milk. In vino veritas.