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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2005 and 2010 (based on 77 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.5 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 4 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by mkribar on 2/7/2020: Light whisky color. Plenty of oxidized nuttiness on the nose, but also some pear poking through. Maybe some white flowers as well.
On the palate, more toffee/almond butter/cashew oxidized goodness. Some acid--surprisingly nicely balanced still. This is definitely over the hill, but still an enjoyable drink.
I believe I picked this up from the same $4.99 discount bin as the previous poster. (224 views) | | | Tasted by Erik R. on 1/15/2020: Found this one for $4.99 in the closeout bin. The cork disintegrated on contact. Color of a light golden whiskey. But still alive. Some nutty, oxidised notes/baked golden apples. Sweet, nutty, with plenty of acidity left.baked fruit, yellow raisins. Pleasing, if fading on a tart fruit finish. (350 views) | | | Tasted by silton on 2/26/2006 & rated 88 points: I've drunk several of these over the years and the most recent was the least impressive. Nice combination of sweet and soft tones with a touch of lemon; balanced acid, good length, nothing to complain about and it went very well with roast chicken with root vegtables. Less vanilla is probably a good thing, but I was expecting something less subtle than this in the other flavor dimensions as well. (2692 views) | | | Tasted by TashNYC on 2/14/2006 & rated 91 points: Happy Valentine's Day! Jen & I enjoyed this wine @ BluePoint Grill, Princeton, NJ. The wine had lovely notes of orange citrus, butterscotch and caramel, with no tannins on the finish. It was best w/ lobster, and w. grilled fish (e.g., tilapia, snapper) and didn't pair well w/ shrimp nor w/ a butter sauce. (the latter which would be a traditional Calif. Chardonnay pairing). A great wine: it made Jen like California Chardonnay! (3160 views) |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, January/Feburary 2005, IWC Issue #118
(Varner Chardonnay Bee Block Spring Ridge Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of 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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