Channing Daughters 2008 Meditazione

Channing Daughters' winemaker Christopher Tracy has a passion for Italian grape varieties and Chardonnay. And sometimes he does strange things with them.

One of the results of his rather unorthodox winemaking is called "Meditazione", a blend of white Italian and French varieties grown on Long Island, New York. All grapes were hand-harvested and de-stemmed. The 2008 Meditazione consists of 27% Sauvignon Blanc, 27% Chardonnay, 16% Tocai Friulano, 16% Muscat Ottonel and 14% Pinot Grigio.

The list suggests that the wine's flavor would largely be determined by Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but it is the Muscat Ottonel that gives this blend its unique character: the Meditazione is an intensely aromatic wine. Sweet floral scents and a juicy aroma of grape pulp, spicy and citrus-fresh at the same time.

The grapes were fermented together on their skins in an open top fermenter and matured for thirteen months in a mix of French and Slovenian barrels (63% new, 37% old). The long skin contact during fermentation turned the color of this wine into a beautiful deep gold with an orange tint. It is bone-dry on the palate, yet only has 12% alcohol, which is splendid. The body is there, coming from the oak's spice, but since the alcohol is so modest this wine goes with many kinds of food, even with red meat. In fact, if I had tasted the Meditazione with my eyes closed I would probably have thought that it is a red wine.

The fruit is deep and somber and there is an elegant smokiness to both the nose and palate. Juicy quince fruit and spice dominate the fairly long finish of this really unusual and astounding wine. There is a lot to discover in this wine, I am willing to take the passive part and let me be guided. After all, it is called Meditazione.