Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/856981
92 / the tasting panel / august 2017 Austerity 2016 Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, ($15) A substantial Chardonnay. You can almost chew on it, but it doesn't read as hot. Ripe pineapple, white flower, creamed corn, a smattering of hay and a nice citrusy lemon zest ending. For the money, this is damn good. —Jessie Birschbach O'NEILL VINTNERS & DISTILLERS District 7 2015 Chardonnay, Monterey County ($18) Although Scheid Vineyards makes a gorgeous hand- crafted Chardonnay, their District 7 label is too incred- ible a value not to share. This wine is a pineapple upside- down cake overloaded with fresh pineapple, garnished with macadamia nuts. Wonderfully balanced and immensely well-priced for sustainable, estate-grown fruit. — Jessie Birschbach SCHEID FAMILY WINES Irony 2014 Small Lot Reserve Chardonnay, Monterey County ($14) Vanilla nose; smooth, creamy and lush with sweet oak and ripe pear; balanced. —Anthony Dias Blue DELICATO FAMILY VINEYARDS J. Lohr 2013 Arroyo Vista Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco ($25) A deep, nutty character holds up against the big, creamy texture and wraps around green pear and pine- apple. Satisfying. —Jessie Birschbach J. LOHR VINEYARDS & WINES San Simeon 2015 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Monterey ($15) This Estate Reserve showcases fruit sourced from the Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco AVAs of Monterey County. Ripe and rich on the nose is caramel, lime and white flowers. With full ML and lees stirring, buttered lemon pudding adds weight on the palate. Flavors of baked apple and spiced oak lure in white peach and melon. The finish offers up cinnamon and a saltiness with a linear acidity. —Meridith May RIBOLI FAMILY WINE ESTATES Talbott 2015 Kali Hart Chardonnay, Monterey ($20) A wine with white peaches and pineapple, lemon curd and lemon zest, plus a complement of herbs and spices and cream. It's a smiling wine with substance, good by the glass and friendly with richer preparations. —Meg Houston Maker E. & J. GALLO Wente Vineyards 2015 Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco–Monterey ($22) Although Wente is best known for its efforts out of Livermore Valley, this Chardonnay just recently won a double gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition—and I can see why. There is an opulence that still leaves room for the bright Riva Vineyard fruit to shine through. Creamy, citrusy with poached pear and thread of salinity. —Jessie Birschbach WENTE FAMILY ESTATES San Luis Obisbo County Although Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme in SLO, the western subregion of Edna Valley provides the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for the area. Baileyana 2015 Firepeak Chardonnay, Edna Valley ($28 From the coolest growing area in California, less than five miles from the Pacific, volcanic soil, rocky marine sediment and clay loam compose the vineyards for this superb interpretation of Chardonnay in California's Central Coast. Rich with graceful, fine acidity, there's weight on the mouth that feels just right. Winemaker Christian Roguenant was born in Beaune and knows he can't replicate Bourgogne, but he sure gets the gist of it with this beauty. Lanolin, buttered (sautéed) papaya gives away the lees stirring (no ML here) and the sweet vanilla finish is a nod to the eight months aging in one year old oak. —Meridith May NIVEN FAMILY WINE ESTATES Edna Valley Vineyards 2014 Chardonnay, Central Coast ($15) Ginger and white flowers make a cocktail for the soul and the nose, just a tad spiced on the petals. The palate is exotic, with Asian pear and a lovely salinity. Summer peach and a touch of tropical fruit is ever-present and its freshness plays its way to the stony finish. This is a labor-intensive white that is 30 percent barrel-fermented and goes through 100 percent ML. With a percentage of fruit from Edna Valley's Paragon Vineyard and the balance from Arroyo Seco in Monterey County, this is a well-thought-out project that resulted in a stellar Chardonnay that overdeliv- ers. —Meridith May E. & J. GALLO Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara harbors some of the Central Coast's most prestigious Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards due to the area's unique east-west mountain ranges. These act as a funnel, inviting cool air and fog into the area. In fact, Santa Barbara's Region I climate boasts California's longest growing season.