Frank Family Vineyards : 2013 Lewis Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay Review

#wineadvicebyshawn
2013 Lewis Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay
$65 per bottle 

This is currently my favorite chardonnay.  It really is delicious by itself or paired with a variety of foods.  I tried my first glass of  Frank Family wines while dining at The Pear in Downtown Napa one evening.  I was impressed enough to visit their vineyard for a tasting the very next day.

We both love this Chardonnay.  The subtle balance of the oakiness and the crispness make for a very, very drinkable wine. This is the type of wine that I savor each sip with a smile and an occasional guttural "Mmmmmmm".  The first sip will coat your entire mouth with a creaminess that lingers just the perfect amount of time and then it finishes crisp without being overtly acidic and barely a hint of alcohol.  If tasting this wine blind, I would assume it to be much more expensive than it is.

If you enjoy a chardonnay, you will LOVE the Frank Family Vineyards 2013 Lewis Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay.

Butterfly at Frank Family Vineyards

Shawn Selfie at Frank Family Vineyards

Food Pairings we've tried:

• French Fries - We do not recommend pairing with french fries.  They eliminated the balance and revealed only the alcohol and the oak.  This goes for any type of fried potato.
• Caesar Salad - Absolutely hands down one of the best food pairings with this wine.  The Caesar Salad dressing brought out only the best this wine had to offer.
• Ham - Ham seems to only let the oak come through.
• Fried Pickles - I generally love fried dill pickles with a chardonnay (usually unoaked or lightly oaked) but they do not pair well with this chardonnay.  It wasn't a bad pairing, the pickles just detracted from the enjoyment of this truly exquisite wine.
• Humboldt Fog - This cheese is one of my favorites as is, but what it does for this wine is nothing short of amazing.  A MUST TRY.

I recommend drinking this wine alone, perhaps with a cheese plate (don't forget the Humboldt Fog) but if you have it with a meal I recommend salty, vinegary, citrus or creamy, nothing sweet, nothing smokey, and nothing deep fried.

However, since wines are of limited supply, I recommend against all of you going out and purchasing this particular 2013 bottle, I would prefer it all be left for me.  I'll work my way through the remaining stock eventually. 

Cheers.