Did you know that Testarossa has a separate wine line called Cuvée Los Gatos? It’s more affordable than the Testarossa wines, but has the same phenomenal taste! I recently tried Testarossa 2013 Cuvée Los Gatos Chardonnay and it was a hit! I served it with an appetizer tray of roasted garlic, Brie, Syrah Parmesan, and crackers. 

 

To me it was slightly sweet with citrus and crisp apple flavors. Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking says, “Vibrant straw hue. Vibrant scents of lemonzest, tangerine, papaya, and banana. Lively flavors of bright lemon, banana, and custard make for a pleasing first taste. Well balanced and multi-layered finish. Enjoy now through 2016.” 

For Testarossa’s Cuvée Los Gatos Chardonnay release, Rob and Diana Jensen and Director of Winemaking Bill Brosseau selected and combined vineyard lots from highly regarded growing districts. For this bottling, the grapes were sourced from Monterey County. In particular, a majority of the fruit came from vineyards in the northern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation – one of the state’s best known regions for world-class Chardonnay. The Highlands’ close proximity to Monterey Bay makes for a very cool climate, with one of California’s longest growing seasons. The resulting slow, gentle ripening allows for full flavor development on the vine. The Cuvée Los Gatos name pays tribute to the rich history of Los Gatos, the town in which Testarossa winery resides. 

This bottle retails for about $23, for wine club members it’s $18.40 and more than worth the price. It’s an impressive wine and would make a great hostess gift, especially at such a reasonable price.