America’s Chardonnay Coup
It’s not the 1976 Paris Tasting, but it sure is impressive.
Walter Schug’s Schug Carneros Estate 2003 Carneros Chardonnay was the only American Chardonnay to win a gold medal at the recently completed "Chardonnay du Monde" wine competition in France. 1090 Chardonnays from across the globe were entered into the competition. Only 64 were awarded Golds.
Schug is a Carneros Pioneer. The man has been making wine for more than 50 vintages, beginning in his home country of Germany. At one point in the 1960s he was in charge of grower relations on the North Cost for Gallo. He then became the founding winemaker for Joseph Phelps in Napa where he created Insignia and was the first man in California to bottle a varietally labeled Syrah. He also made some of America’s most stunning sweet wines in the 1970s.
He left Phelps to start his own winery, focusing on Carneros fruit. His passion is Pinot Noir, but clearly he has a hand with Chardonnay.
I don’t usually give much thought to Gold Medals and such. But there are a few competitions out there that carry prestige. Chardonnay du Monde is one of them.
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