2007 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay

I first heard of Landmark from my pal Lesley Berglund whose father owned a John Deere tractor company in Napa. You might ask – what do tractors and wine have to do with one another? Lesley explained the founders of Landmark had agricultural roots stretching back to 1838 in Grand Detour, Illinois where John Deere invented the steel plow- an event that revolutionized farming. The family went on to establish Sonoma’s Landmark Winery in 1974 under the guidance of John Deere’s great-great granddaughter, Damaris Deere Ford.

Damaris believed that Landmark could be a small jewel of a producer. Son, Michael Deere Colhoun and his wife Mary joined her as partners in the winery and with world-renowned consulting enologist Helen Turley and winemaker Eric Stern, Landmark’s wines have consistently garnered rave reviews from critics. Their signature wine, the Overlook Chardonnay, has appeared on The Wine Spectator Top 100 list seven times since 1997! Paired with shellfish or pasta with cream sauce, the Overlook is pure heaven.

-- Chris Edwards, Vice President, The Winetasting Network

Tasting Notes

The aromas of toasted almonds, caramel and coconut are followed by crisp green apple and lemon rind flavors that convey certain minerality. The acidity and balance of the 2006 Overlook is much more Burgundian than previous offerings.

Vineyard Notes

The 22 separate vineyards that comprise this year's Overlook include such distinguished growers as Sangiacomo, Bien Nacido, Martinelli and Lorenzo.

Production Notes

All the wine in the Overlook bottling is barrel fermented using indigenous yeasts that undergoes full malo-lactic fermentation. The wine is aged sur lie for nine months in Burgundian barrels and racked to tanks for blending. Six weeks prior to bottling in August of 2007, the wine received a light isinglass fining. It was bottled without filtration.

Food Pairing Notes

This wine will pair well with seafood and shellfish, and complement pastas with cream sauces, as well as roast chicken and pork roast with fruit.

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