For 2009, Chamard has three reds, the 2005 Merlot, the 2005 Cabernet Franc and the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2007 Rosé.  Only the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc remain on the tasting menu; as of my visit in early July only 2 cases remained of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

I began the Reds with the

2005 Merlot A blend of 80% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Pinot Noir,  this is a lighter-bodied wine than either a California or European Merlot.  The nose is earthy, but still has that “tang” that I’ve discovered is very typical of Northeastern reds, particularly Merlots.  It’s almost as if the wine has a touch of salty sea air that comes out in the nose.  The wine itself is smooth and dry, with subtle notes of dark chocolate and raspberry.  The finish has interesting notes of pepper, and the wine lingers at the end.  It’s an interesting wine, and of Connecticut Merlots, one of my top five.  This should age nicely and will definitely benefit from decanting.

The last wine of the tasting was the

2005 Cabernet Franc 80% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 2% Pinot Noir, the Cab Franc is a lovely wine, and with the Estate Reserve Chardonnay, my favorite wine of the afternoon.  The color is a lovely rich garnet, and the nose is soft with light notes of spice and berry.  In the mouth the wine is smooth, rich and complex with notes of both chocolate and raspberry that linger on the palate.    Like the Merlot, the Cabernet Franc will age well, and will pair well with a variety of foods.

Chamard also produces an Estate Reserve Cabernet Franc, which had sold out shortly before my visit.   They do keep bottles of every vintage and often have older vintages available in the cellar.  If interested, and if the tasting room isn’t too busy, ask the Staff and they’ll root around downstairs and try to locate a bottle or two for you.

Chamard, like most wineries, offer a 10% case discount.  Purchase of your first case enrolls you in Chamard’s VIP Membership, which provides you with complimentary wine tastings, a 10% discount on all future purchases, and invitations to special VIP Only Events.  Chamard’s wines can be purchased from the winery, through their website (they ship to most states), and in wine shops throughout Connecticut.

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Chamard currently has four whites in their 2009 Selection of Wines, three of which are included on the Tasting Menu:

Stone Cold White This cold-fermented, un-oaked Chardonnay is Chamard’s best selling wine.  The color is a pale yellow but not quite straw.  The nose is lovely with light floral notes and hints of grapefruit and lemon.  On the palate the wine is smooth and light, with a pleasant touch of lemon and just enough acid to give the wine some character and depth.  This wine would pair well with light fish dishes or even do well on it’s own as a light afternoon sipping wine.

2004 Chardonnay This is a more classic Chardonnay than the Stone Cold White.  The color, while still on the pale side, is a deeper yellow, and the nose is stronger, with nice floral notes.  The Chardonnay is aged in a combination of French oak (40%) and stainless steel (60%), and the oak provides a smooth, yet light, buttery finish.  In the mouth, the wine is a bit more fuller-bodied than the Stone Cold White, and there are notes of citrus and honey.  Overall, this is a lovely Chardonnay with just the right balance of fruit and acid; it will pair well with a wide variety of foods.  Mario, my host for the tasting, noted that the Chardonnay pairs particularly well with cream sauces.

Both the Stone Cold White and the 2004 Chardonnay are produced from a blend of locally-grown Connecticut grapes and grapes grown on Long Island.

2004 Estate Reserve Chardonnay This was my favorite of the Chamard Whites.  A lovely, rich Chardonnay with beautiful fruit notes, particularly pineapple, on the nose and in the mouth.  60% aged in French oak and 40% in stainless steel, the wine has a lovely blend of fruit and a touch of vanilla from the oak.  The finish is smooth and lingers on the palate.  This would also pair well with a wide variety of foods, and as I sipped it, I found myself thinking it would be very interesting paired with shellfish, such as lobster or crab.

Also available this year is the 2007 Pinot Gris.  This is the first year Chamard has produced the Pinot Gris, and may likely be their last.  Made from grapes grown at nearby Rock Wall Vineyards in Hadlyme, CT (not a commercial winery), the wine was produced in limited quantities and is therefore not included on the tasting menu.   Described as light and slightly effervescent particularly when chilled, I decided to purchase a bottle to try later.  I must admit I was disappointed with this one.  There were strong notes of lemon on both the nose and in the mouth, but there was also a disconcerting tartness, almost bitterness, at the end, that the slight effervescence seemed to magnify.  I recorked the bottle and left it out and tried it the next day at room temperature (which given our colder summer this year was about 70º).  The effervescence was slightly subdued, but still present, and I still found the tartness off-putting.  For me, this was the only miss of the Chamard selection.

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Chamard Vineyards was established in 1983 by William Chaney, then CEO of Tiffany & Co. The first vines were planted in 1984, and Chamard became a licensed winery in 1988.  Their first vintage, the 1988 Chardonnay, was released in November 1989.  In 2006 Chaney sold the winery to Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, a renowned scientist and entrepreneur specializing in genomics, whose goal is to make Chamard a “destination for Connecticut’s best wines.”

Chamard sits on 40 acres, 20 of which are currently under cultivation: 16 acres of Chardonnay, 1.5 acres of Merlot, 1 acre each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc,  and a 1/2 acre of Pinot Noir.  They also import grapes from vineyards on Long Island.  Falling inside the Southeastern New England Viticulatural Area, Chamard’s vineyards benefit from the relatively milder winters and longer growing season created by their proximity to Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River.

The property and winery are both lovely – despite sitting just five minutes off of I-95, the winery feels completely secluded; so much so, that having approached from the north, I hadn’t realized just how close it was to the highway, until I left the winery and found it took me less than 5 minutes to get to the I-95 on-ramp.  Located behind the Clinton Crossings Outlet Mall, the winery sits about 1/4 mile back from the road at the end of a long dirt driveway which cuts through the front vineyards.  The Tasting Room is welcoming and cozy – a large U-shaped bar, which could seat a dozen comfortably, dominates the center of the room with a large stone fireplace that greets you as you enter the room.  A large wooden deck overlooking a fountain and the back vineyards is just steps outside the tasting room, and a small gift shop lines the back wall, framing a large window which overlooks the west vineyards.  In fact, the views from all sides are lovely – the bright greens of the vineyards transition to the lusher, darker greens of the trees surrounding the property.   Overall there is a quiet elegance to the setting which complements the wines.

Rothberg is committed to producing world-class wines in Connecticut.  For the past 9 years, Chamard has been voted Connecticut’s Best Wine through a reader survey conducted by Connecticut Magazine; an impressive accomplishment, and one Chamard is justifiably proud of.   The winery currently produces 12 wines: 5 whites (Stone Cold White, Chardonnay, Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris), 1 Rose and 7 reds (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvingon, Cabernet Franc, Estate Reserve Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir), although both the Pinot Blanc and the Estate Reserve Cabernet Franc are currently sold out.  All but one of their wines are aged in oak barrels, the Chardonnays in French Oak and the Reds in American.  The winemaker keeps the barrel in use for 15 years and ages each vintage in a combination of 5-year-old, 10-year-old and 15-year-old barrels, mixing the results together at the end to produce the final product.

The staff at Chamard are also welcoming and Mario, my host for the afternoon, was extremely knowledgeable about the winery’s history, their production methods and the individual wines themselves.  While I have yet to find a Connecticut winery that I didn’t enjoy visiting, Chamard definitely ranks up as one of my Top Three.  I strongly recommend a visit.

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