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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.6 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 22 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 6/9/2023: Similar as previous notes. Citrus, honey, nuts, and a hints of spice in the nose and flavor. Medium to full bodied, well balanced and a medium length finish. (192 views) | | | Tasted by LW31 on 11/24/2022: Lovely bottle of California Santa Cruz chard. Charming yellow fruit, a bit of beeswax on the finish. It has presence without much complexity. fresh but definitely soft on the finish. Would drink these over next few years. Perfect with chestnut and squash soup. (246 views) | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 7/29/2022 & rated 92 points: Citrus, honey, nuts, and a hints of spice in the nose and flavor. Medium to full bodied, well balanced and a medium length finish. Very pleasant though not as rich or complex as I was expecting from the "pro" reviews. (274 views) | | | Tasted by bonedoc on 10/10/2021: This one showed well, no Primark‘s, definitely mature though, plenty of concentration (369 views) | | | Tasted by bonedoc on 8/23/2021 & rated 94 points: Great showing… when these aren’t premoxed they are terrific. (382 views) | | | Tasted by bonedoc on 5/24/2021: rich ripe in style, slightly oxidized, a little bigger and lower acid than i'm used to for this house. (344 views) | | | Tasted by Birddog29 on 3/31/2019 & rated 94 points: Wonderful bottle. Early tasting suggested this vintage is beginning to fade. Opened up and was a true Varner Chardonnay. The fullness of flavor however seems to be beginning to show the influence of time. Drink up (623 views) | | | Tasted by ptwu on 3/10/2019 & rated 94 points: Delicious, excellent length. Too bad they lost their lease. (506 views) | | | Tasted by glou.sf on 7/29/2017 & rated 93 points: Apple, almonds, citrus, and saline notes on the nose. Rich palate with notes of lemon, minerals, and salt. Medium acidity. Very nice finish. Very well made with maybe a touch too much oak for my taste. (871 views) | | | Tasted by brianofthevine on 7/25/2017 & rated 93 points: Nice wine here. Up front fruit of lemon, peach, and pear. Has some toasty oak on the mid-palate with good acidity. Well structure wine with a great long finish. (809 views) | | | Tasted by Chainthroer on 4/16/2017 & rated 93 points: No notes taken. With guests. (976 views) | | | Tasted by Chainthroer on 3/10/2017 & rated 93 points: Last tasted a little over one and a half years ago. Hasn't changed: "an expressive nose and flavors of baked apple, lemon, butterscotch, brioche, and smokey oak. Slightly buttery on the palate. Good structure. A long and expanded finish." (878 views) | | | Tasted by brianofthevine on 6/7/2016 & rated 92 points: Similar to before with lemon, peach, pear, and apricot fruit. Great acidity here, nice long finish. (989 views) | | | Tasted by rosenst1 on 4/16/2016 & rated 92 points: PnP. Light gold. Lovely nose of fresh fruits. Rich on the palate but just this side of over the top. Tropical fruits but not butterscotch with a strain of acidity on the finish which keeps this from being flabby. Good but not great. (845 views) | | | Tasted by rosenst1 on 12/21/2015 & rated 93 points: PnP. Lovely depth, ripe, but balanced. (927 views) | | | Tasted by brianofthevine on 9/5/2015 & rated 92 points: Lemon, apple, peach notes. Good acidity, nice long finish. (987 views) | | | Tasted by Chainthroer on 8/7/2015 & rated 93 points: Yellow-golden color. An expressive nose and flavors of baked apple, lemon, butterscotch, brioche, and smokey oak. Slightly buttery on the palate. Good structure. A long and expanded finish. (1069 views) | | | Tasted by rcg62 on 7/3/2015 & rated 93 points: Relatively dark gold color. Nose is light but with butterscotch and nut aromas. Nice long palate brings more butter and candy notes, but without being overly sweet. (900 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 3/10/2014 & rated 91 points: Light yellow color; almond, saline nose; almond, saline, apple palate; medium-plus finish (525 views) |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Santa Cruz Mountains – A Study in Terroir (Jul 2014)
(Varner Chardonnay Amphitheater Block 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 GrapeUSAAmerican 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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