Wine Of The Week - 2004 Apex Chardonnay

Harry Alhadeff, one of the early owners of pioneering retailer, La Cantina, opened Apex winery with winemaker Brian Carter in the 1980s. All Apex wines are excellent examples of each varietal including the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Chardonnay. The Klipsun Cabernet is made to reflect the unique attributes of Klipsun Vineyard on Red Mountain and is made to age.

The 2004 Chardonnay shows a nice balance between bright citrus zestiness and more substantial butteriness and toast flavors. The beauty of this wine is in it's delicacy, but it is not light bodied. Tending more toward the European end of the spectrum this wine is great with food (we had it with sauteed scallops), but stands well on it own, too. The list price is $17, but we recently saw it at $12 which is a real bargain. If you want to taste before you buy, you don't have to drive all the way to Sunnyside, you can sample it at The Tasting Room in Post Alley at the Pike Place Market.