2025 Cote du Denis by Odonata, Chasselas Doré, Gularte Vineyard, Monterey County.
While visiting Denis Hoey, winemaker at Odonata recently, I discovered his new and unique Cote du Denis Chasselas Doré white, which was one of a tiny handful of non Swiss versions of this grape that I’ve ever tried, coming off the Gularte Vineyard just west of the Santa Lucia Highlands, here in Monterey County. The 2025 Odonata made Cote du Denis Chasselas Doré, which comes in at just about 10% natural alcohol and with a very crisply dry light body is wonderfully perfumed, with jasmine and orange blossoms, almost to the point I thought it was Muscat, and with a range of zippy fresh lemon citrus, white peach and bitter melon fruit, plus some mineral, wild herbs, almond paste and spearmint spiciness. Again, this vibrant and tangy white is perfumey, which was not what I remember from this grape when I had tried it in mostly Swiss wines, but helps make it standout here and the light frame and dry presence in the glass make it refreshing and it would be vey nice with cheese and or a starter course of oysters on the half shell. Hoey always has some new and exciting surprises at his Odonata winery on River Road in the Santa Lucia Highlands, with his most recent set of wines being real charmers, including his Champagne style sparklers, his Sangiovese, the Chardonnays and the Syrahs being some of my favorites here this time. Picked and gently pressed for 4 hours and settled for 24 hours before a cool fermentation the Chasselas Doré saw only stainless steel to preserve freshness. Thanks to Danielle at Odonata for taking us in after hours and showing us this fun small lot bottling, and being patient with us after a long day, this is one of the best spots to explore if you get to Monterey’s wine country!
My own experience, with Chasselas, has been mostly limited to Swiss version, with Switzerland being its country of origin and the second most planted varietal, but the grape is also found in France, Germany, Portugal, Hungary, Romania, New Zealand, Croatia and Chile, as well as here in California and Australia, where it is called “Golden Chasselas or Chasselas Doré. Chasselas has regional names as well, it is known as Fendant in the canton of Valais, where It is considered an ideal pairing for raclette or fondue, it is also known as Perlan in the district of Geneva and Gutedel, in Baden, Germany. Chasselas can be used as table grapes as well and is mostly fermented to be a dry wine, typically with low alcohol, as seen here, and does well in cooler climates, though it is found in a wide range of terroirs. Here it sees deep loamy soil and ultra cool Marine influence making for very low sugars at harvest. Interestingly, in France it is mostly grown in the Loire region, where it is blended with Sauvignon blanc to produce a wine called “Pouilly-sur-Loire” and not done as a single varietal wine, maybe as it can being kinda of boring on its own, though Odonata’s Gularte version stands out for its zesty character and its highly aromatic nature. Chasselas is to have come to California very early on in the mid 1800s, with some plantings in the Sonoma Valley being the first I’ve heard of, but usually it was interplanted with other varietals and didn’t make for any single varietal wines that I can find until closer to a hundred years later and there are very few today, with this one being a rare curiosity here in Monterey County. As I’ve mentioned before, all of us in the wine business, love and respect Denis Hoey, he is one of the most genuine and nicest persons who could ever hope to meet. So I highly recommend his wines and there’s always something to excite your palate here.
($32 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive