The Big Top Chardonnay

For a time he worked as a builder’s assistant. But lugging half a ton of bricks up a ladder made him realise that this wasn’t his thing. So he decided to try his luck in the world of wine. This was back in 1972 and today, almost half a century later, Paul Boutinot is one of the largest wine distributors in the world. What started in his parents’ restaurant in Manchester, where Paul realised they didn’t serve good wine, turned into continuous trips to France, in his own van, to get hold of good bottles at good prices. This was a success and soon other restaurateurs were asking him for help and advice. Today Boutinot is a company that represents more than 150 producers from all over the world; but not only that: they also make their own wines, like The Big Top Chardonnay. “We have our own vineyards. We believe this is important. It means we practice what we preach,” they say on their website.

One of the places chosen by Boutinot to make their wines is the Lodi region of California. This region, located in the state’s Central Valley, is an area that produces high quality wines that demonstrate the unique conditions for growing vines. This is mainly due to its location (very close to the San Francisco Bay and between the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the Sacramento River delta) which has a great variety of soils: rich in minerals (deposited by the Mokelumne and Cosumnes rivers), clayey and sandy soils. Summers are hot and dry, with cool and humid winters, influenced by the cool winds from the Pacific. All of these factors together explains the large number of microclimates in the area, which have been officially classified within seven smaller denominations: Alta Mesa, Borden Ranch, Clements Hills, Cosumnes River, Jahant, Mokelumne River and Sloughhouse.

The Big Top Chardonnay is a blend of all of them. Boutinot has been working in this area for 10 years, researching and tasting the various old vines that make up this region. The project is led by Samantha Bailey, house ambassador and Master Blender, who says the secret of this project is in the destemming and pressing of the Chardonnay. The Big Top Chardonnay is then vinified in stainless steel tanks, without any oak.