One third of the way through! Tonight we opened a bottle of the Elkin Creek Chardonnay from Elkin Creek Vineyard. This Chardonnay is so rich and creamy, I mistakenly thought it was finished in oak and pulled out the wrong glasses for the wine. After quickly reading up on the wine, we realized it was 100% stainless steel (I was shocked, Joe had a lingering suspicion), and we changed glasses. While the wine wasn’t bad out of the oaked Chardonnay glasses, it was remarkably better and the flavors were more concentrated out of the stainless Chardonnay/Viognier glasses.
The winemaker at Elkin Creek really knows how to make a delicious wine. This Chardonnay is full-bodied and creamy from beginning to end. The nose is a little grapey and ripe with a fruit forward aroma. The first draw in is bright with a slight hint of lemon. Then it transforms into a rich creaminess on the mid-palate. The finish has hints of malted fruit and a slight nutty end note. It does resemble an oaked Chardonnay while keeping all the best characteristics from a true-to-the-fruit stainless steel version.
Elkin Creek Vineyard has a great variety of wines produced in a more European style. Their whites are mostly traditional and some of their reds resemble Italian style wines. The winery itself has a cozy feel to it. On most days you can sample their wines with a loaf of wood-fired bread and some local cheese. On Sundays, they offer wood-fired pizzas as well (definitely worth the visit).
Elkin Creek Vineyard is located in Elkin, NC.
[su_gmap address=”Elkin Creek Vineyard and Winery, Elkin, NC”]
Check out our other NC Wine Month postings:
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