Fingers Crossed Brain Teaser Chardonnay 2023

Fingers Crossed Brain Teaser Chardonnay is a white wine made by Fingers Crossed from Chardonnay, Roussanne and Marsanne grown in their vineyards in Santa Barbara County, California, United States.Brain Teaser 2023 marks a turning point for Fingers Crossed: for the very first time, the winery presents a white wine varietally labelled as Chardonnay. The blend is clearly led by Burgundy’s great white grape, which accounts for 75% of the wine, while the house preserves its distinctive personality with a small Rhône-inspired touch: 19% Roussanne and 6% Marsanne. The grapes come from some of the most highly regarded sites in the area, including Sanford, La Rinconada, Bien Nacido and Stolpman.Vinification is carried out with the meticulous attention to detail that defines the winery. The bunches are pressed directly, and the wine is fermented and aged in French oak barrels, 63% of them new. It remains on its lees until bottling, almost two years after the harvest, followed by an additional 7–8 months of bottle ageing. It is not filtered, cold-stabilized or fined, in order to preserve all of its texture, depth and character.In the glass, it shows the volume and concentration of a truly serious white wine, closer in structure to a great wine for ageing than to a light or immediate Chardonnay. Golden fruit, the creamy texture of lees ageing and the breadth of French oak are balanced by the natural tension of California’s great coastal vineyards. This is a serious, enveloping Chardonnay with real presence, also marked by the Mediterranean and subtly spicy nuance brought by Roussanne and Marsanne.Serve it not too cold and pair it with dishes of some intensity: roast poultry, oily fish, lobster, scallops, pasta with butter or mushrooms, soft cheeses and even white meats. It is also the kind of white wine capable of winning over those who usually say they only drink reds.