Mary writes:
On a recent trip to Walla Walla to celebrate my birthday I was able to try a 2009 blend of Chardonnay from Butch and Jerry Milbrandt’s Sundance Vineyards in the Wahluke Slope AVA and Jim and Regina Vandersloot’s Birch Creek Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA.
The blend of the two vineyards is absolutely perfect. Crisp citrus, minerals and apple from the Wahluke Slope and the buttery, round full-bodied flavors from the Walla Walla AVA. Unfortunately it was so delicious that I was forced to drink the rest of it. I had the bottle at the hotel where we were staying and upon a visit to the winery the next day learned the 2009 was no longer available.
But lucky for me, I got the chance to try Kurt and Vicki Schlicker’s Rulo 2010 Walla Walla Chardonnay and I highly recommend it. This Birch Creek Vineyard Chardonnay has nicely integrated oak, vanilla spice and yummy lemon custard flavors, all that and wrapped up in a full-bodied, balanced wine with a long, lingering finish. About $18 from the winery.
Rumor has is that we won’t have to travel all the way to Walla Walla to find a bottle, pretty soon Trader Joe’s will have this lineup.
