A collaboration between Clos LaChance winery and WineStyles, our SILKY white wine is a great starting point to experience “wine styles” flavor profiles. This wine embodies the characteristics of a typical SILKY wine style category. Aromas of white nectarine and honeysuckle gives way to flavors of tangerine with a hint of vanilla. Pairs with pasta, chicken or fish. Enjoy with Gruyère or Cheddar cheese.
Clos LaChance winery is a multi-generational family-owned and operated winery. Located within the Central Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA), tucked into the beautiful Hayes Valley in San Martin, California. Being good stewards of land and resources, the Close LaChance Winery and Estate Vineyard is proud to be Certified Sustainable by the California Sustainable Wine Growing Alliance.
Silky White Wine 2020 Vintage
CLOS LACHANCE VINEYARDS
Harvest Notes
2020 was another tremendous vintage for wine production in the Santa Clara Valley, marking four straight years of excellent quality partnered with average yields. The 2020 growing season started with a mild winter leading into a temperate spring. Early May brought a few significant rain events which were untimely with some varietals in full bloom. These rainstorms hindered the yields of some of the early season ripening varietals, such as Viognier and Marsanne. Luckily only a minor portion of the vineyard suffered from these bloom time rain events. The summer months brough even temperatures and no significant heat spikes, or prolonged heat events. The mild summer continued into the fall, where temperatures were seasonable to slightly below average. All of this came together with extended hang time giving us bold flavors and rich tannins. 2020 will continue the line of extraordinary quality and will be right in line with the flavors and components we are seeing in the 2018 and 2019 vintages.
Winemaking Notes
The Silky Wine is treated much like a delicate and lighter style of Chardonnay. The grapes are whole cluster pressed to tank for a 48-hour cold settle at 40 degrees F. The wine is then racked off the heavier lees and inoculated to begin fermentation. Once fermentation has begun the wine is transferred to barrel where the fermentation and aging takes place. 40% of the wine is aged on 100% French Oak of which 10%is new oak, while the balance is aged in stainless-steel tanks. The wine is aged for 10 months on oak before it is stabilized, fined, filtered and bottled.
Tasting Notes
Color: Gilded Straw, Luminescent
Aroma: Vanilla, Papaya, Honeysuckle
Flavor: Baked Apricot, Warm Pie-Crust, Banana
Structure: Medium Body, Low Acidity
Food Pairing: Butternut Squash Soup, Crab Ravioli, Baked Apple Crostini
Cheese Pairing: Gruyère, Cheddar
Technical Information
Vineyards: Estate and Central Coast Vineyards, California
Blend: 50% Viognier, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Marsanne
Aged: 10 months in 10% New French Oak – 30% Neutral French Oak
Harvest Date: 9/22-10/01
Average Brix at Harvest: 23.5
pH: 3.56
TA: 0.59
Alc: 14%
Silky Pairing Recipes
Mediterranean Lamb Sliders
Grilled Peach, Chicken and Ricotta Pizza
Maryland Crab Cakes
Explore more Styles
There’s no doubt that picking the perfect wine can be an overwhelming experience. That’s why we decided to take the guesswork out of shopping by categorizing our bottles in eight easy to understand styles including: Crisp, Silky, Rich, Bold, Mellow, Fruity, Bubbly, and Nectar. Each wine features a description listing the wine’s characteristics, flavors and suggested food pairings.
White Wines
Red Wines
Bubbly
Nectar
- Refreshing, clean, bright
- Flavors of citrus, apple & pear
- Pairs with salads, flaky fish, shellfish, spicy dishes, cheese
- Creamy, toasty, adaptable
- Flavors of vanilla, honey & melon
- Pairs with pasta, chicken, fish, soft cheese
- Oaky, buttery, lavish
- Flavors of caramel, tropical fruit, peach & spice
- Pairs with creamy sauces, oily fish, turkey, pork
- Fruit forward, jammy grapey
- Flavors of raspberry, strawberry & blueberry
- Pairs with salads, pizza, salmon chicken
- Round, velvety, smooth
- Flavors of cherry, berry, herbs & earth
- Pairs with pasta, veal, pork, beef, lamb
- Intense, complex, heavy
- Flavors of coffee, pepper & licorice
- Pairs with hearty and spicy dishes, complex flavors, hard cheeses
- Effervescent and festive
- Flavors of apple, mineral, vanilla, toast & nuts
- Pairs with hors d’oeuvres, desserts, berries, chocolate
- Sweet, enticing, seductive
- Flavors of raisins, nuts, peaches & cream
- Pairs with desserts, strong cheeses, cigars
Wine Pairing
We’ve simplified the wine pairing process and made it easy with our exclusive wine “styles” concept above. However, if you’d like to dive deeper into the reasons why certain foods taste better with certain wines, let’s explore the tastes together.
Sweet Foods
In a general sense, the wine your are drinking should be sweeter than the food it is paired with. Otherwise, the wine will taste bitter and tart. As an example, desserts are best paired with a Port or Sherry wine, an after dinner wine. BUBBLY semi-sweet sparkling wines could also be paired with fruit desserts.
Bold & Spicy Foods
Barbecue sauces need to be equally paired with BOLD and spicy wines, such as Shiraz, Malbec or Zinfandel, so they don’t over power your palate. If your burger or meat is seasoned, consider pairing with a BOLD Syrah wine with spicy notes.
Spicy & Sweet Foods
Spicy Asian, Thai or Indian foods can be tamed with dry Rieslings, Torrontes, Sauvignon Blanc, Vouvrays or Gewürztraminer.
Meats
Roasted, broiled or barbecued beef dishes pair well with BOLD wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon varietals. Lamb, wild game such as venison, wild boar, hearty vegetable dishes and strong cheeses also pair well with Malbec and Tempranillo BOLD wines. Depending on the seasoning or sauces, chicken is ideally served with RICH or SILKY Chardonnays.
Acidic Foods
Be sure your wine has a higher acidity than the food it is paired with. Steer clear of a buttery Chardonnay and a salad with vinaigrette.
Earthy & Rustic Foods
Old World recipes tend to pair well with Old World wines (European). These pair well with rustic recipes from Italy, Spain and France. Chianti pairs well with Tuscan cuisine, from sausage to grilled meats and ripe cheeses. Pastas pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon. Other earthy foods, such as mushrooms and truffles pair well with MELLOW wines, such as Pinot Noir.
Seafood
Fish and shellfish recipes can be paired with light, CRISP white wines like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, served lightly chilled. Salmon or fatty fish with rich sauces, pairs well with SILKY white wines from the New World (California, Chile or Australia).
Fresh Herbs
Serving a dish with a lot of fresh herbs and veggies, consider white wines that are SILKY, such as Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Vermentino grape varietals.