Wine of the week: Gundlach Bundschu, 2013 Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County Chardonnay

Vintner Jim Bundschu founded the Sonoma Valley Wine Patrol, a rogue outfit that jokingly held up the Napa Valley Wine Train on more than one occasion in the 1980s to introduce Sonoma wines.

One of those mischievous brands is our wine-of-the-week winner - Gundlach Bundschu, 2013 Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County Chardonnay at $27.

“That playful nature as well as a wonderful group of good people is truly what drew me here,” said winemaker Anne Dempsey. “There’s never a dull moment here... What happens at Gundlach Bundschu stays at Gundlach Bundschu.”

As for the chardonnay, the house style is a balanced wine where “oak is a layer and not a dominating factor,” she said.

The chardonnay, she added, is buoyed with bright acidity, highlights the fruit and only has 20 to 25 percent new French oak.

Asked what makes Dempsey a good fit as a winemaker, she joked, “That’s a loaded question.”

“I heard someone recently say that being a winemaker requires a person who is an expert in many fields,” Dempsey said. “What makes me a good fit is many things. The first is having a love of creating wine and all that it represents to me... a moment in time, hundreds of pairs of hands that carefully touch the process, constant learning, making something that I can share with my family/friends, working with a wonderful team of dedicated folks and for a family that has a passion for making great wine.”

Dempsey said having a great palate and being detail-oriented, organized, curious, and decisive doesn’t hurt.

Though she’s a third-generation winemaker, Dempsey said surprisingly she wasn’t drawn to the field until she was a college student.

“I had visited the town of Sonoma with a friend for my birthday and realized the opportunity,” Dempsey explained. “I took one class at UC Davis and absolutely fell in love with the combination of science, art, culture, history and how it transcended time and location. I first was told by a professor that I shouldn’t try to do this, and that it wouldn’t work out for me. So of course I did not take no for an answer and instead I applied for the major, put myself on the wait list to enter the major while I studied abroad. As soon as I was accepted, I jumped right in and immersed myself in everything wine that I could.”

Dempsey said the most gratifying part of being a winemaker is similar to making music: “It’s getting all those details to sing in harmony together.”

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This week’s blind tasting: Chardonnay

TOP PICK

Gundlach Bundschu, 2013 Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County Chardonnay, 14.2% alcohol, $27. ????:

A chardonnay that over-delivers. It’s a blousy wine with a lush texture. But it’s tempered with bright acid. Notes of melon, pear and mineral. Just a hint of toffee. A great find.

TASTY ALTERNATIVES

Shafer, 2013 Red Shoulder Ranch, Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay, 14.9%, $52. ????

1/2: A complex chardonnay with a range of flavors -- green apple, honeysuckle and mineral. The wink of lemon zest balances the honeyed notes. Gorgeous.

Davis Bynum, 2013 River West Vineyard, Sonoma County Chardonnay, 14.5%, $25. ????

: A full-bodied chardonnay with aromas and flavors of baked apple, melon and creme brulee. It has a lush texture and while it’s balanced with bright acid, it’s a nod to a rich chardonnay style. Lovely.

Marimar Estate, 2012 Don Miguel Vineyard, Bonitas Hill, Russian River Valley Chardonnay, 14.2%, $28. ???

1/2: A weighty chardonnay, but it works because it’s coupled with bright acid. Aromas and flavors of pear, melon and spice. A toffee finish. Well-crafted.

Cambria Estate Winery, 2013 Katherine’s Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay, 14.5%, $22. ???

1/2: A bright chardonnay with zesty citrus notes. White peach and pineapple are in the mix. Its layered flavors makes it appealing. A steal for the price.