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Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Pride Mountain Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016

Pride Mountain Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay 2016

We dined at Seafire Grill in Midtown NYC and ordered this Pride Mountain Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016 with our seafood entrees.  Seafire Grill has been on my to-do list for quite a while so it was nice to get this in this trip.

I ordered the roasted Nova Scotia Halibut in beurre blanc sauce with lemon gnocchi, fava beans, and kale chimichurri (left). I was hoping for more boldness and rich flavor in the beurre blanc sauce but it was too subtle and benign to spruce up the mild fish. The fish preparation was excellent and the full gnocchi was a nice complement to the Halibut. 

Similarly, the cous cous starter was rather bland and uninspiring. The tuna tartar starter was the most expressive and enjoyable of our selections. All the better to order a rather bold forward Chardonnay to fill in the blanks. The Pride Mountain Napa Chardonnay turned out to be more modest as well, hence not overpowering to the more delicate subtle dishes, although that was not planned. 

Unlike the food, the atmosphere at Seafire Grill was boisterous and outgoing, bordering on overhearing, almost difficult to have a conversation, overly cosmopolitan and certainly lacking intimacy.

Pride Mountain Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay 2016

Pride Mountain Vineyards are most noted for their mountain grown Cabernets from their vineyards high atop Spring Mountain. 

This Chardonnay is sourced from three different vineyards in Carneros down at the bottom of the Mayacamas Mtn range that separates Napa and Sonoma Valley. The area with its cool breezes and fog that wafts in from nearby San Pablo Bay is known for Burgundian varietal wines, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

Pride has long term supplier agreements with its growers there, hence, while not Estate grown, there is a history to compare this wine over many vintages for collectors and brand loyalists. 

While this is aged in 25% new French oak, the oak is subdued and well behaved, straw colored, light medium bodied, fresh, crisp lively acidity, moderate fruit tones of pear, citrus, melon and hint of spice.  

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2802580

https://www.pridewines.com/