My name is Leslie Sbrocco and I'm the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I will be sharing my tasting notes about the wine the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show. I will also share some wine and spirits tips with each episode.
Check, Please! Bay Area guests drank the following wines on the set of episode 806:
2010 Brewer-Clifton "Mount Carmel" Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills, California ($52) -- Magic happens when opposites attract. That's the result when erudite ex-professor of French, Greg Brewer, collaborated with ex-surfer dude Steve Clifton to create wines in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara county under the Brewer-Clifton label. Though recognized for their Pinot Noir, what first attracted me to their wines was Chardonnay. In my opinion, the duo rank among the world's best for this variety. Closing my eyes, the minerality and elegance stands out and I feel I could be sipping Grand Cru Burgundy from France. But, the succulent fruit gives it away as hailing from somewhere else. That somewhere is the wind swept vineyard of Mount Carmel perched on a steep slope deep in the cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills. Richly textured -- like expensive raw silk in a glass -- the wine seamlessly marries caramelized pear aromas with nutty flavors in a jaw-dropping Chardonnay that's simply magical.
