Specials

97 Points! Limarí is a unique region. Its dry, cold climate characterized by cloudy mornings and sunny evenings, along with its calcareous and clayish soils, give it a distinctiveness compared to other white wine regions around the world. The 2022 Chardonnay Amelia encapsulates all these conditions, especially in a cold vintage. Winemaker Marcelo Pappa aimed to showcase this character by aging the wine for 12 months, with 90% in old French barrels and 10% in new ones. This greenish-yellow wine reveals aromas of lime, herbs, green apple and pineapple. The true difference lies on the palate: a saline, compact and vibrant Chardonnay with a dry, vivid and enduring finish. Undoubtedly one of the finest white wines in South America. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

97 Points! Very serious and complex aromas of oysters, cooked apples, fresh seaweed and crushed stone. Full-bodied with a phenolic tension and depth. Chewy and impressive, with a phenolic finish. Excellent structure. No malolactic. Super drinkability and possibility to age. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Deeply intriguing aromas of chiseled stone, wet clay, turned soil and tangerine peel make for a mineral-driven nose on this bottling. That stony, crushed cement character cruises across the palate, where a slightly citrusy lime leaf flavor adds depth. Drink now-2043. - Wine Enthusiast

From the winery:

This is classic Patterson: arguably the most Chablisienne of our bottlings, instant with pronounced stone, white flower and fruit aromas reminiscent of Fuji apple and Camice pear, quick on its feet with a crisp attack but expansive and deep on the palate. The combination of freshness and body really is something else. With more time in the glass, a touch of brown butter and oak seep in, hardly distracting from the other elements of the wine but instead adding to them a subtle polish. This 2023, vintage number six for Patterson, may be its best yet.

10 months aging in larger oak puncheons, 6 months in tank, 294 cases produced.

From the winery:

This wine is 100% Chardonnay, and is the new version of what was our Bien Nacido Chardonnay.  Over the last 10 years the Bien Nacido Vineyard has been shrinking due to virus and economic considerations, and a couple of the blocks that we used to get from are now sadly gone.  Luckily, Block 18, which is directly behind the winery, has remained healthy, productive and yields high quality grapes.  This is the first year that we have worked with the Maria Vista Vineyard.  It is a beautifully farmed vineyard about 5 miles west of Bien Nacido, so slightly cooler site, and sits directly across the road from Presqu’ile Vineyard and Winery.

The grapes for this wine were harvested in four separate picks between September 10^th and September 24^th, at sugars ranging from 21.7 to 24.0° brix, all with great acidity.  Each lot was whole cluster pressed, chilled overnight in tank, and transferred to barrel the next day.  For Chardonnay, we use exclusively Francois Freres French oak Burgundy barrels, of which about 25% were new, 25% were two year old, and the rest neutral.  It went through complete malo in the barrel and was aged on the lees for 9 months.

This is classic Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay, with aromas of apples, pears, citrus and a nice dollop of toasty French oak.  The Maria Vista component, coming from a cooler climate gives the wine a nice bit of minerality as well.  

93 Points! Sweet almonds, lemon curd and spiced pink and white grapefruit are accented by a hint of flintiness and mineral lines through a mouthwatering finish. - Wine Enthusiat

The Toybox Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2024 was fermented entirely in three year old French oak barriques, no new oak was used. Now, that’s not to say this wine doesn’t have ‘oak’ in the flavor profile mind you, it just isn’t the dominant theme. The hints of wood are there as a complexity, not the overriding theme. The fruit was sourced from the Hall Road Vineyard. This vineyard parcel, in western Sebastopol is right next door to one of our favorite producers on the planet, Walter Hansel, and is planted to the Wente heritage clone, originally brought from Burgundy in 1912 and recognized for its unique fruit and floral characteristics. The Chardonnay was barrel fermented in those aforementioned older oak barrels, underwent partial malolactic fermentation and was bottled unfiltered. A whopping 95 cases (four barrels) were produced!

95 Points! The 2022 Chardonnay Peake Ranch Vineyard offers a touch more complexity, offering ripe citrus and orchard fruits, spice, tropical flowers, and green almond notes in a medium-bodied, pure, focused, balanced package. It has the fruit and suppleness of the vintage yet brings good acidity and a focused, elegant mouthfeel. I love it today, yet it has the balance and vibrancy to evolve nicely for 5-7 years, if not longer. - Jeb Dunnuck

#Peake_Ranch

95 Points! Last of the Chardonnays, the 2022 Chardonnay John Sebastiano Vineyard comes from a great vineyard on the eastern side of the appellation and was brought up in 28% new French oak. Ripe melon, salted citrus, crushed stone, and white flowers all define the aromatics, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, focused, chiseled mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It’s California's answer to a great Chablis! Drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

#Peake_Ranch

95 Points! Bright and minerally, with white stone fruit character and hints of lemon rind, chamomile, subtle spices and crushed stones. Pure and refined, with a medium body and a seamless, lingering, silky feel. Delicate and focused, with plenty of freshness that shows citrus blossom and white almond undertones. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! A precise and dynamic white, with compelling lemon and apricot flavors highlighted by crushed stone and zesty spice tones that sail on the finish. Drink now through 2027. - Wine Spectator

Gorgeous Grand Cru Chablis from the Dampt brothers in one of Chablis' greatest (to us) vintages! Scintillating notes of sea shells, green apple, touch of brine, the soils here really do their work on this cuvee that is aged exclusively in stainless steel. True Grand Cru Chablis at an incomparable price...while it lasts...

93 Points! This has a real minerally character with oyster shells and sliced apples that run long and true in the wine. Medium-bodied with a clean and creamy texture. Flinty, complex finish. Feels like a Chablis on the palate. Drink now.  - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Tina-Louise Shea Vineyard lifts from the glass with a savory blend of freshly sliced green apples, split pine and contrasting hints of mint. Round, pliant textures and succulent ripe orchard fruits wash across the palate as confectionary spice comes forward toward the close. This tapers off potent and long yet remarkably fresh, leaving touches of young kiwi to fade. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

93 Points! Lovely nose of golden apples, baked pears, sweet spices, blanched almonds, warm herbs and some lemons. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Fresh lemon character at the center and a caressing, silky texture enveloping the palate. Well-balanced, lively and precise. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills offers a richer, nicely oaked profile that includes honeyed stone fruits, toasted spice, crushed stone, and salted citrus-like nuances. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, and has a concentrated, mouth-filling profile that's grounded by a beautiful spine of vibrant acidity. It benefits from air, and this is another awesome Chardonnay from this team that readers will absolutely love. - Jeb Dunnuck

For fans of the fruit-forward, richly-appointed style of the Chardonnays from Robert Talbott! Less oak here, but all the joy. A couple select sites throughout Monterey County. 2021 was a pretty normal year down there. Regardless of where you are the wind and mild, steady coastal temps make for wonderfully balanced Chardonnay. Harvest September 4th-17th. 20% new French oak aging.

96 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay West Sonoma Coast is a bright youthful hue and delivers elegant aromas of fresh flowers, white peaches, sea spray, and soft floral citrus. Medium-bodied, it displays good roundness and delicate spice, with fresh saline minerality, Meyer lemon, and ripe pear. It’s supple and inviting, with a good, refreshing feel, and touch of almond on the finish. Drink it over the next 10 years. This is the first vintage with the appellation printed on the label. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Vie di Romans is a showstopper, rich and floral in the glass, with dried nectarines and apricots lifted by yellow flowers and candied lime. Its textures are lifted, yet this makes quite an impact, with bright acidity enlivening masses of ripe peach and chamomile. Hints of confectioners’ sugar and lemon custard are left to linger as a burst of gingery spice and sour melon adds verve. A minute goes by, and this continues to resonate with hazelnut notes. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

95 Points! The 2019 Chardonnay Bennett Valley waltzes out with alluring notes of fresh apricots, honeydew melon, and grapefruit, with hints of orange blossom and powdered ginger. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit and elegant, with a seamless backbone and loads of savory nuances to accent the stone fruit layers, finishing long with a spicy kick. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

Terroir: From the lieu-dit "Les Cornillaux" in the village of Leynes, on hard limestone and grey Liassic marls. Southwestern exposure, gentle slope.

Viticulture: Organic (not certified)

Vinification: Long, gentle pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation in older barrels with no added SO2, aged 11 months in barrel and 5 months in stainless steel tank, minimal total SO2, no fining, no filtration.

The Saisons Saint-Véran 2020 is a white Burgundy wine known for its bright, fresh, and balanced character. It offers a pale yellow color and a nose that combines delicate fruit aromas like peach and pear with floral notes of acacia and honeysuckle. Some vintages may also exhibit hints of exotic fruits and citrus. On the palate, it's typically dry, well-rounded, and mineral, with a lively acidity that contributes to a harmonious and refreshing experience. The wine often displays notes of fresh almond, hazelnut, and sometimes even a touch of butter or honey. 

Harvested from a sustainable, 31-year-old, .82-hectare plateau vineyard planted on clay-silt soil and with a western exposure. The wine is matured for 11 months on fine lees in neutral oak. Bottled with light bentonite fining and unfiltered.

A reflection of the rugged location of our originally farmed,
low-yield vineyard, this Chardonnay is an expression of its place: lean and crisp with resilient character. Sitting on gross lees until bottling, at which point it’s bottled unfined and unfiltered. Winemaker: Justin Willett

94 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Reserve is 100% from Greyton matured for 11 months in 500-litre barrels, 40% new. It has a wonderful bouquet with honeydew melon, apricot blossom and light crushed stone scents that percolate through with time. The palate is very well balanced with tropical hints of passion fruit and guava, but the acidity keeps everything on a tight course, very minerally on the finish. Top class. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media