California White Wines

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Lastly, the virtually perfect 2014 Chardonnay Cix Estate, planted with a Montrachet clone on Goldridge soils, again exhibits amazing intensity, notes of wet gravel interwoven with apple blossom, caramelized citrus, apricot, white peach and honeysuckle. It is full-bodied, multidimensional and a profound glass of Chardonnay.Robert Parker | 99 RPDense and racy in style, the 2014 Chardonnay CIX Vineyard is one of the more approachable wines in this lineup. Here the Montrachet clone gives a Chardonnay with good up-front intensity and plenty of power. Although attractive, the CIX doesn’t quite have the complexity, nuance or persistence of the best wines in the range.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Mount Eden’s 2018 Chardonnay offers a fabulous interplay of richness and energy. A wine of linear intensity, the 2018 could use a few more years in bottle to be at its best, but it is super-impressive, even now, in what is very clearly the early going. Lemon confit, mint, orange peel, spice and light butter notes all build into the articulate, polished finish. This is such a classy wine. Give it a few years to come together.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGHoneyed nut, tangerine peel and baked apple aromas show on the nose of this bottling. A zesty acidity enlivens the palate from front to back, carrying toasty flavors of pan-seared apple, cashew, sea salt and white flower. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA Burgundy lover’s Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 2018 Chardonnay Estate is another terrific effort from this estate. Lots of honeyed citrus, nectarine, toast, crushed stone, and white flower notes define the bouquet, and it opens beautifully with time in the glass, gaining both richness and complexity. Medium-bodied, it stays tight and compact on the palate, with bright yet integrated acidity, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. As with all of Patterson’s wines, it’s brilliantly made, balanced, and well worth checking out.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDMount Eden’s chardonnay vines are descendants of cuttings that Paul Masson brought from Burgundy and planted at his La Cresta Vineyard, and where Martin Ray sourced the plant material when he established Mount Eden on a nearby ridge, 2,000 feet above the Pacific, facing east. The contemporary vines, mostly planted in the mid-1990s, are tended by Jeffrey Patterson who made this rich and powerful 2018. Fermented in French oak barrels (50 percent new), the wine’s smokiness seems tied as much to the earth as to the wood. It’s savory and lemony, with a firm cut that should serve it well through several years of bottle aging.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&SThere’s a luscious and creamy texture to the concentrated ripe apple, pear and quince flavors that are filled with cooking spice accents. Ends with sage honey nuances on the rich finish. Drink now through 2024. 1,288 cases made. Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A hearty mouthfeel belies this wine’s quintessential and quenching acidity, driven by its cool-climate provenance and winemaking style. Green-apple, pear and tangerine flavors meld together easily along a midpalate of complex structure and length, with a lift of crispness reappearing on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2018 Chardonnay Zephyr Farms comes from a site located 6.7 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Fermented and aged in 15% new French oak, it has a distinct salty, chalky mineral character as well as plenty of lemon, pear, white flowers, toasted spice, and a touch of almond paste aromatics. Beautifully textured and medium-bodied, with integrated acidity and a great finish, this brilliant Chardonnay will evolve for a solid decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2018 Chardonnay Zephyr Farms Vineyard is one of the deeper, more overt wines in this range. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. In this tasting, the Zephyr Farms is distinguished by its vertical depth and overall intensity. Wild flower, apricot, chamomile, lemon confit and lightly honeyed notes all grace this super-expressive and inviting Chardonnay from Red Car.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

Coming from a warmer site in the Russian River Valley (off Eastside Road) planted all to the Montrachet clone of Chardonnay, the 2018 Chardonnay Eastside reveals incredible intensity in its buttered citrus, white peach, nectarine, white flowers, stony minerality, and almond paste-laced aromas and flavors. A rich, powerful, straight- up awesome Chardonnay, it has riveting focus and precision paired with that richness and opulence that Mark Aubert seems to find in just about every vintage. Magical stuff in every sense, I always find it amazing that the Aubert Chardonnays are brought up in new French oak, yet you never find obvious oak, and the wines have an incredible sense of minerality and elegance, yet with power!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2018 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard is a total stunner. Rich, ample and phenolic in feel, the 2018 possesses tremendous resonance in all of its dimensions. Orange peel, spice, mint, toast and hazelnut all build in this creamy, super-expressive Chardonnay. Today, the Eastside Vineyard just dazzles.Vinous Media | 95-98 VMA powerful nose of dried pineapple, lime curd, dried lemon zest, white pepper, clove and a touch of burnt match. Pear blossom, too. Finely crafted, seamless layers of fruit, crushed stones and smoke. It’s full-bodied, tight and compact, elegant and sophisticated all at once. A beautiful wine. Such balance. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSRestrained but immediately compelling, pretty, creamy nose. The palate dismisses the dairy notes and becomes immediately more flavourful, the acidity growing in intensity and driving through to a long, succulent finish. A beautiful dance between softness and power. This wine truly appeals to me on both a personal and professional level – well crafted and deliciously delivered.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA vibrantly crisp version, with notes of dried savory herbs to the freshly cut green apple and Asian pear flavors. Offers intense minerality, showing smoky accents on the powerful and well-structured finish. Best from 2022 through 2026. 852 cases made. — KMWine Spectator | 94 WS

Not yet bottled, the 2018 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict is still resting in 20% new French oak. Coming from a great site on the southern side of the Sta. Rita Hills, it offers a rocking bouquet of lemon curd, chamomile, toasted bread, spice, and a touch of crushed stone-like flinty minerality. Beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and elegant on the palate, it’s another brilliant wine from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDAromas of moss and kumquats combine with decadently ripe, yet still refreshing, limpid fruit. The textured palate reflects the stony minerality of the nose in a snappy, svelte package. It spent 20 months in mostly neutral barrique, and is a blend of the own-rooted 1971 vines as well as younger plantings. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DEC

A tank sample, the 2018 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille comes from a block planted to a field selection of Hudson, Old Wente, Montrachet and Calera clone selections. Winemaker Nick Morlet informs me that the berries are tiny across the board here. It prances out of the glass with joyful orange oil, fresh grapefruit and lime cordial aromas plus nuances of shaved almonds, wet slate, nutmeg and beeswax with a hint of honeysuckle. The palate is very tight-knit and a little closed at this stage, with emerging sparks of intense citrus fruits and savory/yeasty/toasty notes, framed by amazing freshness and a silken texture, finishing long and chalky. 2,190 cases are due to be made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-100 RPThe 2018 Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille is dense, powerful and tightly wound. I would give it a few years to come together. Ripe apricot, orange confit, baked apple tart and wild flowers infuse the 2018 with notable complexity to match its dense, packed personality.Vinous Media | 95 VMIntensely fruity and powerful, this is filled with concentrated pear tart flavors that feature notes of gooseberry and quince paste, showing hints of dried tropical fruits. Brioche and rich toasty details emerge on the unctuous finish. Drink now through 2026. 2,174 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Limpid yellow-gold. Vibrant, mineral- and spice-accented citrus and orchard fruit and jasmine qualities on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, offering Meyer lemon, pear nectar and quinine flavors and a touch of buttered toast. Closes minerally and impressively long, delivering a resonating floral note and firm, spicy lift.Vinous Media | 93 VMAromas of slightly seared lemon peel, lime and grapefruit blossom show on the bright nose of this bottling. The palate is more toasty in oak flavors, but a lemon twist adds vibrancy.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Brought up in 20% new French oak, the 2018 Chardonnay Los Alamos reveals a light gold hue as well as a beautiful bouquet of stone fruits, toasted bread, almond paste, and honeysuckle. Beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and seamless on the palate, it’s a gorgeous Chardonnay as well as a brilliant value!Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDLemon blossom, light pecan and classic oak aromas show on the nose of this bottling. The chalky palate and fresh, lingering acidity ride through tight lines of lemon peel and vanilla, which extend deep into the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WETasting Gavin Chanin’s majestic chardonnay bottling from Los Alamos is like standing on a hilltop in that vineyard and letting the sea spray imperceptibly coat your lips. Beneath the cinnamon spice and the citrus brightness is a kind of bracing, briny green sensation, reminding one taster of agretti,the salty springtime green that finds its way into Italian salads. The wine is bracing and delicious, with the structure to age ten years or more.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SThe nose is dominated by orange rind and starfruit with a subtle note of struck flint behind. The palate is rich, beaming and wide, exuding the sunshine and sandy soils that define this site. The Los Alamos Vineyard bottling is typically the most tropical, flashy and forward of the Chanin Chardonnays, as is the case in the 2018 vintage. 18 months in mostly neutral barrique, full malolactic fermentation. Drinking Window 2020 - 2035.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard is a very pretty, airy wine. Candied lemon peel, almond paste and chamomile are all laced together. Tangerine oil and tropical accents add an exotic flair as this mid-weight Chardonnay opens nicely in the glass.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

Impressive in salty pineapple and an underlying richness of crème brûlée, this wine remains balanced within its luxurious layers, with persistent freshness throughout. Unfiltered, it offers structure, graceful elegance and length, while being cohesive on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

A lovely nose of fresh herbs and ground, peppery spice with fresh flowers, lime leaf and baked citrus. Full-bodied and speckled with white pepper and honeysuckle. Driving and well-balanced acidity is at the center of the palate and makes it hum with fruitful intensity. Such a pleasure to drink. Truly superb. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard is deep, powerful and packed. Lemon confit, crushed rocks, menthol, graphite, chamomile and vanillin infuse the 2019 with striking layers of dimension. Bright acids give the sculpted finish tremendous persistence. Montrachet clone on Riparia rootstock in a rocky site yields a Chardonnay of rare distinction and class.Antonio Galloni | 98-100 AGThis sings with rich toastiness to the ripe, juicy and powerfully structured white fruit and cooking spice flavors that are backed by firm acidity. Buttery midpalate, with a glistening finish that shows accents of dried tropical fruits. Drink now through 2028. 1,014 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA barrel sample, the 2019 Chardonnay Eastside sails out of the glass with zesty citrus scents of lemons, kaffir lime leaves and mandarin peel with an underlying jasmine perfume and a waft of blanched almonds. The palate is tightly wound and very finely knit, delivering loads of nuanced layers and a crisp backbone, finishing long and steely.Eastside is a warmer site in Russian River, composed of very rocky, gravelly soils, forcing the vines to really struggle. It is planted to Montrachet clone. Aubert usually harvests this second, after Sugar Shack.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RP

The 2019 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard is toasty and open on the nose with baked apples and white peaches complemented by wafts of jasmine, crushed almonds and graphite. The light-bodied palate is satiny with concentrated, toasty fruits and balancing mouthwatering acidity. It has lots of focus and energy, and hints of exotic spice in the undercurrent suggest there’s loads more expression waiting to emerge as this unwinds in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard comes from a great vineyard in Carneros and spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. It offers a touch more tropical nuances in its melon and papaya-like fruits as well as white flowers, toasted spice, and brioche-like aromas and flavors. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is soft, supple, and opulent while still showing fabulous purity and precision. This is another gorgeous Chardonnay from this estate that will keep for 4-5 years, if not longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2019 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard Goldberg Variations No. 2 is a pretty laid-back wine for Hyde, where the wines tend to be richer and weightier. Apricot, lemon confit, marzipan, apricot, tangerine peel, lightly honeyed notes and dried flowers all meld together in this beautifully precise expression of Hyde.Vinous Media | 94 VMLots of beautiful cooked-apple, lemon-curd and light pie-crust aromas follow through to a full body with a round texture, pear puree and a hint of apple pie. A combination of softness and brightness. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

A barrel sample, the 2019 Chardonnay CIX Estate comes bounding out of the glass with grapefruit, green mango and orange peel notes backed up by wafts of talc, chopped nuts and a lifted, aromatic, floral perfume. It is full-bodied and intensely flavored in the mouth with a lively backbone cutting through the taut, dense citrus and tropical fruit flavors, finishing long and fragrant.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPSo much character on the nose here. Notes of ripe citrus, stone fruit and elderberry. Full-bodied with an oily texture and soft, staying presence. A mix of woody spice and mint creates pleasant tension between warm and cool. Such a layered and intriguing wine. Totally delicious. Pine at the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Chardonnay CIX Vineyard is powerful, explosive and also very phenolic in feel. There is real density in the CIX. Lemon oil, marzipan, white flowers, ripe pear and mint are all beautifully delineated. The CIX is deep but also wonderfully transparent. The cool growing season yielded a Chardonnay of remarkable finesse. This site, planted with Montrachet Clone Chardonnay, was the last to be picked.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMPowerful and refined, this glides across the palate with concentrated dried apple and pear flavors that show hints of citrus, backed by fresh acidity and almost tannic nuances. The finish unfurls with creamy lushness, minerality and rich, toasty accents. Drink now through 2026. 1,282 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2019 Chardonnay Platt Vineyard is laced with hints of jasmine, lemon confit, mint, orchard fruit and tangerine oil. Time in the glass brings out light tropical overtones that take on a Riesling-like feel that is hugely appealing.Antonio Galloni | 95 AG

The 2019 Onomatopoeia is all Chardonnay from the cooler Edna Valley, and it’s a bright, medium-bodied, beautifully balanced white offering classic citrus and lemon fruits, notes of sappy herbs, vibrant acidity, and a great finish. Aged 14 months in 48% concrete eggs, 26% in new barrels, and the rest in neutral oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered, it’s incredibly impressive.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2019 Chardonnay Onomatopoeia is creamy, open-knit and inviting, all of which make it a good choice for drinking now and over the next few years. Lees stirring and full malolactic fermentation add textural richness. Hints of apricot, lemon confit, sage and chamomile linger.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG

The 2019 Chardonnay Myrna shows just how compelling the vintage is for white wines. Lemon oil, white flowers, chalk and mint give the 2019 a brilliant upper register that almost comes as a surprise once the wine shows its superb depth and persistence. This highly expressive, nuanced Chardonnay has a lot going on and plenty to offer.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGA polished, minerally chardonnay with sliced apple, lemon rind and some stone and flint. Laurel and other herbs, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a creamy texture and balance. Phenolic texture. Lively and stony. From mountain vineyards in Sonoma and Mount Veeder. Nice debut wine. Drink or hold. 1,500 cases made.James Suckling | 94 JSHigh-toned and floral, this wine offers a generous mouthfeel of salty oak, mineral and wet stone. The elegant fruit profile combines pear, apple and Meyer lemon with ease, complementing the body weight with ample acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

The 2019 Chardonnay Mountain Estate Vineyard is bright and high-toned, as it often is, but it also has gorgeous depth and fabulous balance. Citrus peel, white flowers, chalk and white pepper are all beautifully delineated in the glass. Readers will want to give the 2019 at least a year or two in bottle. Today, it is a bit nervy in feel, but it is all there.Antonio Galloni | 95 AG

The 2019 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is all spice and lemon cream to begin, with undertones of almonds, pastry and jasmine that come through as it airs in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is textural and energetic, its citrus-and-mineral character and tangy acidity underpinned by nutty tones that drive the long finish. It has the freshness, texture and intensity for a long life in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is earthy, powerful and savory. Deep and complex, the Rinconada Chardonnay is beguiling, but also a bit eccentric. As such, it is a wine that requires attention and time because it is not especially forthcoming.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

The 2019 Chardonnay Quink Vineyard is another fabulous wine from Trail Marker. Mount Eden Clone Chardonnay in this Santa Cruz Mountains site yields a wine that is rich, creamy and vibrant. Lemon confit, tangerine oil, mint, chamomile and light tropical inflections all build in the glass. Low yields and small berries amplify both fruit richness and salinity.Antonio Galloni | 92-94 AG

This is really complex with the complete character profile of Peter Michael chardonnay. It’s full and very layered with a great center palate. Incredibly thought-provoking and satisfying. Dried apple and lemon with lightly toasted oak. Great finish. Changes all the time. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSAn eastern-facing slope on white, dusty soil, this vineyard is the latest of the Peter Michael Chardonnay vineyards to ripen each year. The site is planted mainly to Old Wente and See clone selections with a little Rued clone. Planted in 1990, these are the oldest vines on the estate. A tank sample due to be bottled within the next couple of days, the 2019 Chardonnay Belle Cote’s nose needs a little coaxing to reveal elegantly expressed scents of lemon curd, lime leaves and Bosc pears plus suggestions of baker’s yeast, toasted almonds and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is beautifully poised if a little youthfully closed, revealing glimpses at loads of citrus, savory and mineral nuances with a racy line and creamy texture, finishing on a lingering zesty note. 2,396 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-98 RPThe 2019 Chardonnay Belle-Côte emerges from the oldest vines on the estate. White flowers, mint, pear, white pepper and citrus give the Belle-Côte a brilliant upper register that really distinguishes it in this lineup. Vivid and sculpted, the Belle-Côte is wonderfully expressive today. I can’t wait to taste it with a few years of bottle age. At times, the Belle-Côte has a Riesling-like aromatic presence that is incredibly distinctive.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGAnother estate Knight Valley release, the 2019 Chardonnay Belle-Cote is one of the richer, more powerful Chardonnays in the lineup. Buttered lemon, flower oil, toasted almond, honeysuckle, and brioche are some of the nuances here, and it’s full-bodied, with a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a distinct sense of minerality on the finish. It’s another rich, concentrated, age-worthy Chardonnay from this team that will have a solid decade of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDElegant, plush and rich-tasting, with well-knit apple and pear tart flavors that are supported by suave acidity. Light buttery accents midpalate linger onto the juicy finish, which features ripe tangerine and blood orange notes. Drink now through 2025. 2,366 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS