Daydream of those buttery-but-bright chardonnays of lore? Those happy days listening to Depeche Mode and noshing on brie from Canada? There is always going to be a place for this style of wine: this is the classic Puligny-Montrachet style that made Chardonnay famous in the first place.

It’s got the toasted almond and butterscotch overlaying key lime and blood orange zest. There is plenty of oak-derived coconut butter and vanilla, like a nice day at the beach. A core of crunchy acid to keep it all from going kitch.

This bottle earns it’s 91 point rating.

The winery is moving into bigger production these days. While this bottle has been a core of their identity, they are now bottling a Stainless Chardonnay, along with this one. However, that bottling will not use estate fruit.

One of the reasons they have been amping up production is because the winery has been part of the publicly traded company Crimson Wine Group LTD (CWGL) since 2008. This is the company that also owns Pine Ridge, Seghesio, Archery Summit, and Seven Hills.

These are some top-notch vineyards, but sometimes it’s important to know when and how the wine trade really works. And sometimes it’s with a wine review.

Chamisal has it’s own winemaker, Fintan du Fresne,  CWGL employs a chief winemaker for the whole corporation. That is Craig Williams, who was the  Senior Vice President of Winegrowing at Joseph Phelps Vineyards.

If all of this sounds a little less romantic, then this will pretty much cause you to freak out:

Sentiment for Crimson Wine Group LTD (CWGL)

Crimson Wine Group LTD (CWGL) institutional sentiment increased to 5 in 2016 Q4. Its up 4.71, from 0.29 in 2016Q3. The ratio has increased, as 5 funds increased and opened new holdings, while 1 sold and decreased their stock positions in Crimson Wine Group LTD. The funds in our partner’s database now have: 10.21 million shares, up from 4.78 million shares in 2016Q3. Also, the number of funds holding Crimson Wine Group LTD in their top 10 holdings was flat from 0 to 0 for the same number . Sold All: 0 Reduced: 1 Increased: 2 New Position: 3.

Crimson Wine Group, Ltd. is engaged in producing and selling ultra-premium and luxury wines. The company has market cap of $250.77 million. The Firm operates through two divisions: Wholesale Sales and Direct to Consumer Sales. It has a 60.03 P/E ratio. The Wholesale Sales segment includes all sales through a third party where prices are given at a wholesale rate whereas Direct to Consumer Sales segment includes retail sales in the tasting room, remote sites and at on-site events, Wine Club sales, and other sales made directly to the consumer without the use of an intermediary.

It is up 0.00% since August 14, 2016 and is . It has underperformed by 16.70% the S&P500.

Wine is delicious, but it can also be big business.  There still are plenty of small producers, and we always make an effort to highlight them. Sometimes, like now, we also want to pierce the veil.

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