2014 Marco Capra Chardonnay Langhe 750 ml

2014 Marco Capra Chardonnay:
By-the-Glass at Smith & Wollensky

The first time we wrote of Marco Capra’s Chardonnay was in May, soon after we tasted the absolutely exquisite 2014 at 797 Third Avenue. The “Chardonnay-by-the-glass” feature at Alan Stillman’s flagship Smith & Wollensky is one of the most coveted in the city. Dozens of importers and distributors are said to drop off boxes of sample bottles before a new selection is made.

The winning bottle is always distinguished. In the case of one of northern Italy’s most stunning whites, it would prove to be one of the more surprising Chardonnay discoveries of the year.

In the hands of the most talented winemakers, including Gianluca Grasso in Monforte d’Alba, Sergio Germano in Serralunga, and Marco Capra in Santo Stefano Belbo, Piedmont’s Chardonnays take on a surprisingly Burgundian complexion. Eschewing the use of too much new wood, allowing the exquisite limestone minerality of the soil to speak for itself, these are Chardonnays that — in any blind tasting — imitate fine Pouilly-Fuissé or Saint-Véran.

In excellent vintages like 2014, and particularly at Capra’s estate 20 winding kilometers east of Barbaresco, the Chardonnay is rich, juicy, marvelously crisp, and high-toned — a bottle that outpointed over 100 others at the Smith & Wollensky taste-off.

Brilliant green/gold. Exquisite and precise aromas of ripe apple, pear, and quince. Rich and juicy on the attack, filled with a complex, terrifically mineral mix of Granny Smith apple, pear, and anise, finishing with superb vibrancy and persistence. Delicious now, but this brilliant 2014 from Marco Capra will continue to age gracefully for another 3-4 years.

$17/glass at Smith & Wollensky. First proposed by WineAccess at $20 last spring. The last 168 bottles are up for grabs this morning at $15/bottle — as we continue to rid the Oregon warehouse of all bits and pieces.