USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Medium gold color. Bright and vibrant on the nose with white peach, green and yellow apples, some kiwi, while the fruit is touched with honeysuckle, baby’s breath and crushed chalk notes. Clean, tingling acid meets a creamy, moderately rich body. The white peach, glazed pear and tangy kiwi fruit is bright but rich. I love the chalk, oyster shell, candied ginger and lime zest elements to this wine. A vibrant and fruity Chardonnay, but also very clean. Just enough toasted nut and buttered, flaky biscuit notes, but they don’t come close to overwhelming the other elements. A beautiful wine, highly complex yet effortless in its balance.
Medium golden colored. Buttery, creamy and rich on the nose, with yellow apple, mango, some floral notes and peanut shell. Medium+ bodied palate, acid in moderate doses. Creamy yellow apple, peach, some green melon mixed in. Interesting combination of nougat, honey butter and olive oil with notes of peanut shell. A rich style, but some freshness keeps and still food-friendly. From Monterey and Santa Barbara, aged nine months in 30% new oak, mostly French, some American.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Medium gold color. Aromatically, we’re dealing with a high butter content, but it’s also very fresh with white and yellow floral tones, along with a fruit salad of yellow and green apples, apricot and pineapple. Full bodied and rich on the palate, almost oily, with medium-low acid. A high octane style with candied pecans, walnuts and cinnamon toast leading the way, backed up by baked pear and apple flavors, notes of honeycomb and lemon oil. Wow, I like plenty of big, toasty Chards, but you really need to love that style, in which case, buy this. If you hate that style, avoid this all costs. Aged nine months in 55% new French oak.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Light gold color. Very nutty and toasty on the nose, nougat and crushed almond shells on top of yellow apples and apricot jam. Ripe, rich yellow apples and apricot fruit, acid comes in and cleans a lot of it up. Almonds, peanuts, nougat, vanilla drizzled with some lime. Add in some honeysuckle, lilies, chalk, quinine and white tea notes. A rich and forward wine but I like the depth, complexity and the lively acid to keep this interesting. Long, rich finish yet the acid keeps it refreshing on the palate.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Light gold color. Nose shows yellow apple, juicy peaches, lime zest, some honeyed tea and light almond elements. A creamy, richness to the wine but the acid cuts through and jolts it to life. Peaches, yellow apples, some papaya, kiwi, lime drizzled on top. Honeyed notes, along with almond and spiced tea, but it stays juicy and tangy. A lasting sense of mineral and river rocks, clean and bright, chalk and seashells. Very complex, could show a lot to the patient. A wonderful blend of sunshiny fruit mixed with pure, mineral elegance.
2012 Solomon Hills Chardonnay 92 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Medium gold color. Bright and vibrant on the nose with white peach, green and yellow apples, some kiwi, while the fruit is touched with honeysuckle, baby’s breath and crushed chalk notes. Clean, tingling acid meets a creamy, moderately rich body. The white peach, glazed pear and tangy kiwi fruit is bright but rich. I love the chalk, oyster shell, candied ginger and lime zest elements to this wine. A vibrant and fruity Chardonnay, but also very clean. Just enough toasted nut and buttered, flaky biscuit notes, but they don’t come close to overwhelming the other elements. A beautiful wine, highly complex yet effortless in its balance.
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2013 Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Grand Reserve 86 Points
USA, California
Medium golden colored. Buttery, creamy and rich on the nose, with yellow apple, mango, some floral notes and peanut shell. Medium+ bodied palate, acid in moderate doses. Creamy yellow apple, peach, some green melon mixed in. Interesting combination of nougat, honey butter and olive oil with notes of peanut shell. A rich style, but some freshness keeps and still food-friendly. From Monterey and Santa Barbara, aged nine months in 30% new oak, mostly French, some American.
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2013 Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Jackson Estate Santa Maria Valley 86 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Medium gold color. Aromatically, we’re dealing with a high butter content, but it’s also very fresh with white and yellow floral tones, along with a fruit salad of yellow and green apples, apricot and pineapple. Full bodied and rich on the palate, almost oily, with medium-low acid. A high octane style with candied pecans, walnuts and cinnamon toast leading the way, backed up by baked pear and apple flavors, notes of honeycomb and lemon oil. Wow, I like plenty of big, toasty Chards, but you really need to love that style, in which case, buy this. If you hate that style, avoid this all costs. Aged nine months in 55% new French oak.
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2012 Bien Nacido Vineyards Chardonnay 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Light gold color. Very nutty and toasty on the nose, nougat and crushed almond shells on top of yellow apples and apricot jam. Ripe, rich yellow apples and apricot fruit, acid comes in and cleans a lot of it up. Almonds, peanuts, nougat, vanilla drizzled with some lime. Add in some honeysuckle, lilies, chalk, quinine and white tea notes. A rich and forward wine but I like the depth, complexity and the lively acid to keep this interesting. Long, rich finish yet the acid keeps it refreshing on the palate.
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2013 Dierberg Chardonnay Dierberg Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Light gold color. Nose shows yellow apple, juicy peaches, lime zest, some honeyed tea and light almond elements. A creamy, richness to the wine but the acid cuts through and jolts it to life. Peaches, yellow apples, some papaya, kiwi, lime drizzled on top. Honeyed notes, along with almond and spiced tea, but it stays juicy and tangy. A lasting sense of mineral and river rocks, clean and bright, chalk and seashells. Very complex, could show a lot to the patient. A wonderful blend of sunshiny fruit mixed with pure, mineral elegance.
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