The Russian River Valley is cradle to some of California's great chardonnays and pinot noirs. Even the famed Jordan Winery has leapfrogged its Alexander Valley vineyards to pursue Russian River Valley grapes for more stunning wines.

So it's no surprise that Rutz Cellars' 2005 Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay landed double-gold in Texas earlier this year: in The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition and the Houston Rodeo Wine Competition.

Keith Rutz strives to create Burgundy-style wines, which typically are leaner and more complex than their New World counterparts. Burgundy is the world's cradle of great chardonnays and pinot noirs.

With its crisp acidity and undergirding of wet-stone minerality, the Bacigalupi is the perfect antidote for hot, lazy summer days. And though it sports lean Burgundian lines, it's impossible to ignore the voluptuous if contained fruit that hints of peaches, pineapple and vanilla ice cream.

The French like the balanced style that these grapes produce, too.

When Michael Grgich made his chardonnay at Montelina that surpassed the French chardonnays in the renowned 1976 taste-off in Paris, he took his grapes from the same vineyard. Bacigalupi (BACH-ah-gah-LOO-pay) is named for the family that grows the grapes.

If the $49.99 price tag on the Bacigalupi is too rich for your tastes, remember that Rutz makes three levels of chardonnay, starting with the entry-level Russian River chardonnay at $15. And all this talk of chardonnay obscures the point that Rutz also delivers excellent pinot noirs. Rutz wines are available at Central Market, Whole Foods Market, Cork, Pogo's, Mr. G's, Beverage City and Goody Goody.

Kim Pierce