2017 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Duttin Ranch Vineyard

2017 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Duttin Ranch Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

PATZ & HALL

2017 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD

2017 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Duttin Ranch Vineyard
James Hall and Donald Patz were colleagues at Flora Springs Winery before realizing they had shared passion for wines with a sense of place and character, and so they built a friendship around their love for small lot wine production. In 1988 Patz & Hall was founded by Donald and Heather Patz, James Hall, and Anne Moses, and has since maintained a solid reputation of excellence, consistently producing brilliant wines from some of Sonoma’s most well-renowned vineyards and growers.
 
The Dutton Ranch vineyard is home to some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in western Sonoma County, with partial dry farming producing intensely concentrated berries. The 2017 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is a blend of five clones- Hyde-Wente, Robert Young, Rued, UC Davis Clone 4, and Spring Mountain, aged in 35% new Burgundian French oak giving the wine some spice while allowing the fruit shine.
 
PATZ & HALL
2017 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
Retails at: $48
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
 
“From the Russian River, the 2017 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is a step up and has more intensity and depth, with a rocking bouquet of honey stone fruits, brioche, toasted hazelnuts, and crushed stone. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully balanced, with bright acidity, it has a kiss of background oak but is a seriously good, layered effort that will cruise for 5-7 years, probably longer.”
96 Points
2019 Flowers Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

2019 Flowers Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

FLOWERS

2019 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST

2019 Flowers Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
The heart of the winemaking philosophy at Flowers is for the wine to express its origin and promote the unique flavors of the rough, rugged, and remote coastal ridges of the Sonoma Coast. Three distinct qualities define the vineyards used to source their Chardonnay: extreme elevation, coastal influence, and sustainable farming practices that together create a haven for growing cool-climate varieties.
 
Winemaker Chantal Forthun believes in low intervention and uses a natural yeast strain from the skin of the grapes for fermentation, giving Flowers wines their particular characteristics. The 2019 vintage saw a cold, wet winter, followed by a mild spring and summer, resulting in moderate to slow ripening for delicate but complex layers of flavor with bright acidity and a pleasantly lingering finish. Our panel was thrilled with the quality of their 2019 Chardonnay, marking one of their best vintages yet, offering a stratospherically high level of quality for its value price.
 
FLOWERS
2019 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“I love the Chardonnay from this estate, and their appellation 2019 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast is well worth seeking out, revealing a lighter gold hue as well as a crisp, nicely defined bouquet of poached pear, citrus, spice, and hazelnuts. Beautiful on the palate as well, it’s medium-bodied and has nicely integrated acidity, notable balance, and a great finish.”
94 Points
 
“Rich and finely textured, with concentrated white fruit flavors that show buttery hints. The spicy finish lingers with minerally snap and creamy accents. Drink now through 2025.”
92 Points
2017 Raoul Gautherin Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos

2017 Raoul Gautherin Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos

with No Comment $80-$90BurgandyChablisChardonnayKevin VogtUSA

RAOUL GAUTHERIN

GRAND CRU CHABLIS
2017 LES CLOS

2017 Raoul Gautherin Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos
Chablis exemplifies the purest expression of Chardonnay through minimal intervention in the vineyard and winery, the use of natural yeasts, and the limited use of oak, prioritizing the delicate nuances of flavor. Adrien Gautherin of Domaine Raoul Gautherin vinifies his Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos in tanks and ages it in old barrels, creating a wine with incredible aging potential. 
 
Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis are grown in 160 million-year-old sedimentary limestone-rich clay, known as Kimmeridgian marl, famous for giving wines with vibrant character, racy acidity, and a zesty mineral component. These world-class Chardonnays begin showing their spectacular depth and charm after three to four years, which is where this one is right now, and with only 120 cases produced, don’t hesitate to secure yours.
 
RAOUL GAUTHERIN
GRAND CRU CHABLIS
2017 LES CLOS
Retails at: $100
 
Your Price: $89
 
 
“The 2017 Raoul Gautherin & Fils Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos has an exquisite nose with aromas of honeysuckle, white blossoms, green apples, white peaches, and brioche. The flavors on the palate are reminiscent of a butter pecan ice cream, coating the palate in a creamy mouthfeel but finishing on a crisp note with the wine’s natural acidity. This wine can be enjoyed now but will really shine after laying down in the cellar for a few more years.”
93 Points
2019 Red Car Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

2019 Red Car Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

RED CAR

2016 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST

2019 Red Car Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Built from a collection of coastal vineyards, Red Car’s 2016 Chardonnay is tuned with fruit from Kent Ritchie’s Vineyard, which has an epic history of producing some of California’s most distinguished Chardonnays. This wine gains additional complexity from Red Car Estate, Zephyr Farms, Manchester Ridge, and Hawk Hill Vineyards, crossing the finish line with clarity, balance, and delicate textures. 
 
Red Car parks their Sonoma Coast Chardonnay in primarily neutral oak barrels, creating a racy, fresh, inviting wine, and time in the bottle has increased richness and made the fruit softer and more supple, resulting in a wine that’s a joy ride to drink right now. 
 
RED CAR
2016 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“An oaky nose of caramel and brioche gives way to a lighter, brighter midpalate of high-toned acidity and fresh flavors of lemon and tangerine. The ripeness is balanced and well integrated with the tannin and oak.”
90 Points
2018 Nudant Jean-Rene Meursault White Burgundy

2018 Nudant Jean-Rene Meursault White Burgundy

with No Comment $70-$80BurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

NUDANT JEAN-RENÉ

2018 MEURSAULT
WHITE BURGUNDY

2018 Nudant Jean-Rene Meursault White Burgundy
Embodying complete balance, determination, and a sense of place, Nudant Jean-René wines are crafted with conviction to produce wine at the highest level. Their 2018 Meursalt manifests the terroir of the .54 acre plot brilliantly, voiced with buttered pear, roasted hazelnut, subtle stone, and liquid mineral qualities. This wine celebrates Meursault, one of the oldest and most significant regions in the world producing Chardonnay, and at less than $80, this classic Meursault deserves a spot in your cellar. 
 
The Nudant’s organically farm sixteen hectares of vines across Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits by hand, utilizing meticulous canopy management, assuring optimum flavor development. 
 
In the cellar, winemaker Jean-René Nudant scrupulously sorts and de-stems the Chardonnay berries, following traditional winemaking methods passed down through generations.
 
NUDANT JEAN-RENÉ
2018 MEURSAULT
WHITE BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“This gorgeous, opulent white burgundy begins with a compelling nose of poached buttered pears, toasted hazelnuts, and light florals. It is big and concentrated on the palate with honeyed figs, ripe quince, freshly shaved white truffles, lemon zest, and liquid minerals. The intriguing, powerful finish is very long, and it drinks incredibly well now and will continue to for the next decade or more.”
95 Points
2017 Alma Rosa Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills

2017 Alma Rosa Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastChardonnayKevin VogtSanta BarbaraSanta Rita HillsUSA

ALMA ROSA

2017 CHARDONNAY
STA. RITA HILLS 

2017 Alma Rosa Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills

 
Alma Rosa’s story is of an unparalleled wine region with cool Pacific breezes, unique geography, a winery’s commitment to land stewardship, and crafting balanced wines expressing their origin. Top-level winemaking and unwavering standards of excellence merge, resulting in vibrant, layered wines that exude value. Selected as Editors’ Choice with a 93 Point Score by Wine Enthusiast, this $24 Chardonnay is something special. 
 
Winemaker Samra Morris’s skills gleaned as harvest-intern for Thomas Brown and on the cellar team at Michael Mondavi winery are met with consulting winemaker Tony Biagi’s decades of experience at Paraduxx, Plumpjack, Cade, and Hourglass.
 
Ample winter rain and a warm 2017 growing season yielded powerfully complex Chardonnay in Santa Barbara, as noted by the Wine Spectator. Alma Rosa’s version sports a wide range of tropical fruits, rich texture, and balance far exceeding expectations at its value price.
 
ALMA ROSA
2017 CHARDONNAY
STA. RITA HILLS
Retails at: $30
 
Your Price: $24
 
 
“Especially for an appellation blend, this is a wondrous, regionally indicative bottling, starting with clean and fresh aromas of honeysuckle, Asian pear and lime pith. There’s a flashy sizzle of acidity on the sip, where lily and honeysuckle flavors meet with kiwi and restrained guava, wrapped up in a delicate texture.”
93 Points, Editors’ Choice
2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains

2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtMontereySanta Cruz MountainsUSA

MARTIN RAY

2019 CHARDONNAY
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnays display dense aromas, rich fruit, remarkable intensity, complex minerality, and tantalizing acidity. Martin Ray’s version expresses these distinct characteristics with tropical melon, orange zest, and a leesy, textured mouthfeel that makes the wine, as James Suckling writes, “hard to resist.” 
 
This Chardonnay comes from two 1000ft elevation vineyards on opposite sides of the Mountain and offers a stunning portrayal of the region’s dynamic terroir. Each site shares sizeable diurnal temperature shifts and excellent sun exposure, resulting in powerfully concentrated, expressive berries. 
 
Martin Ray’s winemaking team utilized a technique of stirring the lees bi-weekly during its 12 months aging in French oak. This technique results in a rich, leesy texture that perfectly contrasts the bright natural acidity.
 
MARTIN RAY
2019 CHARDONNAY
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“Mouthwateringly intense aromas of salted butter and toast. Lemon curd, grilled pear, hazelnut and chalk, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tangy acidity and a toasty, saline finish. Hard to resist. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
93 Points
 
“Ripe Bosc pear, lemon mousse, and grilled pineapple with touches of honey- suckle on the nose. Subtle baking spices, sweetgrass, a hint of quince paste and Tahitian vanilla overlay a broad palate framed by linear acidity and minerality.”
2018 Baldacci Sorelle Chardonnay Carneros

2018 Baldacci Sorelle Chardonnay Carneros

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

BALDACCI

SORELLE CHARDONNAY
2018 CARNEROS

2018 Baldacci Sorelle Chardonnay Carneros
Revered for lively acidity and concentrated fruit, Carneros Chardonnays benefit from their proximity to the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay. Cool air funnels through the Coastal Mountain ranges allowing the grapes a long growing season, with temperatures cool enough to maintain acidity and structure. Baldacci’s Sorelle Chardonnay perfectly reflects this phenomenon, as echoed by Jeb Dunnuck, who writes that it’s “nicely textured and has good acidity followed by a clean finish, all making for a delicious Chardonnay.” 
 
Michael Baldacci works closely with Josh Clark to farm his Carneros Vineyard to its utmost potential. Josh is a leading viticulturist whose A-list clients include Outpost, Hourglass, and Kinsella Estate, to name a few. 
 
Sorelle is barrel-aged and crafted in a full-bodied, concentrated style by Michael Baldacci and Ricardo Herrera. Ricardo gained experience at icons Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Dominus, and Screaming Eagle. The resulting wine performs at an exceptionally high-level that’s uncommon at this price.
 
BALDACCI
SORELLE CHARDONNAY
2018 CARNEROS
Retails at: $40
 
 
 
“A full-bodied, toasty white with aromas and flavors of apricot, ripe pear, smoke and apple pie. Crisp acidity and a toasty, flinty finish. Drink or hold.”
91 Points
 
“…the 2018 Chardonnay Sorelle offers an attractive, richer style that carries lots of buttered melon, white peach, and pineapple fruit notes as well as some background toastiness. It’s nicely textured and has good acidity followed by a clean finish, all making for a delicious Chardonnay to drink over the coming couple of years.”
90 Points
2018 Marimar Estate Acero Unoaked Chardonnay Russian River Valley

2018 Marimar Estate Acero Unoaked Chardonnay Russian River Valley Don Miguel Vineyard

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

MARIMAR ESTATE

ACERO UNOAKED CHARDONNAY
2018 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
DON MIGUEL VINEYARD

2018 Marimar Estate Acero Unoaked Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Marimar Estate’s Don Miguel Vineyard is in Green Valley, the coolest, foggiest part of the Russian River. The site is influenced by traditional Mediterranean viticultural practices and planted in a high-density European-style with more than 2,000 vines per acre, which naturally encourages low-yields with concentrated, and balanced flavors. The winemaking team selected specific blocks with great intensity and aromatics within the vineyard for their Acero Unoaked Chardonnay, which at around $25, is a serious value. 
 
Don Miguel Vineyard is organically farmed and contains desirable sandy loam, Goldridge soils of volcanic origin, and marine sediment. The high-density planting promotes vines to live longer and achieve fruit with greater concentration and more elegance and finesse. 
 
Marimar Torres teamed up with Bill Dyer, legendary winemaker at Sterling Vineyards, for 20 years to produce the best wines possible from the Estate. The wine team ages and ferments their Acero Chardonnay in 100% stainless steel to capture the purity of flavors and the fruit’s most natural essence.
 
MARIMAR ESTATE
ACERO UNOAKED CHARDONNAY
2018 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
DON MIGUEL VINEYARD
Retails at: $34
 
Your Price: $25
 
 
“Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, this wine never sees oak. A floral aroma of honeysuckle wrangles the nose as a crisp palate brings flavors of pear, peach and lavender. Stony minerality defines the texture, and the finish carries a touch of honey.”
90 Points
 
“This has a bright, green-melon and apple nose with light, flinty nuances. The palate has a supple, white-peach and pear core. Fresh, light and clean. Drink now.”
90 Points
 
“There are lots of stony notes to the open-textured, spicy Gala apple, dried apricot and quince flavors of this white. The plush finish offers plenty of creaminess. Drink now.”
89 Points
2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County

2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ALMA de CATTLEYA

2019 CHARDONNAY 
SONOMA COUNTY 

2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County
Bibiana González Rave’s unwavering commitment to superior quality, accessible prices, varietal purity, and origin in her wines is highly transparent. She makes wines in a bright and cheerful style tied to the year’s hallmarks and location of the grapes. I’ve stopped asking how she can create wines with such surreal quality, sense of place, and value, and I’m just simply going to enjoy them and share them with you.
 
Bibiana created this brilliant 2019 Chardonnay from methodically selected vineyards, each with a strong coastal influence that lends to the perfect balance of acidity, texture, softness, and length. She then crafted this wine using the same exacting standards as the Cattleya single-vineyard Chardonnays, which retail for around $70 per bottle. 
 
Bibiana has extensive experience making wine in Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley in France and South Africa. When she came to California, industry leaders immediately recognized her talents as she helped shape brilliant wines at Peay, Lynmar, and Pahlmeyer, to name a few. At just $26, you have to try this.
 
ALMA de CATTLEYA
2019 CHARDONNAY 
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $26
 
 
“Lush notes of red apple and juicy pear balance beautifully with notes of lemon curd, honeysuckle and hints of toasted vanilla. Bright acidity and a rich mouthfeel add complexity and a textured, complex finish.”