I guess I should pay more attention to my emails, because I was working around the house when there was a knock on the door.   It was the UPS driver and he had a package that I had to sign for, so it was a very pleasant surprise.  Normally the express companies just leave packages on the front porch, but when a signature is required, it is either very valuable or it has alcohol, and sometimes it is the best of both worlds.  I recognized the carton and I knew it was a shipment from the only wine club that I belong to, which is “A Taste of Monterey.”

I can’t even tell you, how long we have had a membership with them, but it has been a long and fruitful association.  As I have said before they have a couple of different club levels, but we opted for their Private Reserve Club as a way to receive wines that probably would never get to Michigan, because of small production and the unusual and restrictive and cavalier method that the wine importers and distributors employ in this state.  When we first signed on, we weren’t even sure if it would work, because Michigan was at one time a felony state for private shipments of wine.  Thankfully our Governor at one time was named in a historic legal battle and the outcome was great for wine drinkers here, and that particular Governor has long been vanquished for our shores.

The first wine that I found, I will describe, but I will have to rely on their notes as I have not uncorked the bottle, as I have to find the right moment for it, but it will happen.  The Scott Family Estates Arroyo Seco Chardonnay 2016 should be an excellent bottle of wine.  Scott Family Estates are actually located in St. Helena in Napa Valley and are under the larger umbrella of Rutherford Wine Company.  Arroyo Seco, which means Dry Creek is in the middle of the Salinas Valley which is located in Monterey County.  Arroyo Seco is known for having heavy fog cover which means that the vines are slow to ripen under the cooler temperatures and harvests have been know to take place in November.  While Arroyo Seco is well regarded and received its AVA in 1983, it is not seen that often, and the largest crop there is Chardonnay.  This particular wine is made entirely from Dijon Clones and was aged Sur Lies in a combination of Stainless Steel and French Oak.  There were seven-hundred-sixty cases produced and the aging potential for this wine is for five to six years, though truthfully most Chardonnay wines in this house do not last that long.  You know that I am not one for descriptors, but the notes for this wine indicate vibrant citrus notes, creamy with a long finish with an underlying taste of toasty oak.  Only time will tell, and I will be glad to let you know when the wine has been opened.