This lush, hedonistic Chardonnay delivers a full chorus of aromas including baked apple, lemon curd, toasty
vanilla and caramel. Baked pear returns on the palate with flavors of grilled apple, crème brûlée,
butterscotch and more vanilla. This is a rich, complex wine with bright acidity and a creamy texture. It is
brimming with flavor and has a long, luscious, lingering finish that leaves you wanting more.
Baked apple, lemon curd, toasty vanilla and caramel.
Larry Londer’s decision to retire from his ophthalmology practice in Albuquerque and start a winery in
Northern California was viewed by family and friends as “bold, brave, gutsy, and just plain nuts.” But, in
1999 he and his tireless wife, Shirlee, broke ground just outside of Philo in Mendocino County’s Anderson
Valley. Mentored by Greg LaFollette, “one of America’s most acclaimed Pinot Noir experts,” they
promptly set about the business of establishing a cult-like following for the tiny amounts of wine they
produced. While the Londers are intimately involved in every aspect of the operation, consulting enologist
Rick Davis, a Protégé of LaFollette’s, does most of the heavy lifting in the winemaking department.
While it is important to match dishes to Chardonnay’s inherent citrus, pear, apple and even tropical fruit
flavors, it is also critical to pair foods with the right weight and texture. This full-bodied Chardonnay can
offer deep satisfaction when served without food, but is best enjoyed with dishes of similar body, such as
rich seafood entrees, like monkfish and lobster, as well as poultry, pork and veal. My Lemon Salt Marinated
Pork Tenderloin will work very well.
Mendocino County is a pioneer in organic farming and likes to think of itself as America’s “greenest wine
region.” The first vineyards in Mendocino were established in the 1850s in the Redwood Valley by
returning farmers who failed to find their wealth and prosperity during the California Gold Rush.