With a very approachable price (one can purchase this for well under $15 at most online retailers), the 2006 Ghost Pines Chardonnay (enjoying a blend of grapes from Sonoma, Monterey, and Napa counties) represents another piece of evidence to back up the claim that wine does not have to be pricey to be eminently enjoyable. While there are bits and pieces of a more woodsy flavor (represented in a vanilla body that comes forth often) present in the 2006 Chardonnay, I feel that the dominant flavor profile here would have to be fruit-based.
While many wines will have at least some semblance of a fruit flavor present owing to the genesis of the liquid, I feel that the fruit here is much more varied than merely taking on notes of grape. Rather, each subsequent sip is like pulling an item out of a hat – one pull will bring out apple, while another places apricot as the dominant feature.
Coupled with these fruits, the wine itself moderates any alcohol bite present with a creamy flavor that bonds well with any nuance that may be experienced by an imbiber. The complex flavor profile of this 2006 Chardonnay is diametrically opposed to the price point; where many wines at the aforementioned price point seem to be fairly simple, I feel that a single bottle of this Ghost Pines offering is not enough to understand each twist and turn that the vintners at Ghost Pines have provided those who take home a bottle of this wine. Ghost Pines has quite a number of offerings, and based off of how solid a wine the ’06 Chardonnay is, I would say to pick up their Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot at one’s first opportunity.
Rating: 7.8/10