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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 70 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by oldcorke on 12/20/2023: Flawed bottle- prematurely aged. No rating.
Will comment that the wine's acid & minerality remained in balance & the fruit was subtly present, with soft white floral tea leaf aromas.
However- the wine was not enjoyable, having lost its freshness.
Remarkable contrast to prior bottles from 08 & 09. (126 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 7/7/2023: Nutty and really darn delicious. Perfectly aged and really wonderful. (401 views) | | | Tasted by oldcorke on 5/27/2022 & rated 95 points: Seems to have improved a little since last bottle. Initially extravagant nose calms with air and seems deceptively forward. Indeed, the wine is not- there is tension with substantial density balanced against appropriate acid and, almost, chalky minerality. (549 views) | | | Tasted by Frijole on 1/27/2021: light gold, lots of clarity, silvery hue
Nose: ripe pear, green apple, white pepper, vanilla, musk, touch oak
Pal: ripe pear, green apple, white pepper, minerals, vanilla, musk, oak
Feel: medium, astringent
Finish: medium, long
T9 (1011 views) | | | Tasted by Frijole on 1/5/2020: golden yellow, lots of clarity, silvery hue
Nose: pear, peach, thyme, silver, musk, oak
Pal: pear, green apples, stewed peach, vanilla, thyme, musk, touch minerals, oak
Feel: medium, full, acidic
Finish: medium
T7 (could be an 8) (1271 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 12/1/2019 flawed bottle: Totally Oxidized (1361 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 7/3/2019 & rated 79 points: Probably was really really good at one point in time but not last night as it started to oxidize. It was still drinkable for the rest of our group but not for me and not worthy of any detailed notes. (1349 views) | | | Tasted by KenK on 1/27/2019 flawed bottle: Oxidized (1577 views) | | | Tasted by wculpepper on 4/15/2017 & rated 91 points: Light yellow color. A lovely nose of pear and coconut. Quite lively acids on a pear and honey-flavored, but dry, palate. Nice medium-to-long finish. Should still be drinking well up to its tenth birthday. (1804 views) | | | Tasted by brian przyzycki on 11/18/2016 & rated 93 points: Wow this was nice. Initially served a tad too cold so first glass was muted. That said, it was like pouring honey from a bottle. So viscous and syrupy. Beautiful butter and warm tea without over the top malolactic oakyness (which i like!) Classy wine. Now i know why i tried to get 6 bottles and was only awarded 2. BRAVO! (2122 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 11/17/2016 & rated 88 points: Courtesy of thelostverse, and a wine I typically enjoy that for some reason just didn't do anything for me tonight, but I was in the minority here. Notes of butter, pear, butterscotch and coconut. On the palate there's a buttery, tinny flavor and also a harshness at the back of the throat and a good dose of toasted oak. Too much butterscotch and wood. (1970 views) | | | Tasted by oldcorke on 7/19/2016 & rated 94 points: Initially, a vibrant nose and somewhat leaner than the 2008 Bee Block. This wine seems to show a bit of ripe stem quality that becomes more noticeable with time in the glass. It's not terribly distracting, but does distinguish it from the 2008's near flawless composure. Here too, substantial fruit disguises respectable acid and minerality that become evident in the finish. (2098 views) | | | Tasted by tcarter on 5/7/2016 & rated 93 points: Honey, honeysuckle, citrus, and mineral. Light bodied but a little creamy. Delicious. I opened this one to try the Varner Bee Block because I believe that the current vintage (2014) is the final one (Neely bought up all of Bee Block). I'll definitely be grabbing some more of this before it goes away!! (2110 views) | | | Tasted by Tim Heaton on 10/30/2015: In a really great spot right now, dripping with honeysuckle, pears, ripe apple and a firm mineral spine. Medium-bodied, racy at times, this shows best on the warmer end of the spectrum. In no threat of decline at the moment, this is firmly in its sweet spot now and for the next few years. Double decanted for 30 minutes, immediately re-corked and served non-blind 3 hours later. highly recommended (2614 views) | | | Tasted by Chainthroer on 5/20/2015 & rated 93 points: See my notes of 11/15/14 and 10/14/14. Sorry to say, my last bottle of this vintage. (1948 views) | | | Tasted by LARich on 5/4/2015 & rated 91 points: A veritable fruit stand of flavor hits you right away, from pear to pineapple. Mild acid and a bit nutty which shows so much promise but the alcohol dries it all out ending in a whimper. So much more potential but not quite all there. (1838 views) | | | Tasted by Chainthroer on 2/6/2015 & rated 93 points: The sixth time I've had the pleasure of tasting this wine. See my notes of 11/15/14 and 10/14/14. Paired with Atlantic salmon - a good pairing, but I like the wine better by itself. (1956 views) | | | Tasted by thelostverse on 11/27/2014 & rated 94 points: Still improving. Lovely honeyed peach with a long finish. No hurry here. (2039 views) | | | Tasted by Chainthroer on 11/15/2014 & rated 93 points: More of a golden color this time. Creme brulee, poached pear, honey, minerals, not overly toasty oak. Rich, full bodied and intense fruit. Great balance. A long, long finish. (1787 views) | | | Tasted by Chainthroer on 10/14/2014 & rated 93 points: Aromas and flavors of poached pear, pineapple, butter, brioche, baking spice and lightly toasted oak. Exceptional balance at this stage. Nice acid and structure. A long and extended finish. A little bette rthan my last two tastings. (1602 views) | | | Tasted by thelostverse on 7/4/2014 & rated 93 points: Opened watching fireworks with Matt and Lynne. Consistent notes as previous bottle. Drinking very well, even from a styrofoam cup. (2031 views) | | | Tasted by William Kelley on 5/8/2014: The 2009 Bee Block is tight-knit, but unwinds to offer up notions of ripe melon, honey, buttered popcorn and grapefruit. On the palate, this is more tropical than the corresponding Amphitheater Block, with a rich texture and a lingering mineral finish. At present, the wine seems relatively closed. (3187 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 5/3/2014: Wine with Steak and Morels (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Served blind. Fairly easy to identify as New World, with lots of fat, ultra ripe fruit, not exactly my style of wine, clearly forward, lush and top heavy, but lacking energy. It was easy to identify other tasters who would like this inelegant style of Chardonnay. (2544 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 1/28/2014: Hedonistic for sure but also just rounding the corner into maturity. And delicious too. Wish I had more. And the obvious conclusion is sit on them for several years until they are ready. Great stuff here. (2249 views) | | | Tasted by KenPlace on 12/27/2013 & rated 88 points: Quite oaky. Good color, nose, but most fruit is overwhelmed by the oak. A good bottle of wine, but not my style (2053 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By William Kelley
Decanter, WK Tasting notes (6/30/2016)
(Varner, Spring Ridge Vineyard Bee Block Chardonnay, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Exploring California's Central Coast (Aug 2011)
(Varner Chardonnay Bee Block Block Santa Cruz Mountains) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Varner Producer websiteChardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeSpring Ridge Vineyard Bee Block On weinlagen-infoUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia
Once referred to by wine writers as the Chaine d'Or -- or "golden chain" -- the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA sits above Silicon Valley, running along the craggy range next to the Pacific on some of the prettiest parts of Northern California. The area supports more than 75 wineries, despite being limited by geography and high land prices.
In 1981 the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation became federally recognized, one of the first American viticultural areas to be defined by geophysical and climatic factors. The appellation encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, from Half Moon Bay in the north, to Mount Madonna in the south. The east and west boundaries are defined by elevation, extending down to 800 feet in the east and 400 feet in the west. |
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