*Sample Received*
Hardball Cellars the winery created by Mike and Cindy Westerberg originally started as Mike experimented with home wine making long ago (did you know they are originally from Oregon). Funny how that happens when you live and work in wine country.....the I'm going to make wine bug. Not just the living but the many trips and tastings the Westerberg's embarked on created the passion today known as Hardball. Coming from families of entrepreneurs, Mike and Cindy were involved in part-ownership of a collective tasting room which taught them the ins and outs of owning a small business from marketing to operations. Mike is very active in social media relentlessly promoting his brand, holding tastings and publishing his events. He credits a couple books important to his wine making knowledge The Art Of Making Wine and Jim and George's Home Wine Making and as an added bonus, his friend and consulting winemaker Cynthia Cosco of Passaggio Wines is teaching him how to create great small production wines. It would not surprise me if Mike and Cindy bought their own vineyard one day to grow and harvest their own grapes for their wines.
The nose on the 2013 Chardonnay is very tropical with pear and apple followed by honeydew melon and pineapple. Lemon citrus, vanilla custard and toasty oak round out the aromas. Really nice and pleasing.
The mouth is full of juicy fruit with apple and pineapple followed by melon and lemon zest. The finish has a kiss of pear and oak. Really enjoyed the layers of flavor as the wine opened. Nice fruit forward Chardonnay and I found it very versatile with my baked herb chicken dish. While aged in oak to give it a little character, I appreciate the absence of the butter bomb effect as I am a big fan of the "new chardonnay's." Well done Michael!
Keep an eye on this new up and coming winery. Plus follow their website for up to date events, tastings and special offerings. Great family, great wines Hardball Cellars.
Cheers
Dan
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