Besides cooler nights and colorful leaves, early autumn also ushers in hard shell (also called new shell) lobster season, in which our favorite crustaceans have more meat per total body weight, and that meat is denser than in summer months. Whether you prefer yours steamed or broiled, dipping lobster in melted butter is a time-honored ritual. We are also partial to chunks of tail and claw meat tossed with pasta in a light cream sauce. Either way, we like to pair a white or sparkling wine that has a full texture to hold up to firm lobster and bold acidity to cut through butter or cream. Here are a few of our picks.
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Pahlmeyer 2019 Napa Valley Chardonnay
Image Credit: Pahlmeyer Late season high temperatures are responsible for full berry ripeness in 2019 while cooler nighttime temperatures preserved acidity. Aged in 100 percent new French oak, this vibrant Chardonnay has aromas of pear and fennel frond with flavors of lemon curd and butterscotch.
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Famille Lançon 2020 Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-Du-Pape
Image Credit: Famille Lançon With a delightful bouquet of mango, pineapple and freshly baked brioche, this white Rhône blend is produced from grapes grown on vines averaging 50 years of age. It is full bodied with elegant texture on the palate and a clean, dry finish.
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Bisol Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG
Image Credit: Bisol 1542 Grapes for this premium Prosecco are grown in terroir of rock and shattered stone on a hilltop high in Valdobbiadene. It has enticing aromas of white flowers and Anjou pear, and flavors of Granny Smith apple and white peach.
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Champagne Leclerc Briant Réserve Brut NV
Image Credit: Leclerc Briant A blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier with only 20 percent Chardonnay this delicious Champagne is grown following organic and biodynamic principles. The predominance of red grapes gives this Champagne depth and body while the Chardonnay brings lightness and a fresh feeling to the palate.
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Champagne Drappier Carte D’Or Brut NV
Image Credit: Drappier This Pinot Noir dominant Champagne is full bodied with notes of red raspberries, quince and apple. It has a very low dosage, low residual sugar and pleasant acidity that make it feel bone dry on the palate.
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Gran Moraine 2018 Yamhill-Carlton Chardonnay
Image Credit: Gran Moraine One of the hottest and driest summers in the Willamette Valley produced quality Chardonnay grapes with maturity and balanced acidity. During ageing in French Oak barrels, weekly stirring of the lees created a wine with creamy mouthfeel and elegant complexity.
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Granbazan 2019 Limousin Albariño
Image Credit: Granbazan Made from 100 percent Albariño and aged in French oak barrels, this bright wine has aromas of guava, crystalized ginger and citrus blossom. In the mouth it is full-bodied on the palate with elegant texture and great persistence in the finish.
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Domaine Matrot 2018 Meursault
Image Credit: Domaine Matrot Produced from 12 individual plots with an average vine age of 35 years, this Meursault is allowed to complete its malolactic fermentation resulting in a creamy wine with rich mouthfeel. It has aromas of citrus blossom and lemon pith and flavors of lemon curd and melon.
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Domaine Louis Moreau 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
Image Credit: Domaine Louis Moreau Grapes for this fine wine are grown on southeastern facing slopes with morning sun and full shade in the late afternoon resulting in a wine with bracing acidity. It is fermented and aged in stainless steel and sits on its lees for 18 months, resulting in a wine with elegant texture and pleasant acidity.
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Avalanche by Olivier Roten 2020 Les Caves du Paradis
Image Credit: Olivier Roten Made in the Valais from 100 percent Fendant (also known as Chasselas in other Swiss wine regions,) this crisp, clean wine has aromas of citrus and white flowers with flavors of gooseberry, grapefruit pith and Golden Delicious apple.
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Talbott Vineyards 2018 Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay
Image Credit: Talbott Vineyards Made from grapes harvested from vineyards in Monterey and Santa Lucia Highlands, this opulent Chardonnay has aromas of pineapple and Granny Smith apple. In the mouth it has flavors of guava, mango and caramelized pineapple.
