as well by Burgundy’s world-traveling white grape as by its Noir. Freestone Vineyard’s next tier above their Fogdog line is simply called, Freestone. Oak, malolactic, it’s got it—but this is no butter bomb. Lesser Chardonnays of this style, say, from a hotter region, with high acidity (which may have been augmented in the winery) combined with boosted alcohol and popcorn-butter flavor make my palate scream. But there’s a lot more to carefully made, barrel-fermented Chardonnay than barbecued popcorn-milkshakes.
The 2007 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay’s ($55) well-integrated oak and buttercream notes result in a toasted cashew character, while the flavors are dominated by Meyer lemon. The acidity does not make it merely crisp, but truly structured, and the citrusy-buttery finish doesn’t let the palate forget about this wine soon, and yes, it demands to be sat down at the table. On the simple side, I’d go with fettucini alfredo for starters, maybe artichoke ravioli with lemon-cream sauce. Here’s a creamy mushroom soup from the winery.
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Velvety Mushroom Soup 
From: Chef Rick Warkel
Serves: 6
olive oil
1 cup onion
½ cup carrot
½ cup celery
1½ tsp. garlic
½ cup heavy cream
5 cups assorted mushrooms (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
Truffle oil to taste
Sweat onion, garlic, celery & carrot in olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook for approx. 4 minutes. Add chicken stock to cover and simmer for ½ hour. Stir in ½ cup heavy cream and bring to a boil. Strain and reserve liquid; Then puree solids, adding reserve liquid to desired consistency. Adjust to taste with salt & pepper.
