Chamard Vineyard & Bistro
We visited Chamard Vineyards on July 16, 2023, a rainy Sunday when the grapes glistened with their raindrop coats, and the vineyards shimmered in the dappled light. As it had been several years since we had visited Chamard Vineyards, we were excited to revisit them. Many things have changed since we first "discovered" them several years ago, including the addition of their beautiful bistro.
Inside the attractive light-filled Tasting Room, there are walls of windows and stunning wood sculptures created by the artist Doug Ball. Interesting to note is that the artist repurposed retired wine barrels and incorporated them into his sculptures along with the use of grape vine wood. Also of interest is the use of wine barrel staves used to create the wrap-around bar. The result is visually compelling, eye-catching, and gorgeous.
Kerry Ann behind the bar
To appreciate the essence of Chamard Vineyards and the various nuances of their wine style, we each opted to experience a flight of wines, which consisted of a selection of three 2-ounce pours of our choice, as this way we could sample six of their wines by sharing our pours.
Edward Nesta enjoying a flight tasting
Chamard Vineyard & Bistro
Under the White Wine section, there was a choice of four wines: Stone Cold White (a dry white made with Cayuga grapes), Stone Cold White Le Doux (a sweet white wine made with Cayuga grapes), Estate Riesling 2020 (dry Riesling), and their Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2019.
Flight Tasting
We began our flight tasting in the White Wine section and selected the Estate Riesling 2020 and the Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2019, as our first two pours. The Estate Riesling 2020 was made in the Alsatian style. This very dry Riesling had notes of grapefruit and apple with floral aromatics and was very nice. The Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2019 was rich, elegant, with vanilla aromatics, was oak-barreled, and had soft tannins on the palate. While both were delicious, our palates preferred the Estate Riesling 2020.
From the Rose, Sparkling, and Dessert Wines section, there was a choice of four wines that we could select from: Estate Rosé 2020 (dry wine), Rosé Le Doux (sweet wine), Stone Cold Sparkling, and Estate Chardonnay Port (sweet, fortified wine).
Wine Barrel Art on Walls
From this grouping, we selected the Estate Rosé 2020, and the Stone Cold Sparkling. The Estate Rosé 2020 had subtle notes of strawberries and white peaches on the nose and on the palate. Their Stone Cold Sparkling was made with Cayuga grapes, a French American hybrid grape that works well for the creation of sparkling wines and had apple and citrus notes.
From their Red Wines section, there was a choice of five wines from which we could select from including their Stone Cold Red, Classes Héritage Merlot 2017, GSM Blend 2019, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre made in the Rhone style, Petite Sirah 2017, and Cabernet Merlot 70/30 2019 made in the Bordeauc style.
Chamard Vineyard vines
From the Red Wine grouping, we selected to sample their Petite Sirah 2017, and their Cabernet Merlot 70/30 2019, made in the classic Bordeaux style of a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot, as our final pours for our flight tastings. The Petit Sirah 2017 had luscious blackberry notes, and a delectable, lingering spicy finish. The Cabernet Merlot 70/30 2019 was full-bodied and delivered the goods on the palate and was one of our favorite wines that we tasted.
We thoroughly enjoyed our flight tastings at Chamard Vineyards and Bistro and look forward to sampling a few more the next time we are on the Connecticut Wine Trail. Until next time, cheers!
Hours of Operation: Chamard Vineyards Bistro is open from Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00 pm until 9:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 pm until 5:00 pm.
Please check their website for additional information: www.Chamard.com
Chamard Vineyards Bistro
Read more about our visit to Madison, Connecticut in Luxury Experience in the following sections:Destinations, Hotels and Resorts – The Homestead Madison, Restaurants – Café Allegre, Restaurants -La Foresta, Restaurants – The Wharf Restaurant, Chefs’ Recipes – Chef Brian Warmingham – The Wharf Restaurant,Spas – The Healing Salt Cave and Wellness Spa, Adventures – Riding a Bicycle Built for Two, Madison, CT, Adventures – Thimble Island Cruises aboard the Sea Mist, Liquor Cabinet – Stone Creek Brewery, andWine Cellar – Chamard Vineyards and Bistro.
For more information on visiting Madison, Connecticut, please visit the websites: www.madisonct.com and www.ctvisit.com.
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