A cheerful, sunny wine, the 2001 Saracco Prasue Chardonnay is splendor in a glass. From its bright, sunshine-like robe to the last lingering vestiges of its sprightly finish, the 2001 Saracco Chardonnay will kill you with charm. Soft, clean scents of spring haunt the nose, while lush bright fruit, along with cream and butter, dominate the wine's flavor. This is not overly complex fare, but it is indeed oooh so delicious. In fact, the Prasue reminds us of some of the wonderful modern-style white Burgundies we have recently tasted, especially those from St. Veran. We advise serving the Saracco Prasue lightly or moderately chilled. Since it is easier to let a wine warm up in the glass rather than cool down, and nearly every Chardonnay gains a little something extra by airing, we suggest chilling the Prasue to about 40? F, then allowing it to blossom slowly in the glass. Enjoy!
Paolo Saracco is an oenologist and the proprietor of this family-owned estate in the Langhe Hills of Piemonte, which lies in the extreme north of Italy as the Alps fall out of Switzerland. His pursuit is the expert production of small quantities of two of the world's greatest white varietals: Chardonnay and Moscato. From 50 acres of steep Langhe vineyards, which are world renowned for Italy's most illustrious DOC's and their long lived, full-bodied reds, Barolo and Barbaresco, Saracco turns out a moderate amount of delicious Moscato d'Asti and a mere 500 cases of a splendid Chardonnay called Prasue. Dating from the early 1900's, Paolo Saracco is the fourth generation of his family to run this property, but the first to bottle and sell the estate's entire production. Utilizing his outstanding oenology skills, he completely modernized this traditional property and made this winery a force to reckon with. With Paolo Saracco at the helm, we have much to look forward to from this estate in the years to come.