AMERICAN WINE

Located in the coastal foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, the vineyards selected for this Reserve Monterey County Chardonnay are consistently cooled by the marine layer funneled in from the Monterey Bay throughout the growing season. Fog that is late to burn off, and a cool midday breeze, extend hang time to allow the grapes to be picked at the peak of the fruit’s flavor and acidity.

This juicy, fruit driven Chardonnay is dominated by aromas of ripe golden apples, tropical pineapple and coconut, and zesty Meyer lemons. Not to be outdone, the luscious palate is balanced by bright acids and mild oak influence gives this wine a delicious lingering finish.

"Chalone isn't a label; it's a place on earth." The wines speak to the limestone and decomposed granite soils that are specific to this wild, isolated mountain plateau in Monterey County. The low-nutrient soils make the vines struggle and give the wines unique minerality; the diurnal temperature swings and cool winds retain acidity; the intense sunshine builds flavors and tannin structure; and the age of the vines enhances the wines' concentration, complexity and ageability.

Chalone's 2018 Estate Chardonnay is crisp and refreshing with a beautiful golden hue. It opens up with nuances of stone fruit, wet rock and a hint of oak. Their Burgundian style Chardonnay boasts a unique minerality and exceptional complexity derived from mature vineyards coupled with ancient limestone that runs through the Chalone AVA. Pair this Chardonnay with creamy lobster mac and cheese topped with crunchy, golden bread crumbs.

Chamisal's 2017 Monterey County Chardonnay is vinified using traditional Burgundian winemaking techniques. This includes whole cluster pressing, barrel fermentations, batonnage, native yeast, and malolactic fermentation. They utilize press cuts to fine-tune quality and vinify in many small lots, allowing to assemble their Monterey Chardonnay with a focus on quality and richness.

This full-bodied wine exhibits classic varietal characteristics with aromas of toasted oak and creme brrlee. The entry is fruit driven with hints of lemon cream, Fuji apple, ripe pineapple and baked pear, leading to a rich and creamy mid-palate. Finishing clean with lingering acidity and broad texture, the wine is a beautiful example of Monterey County Chardonnay.

Hahn's Chardonnay highlights some of the best vineyards in Monterey and other vineyards from California. This high coastal region greets the day with morning sun giving way to afternoon breezes, the perfect setting for this Burgundian varietal. In the glass it gives a light golden hue with lemon peel, and pear on the nose. Once tasted it reveals layers of subtle peach and pineapple with a touch of vanilla toast. A clean finish leaves lingering hints of tropical lychee and green bananas. This medium-bodied wine has a crisp acidity and well rounded, making it a perfect accompaniment for pasta dishes, chicken, grilled prawns and white corn salad.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: "The rich palate texture is achieved through the use of classic Burgundian techniques, such as primary and malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels and weekly stirring of the lees. The palate is balanced by fresh flavors of apple, pear, and Meyer lemon cream with a long, sweet oak finish."

Tobin James Cellars, located 8 miles east of Paso Robles on Highway 46, sits among 71 acres of vineyard's and oak dotted hills. A magnificent setting for magnificent wines! This region is wonderful for powerful reds, but Monterey County holds a better place for Chardonnays. Rich & creamy with great citrus flavors, this is the perfect Chardonnay for afternoons and light to moderate food!

A blend of 100% estate fruit, the 2018 Lucia Chardonnay is sourced from select barrels of the Pisoni and Soberanes vineyards. Combining distinctive characteristics from different vineyard sites, two characters become one as this youthful greenish-gold wine fills the glass. The higher elevations of Pisoni Vineyards add rich notes of baked apple, Bosc pear, and lemon curd, while the rocky, unyielding soil of the Soberanes Vineyard showcases signature notes of citrus blossom and wet stone. On the palate, complexity reigns as depth and nuance of flavor mingle seamlessly with bright, age-worthy acidity and a persistent, structured finish.

The dramatic climate of the Highlands – located within Monterey County – allows Mer Soleil to create dramatic wines. Morning fog, bright sunshine and gusting winds enable longer "hang time" for the grapes, resulting in wines of intense, complex character. With fresh, bright aromas and the taste of white peach, this wine has a vibrant acidity balanced by the lush flavors of fully ripe fruit.

With each vintage of Highland Chardonnay, Morgan showcases the unique attributes of their Double L Vineyard and the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. The 2014 cuvee includes 67% fruit from the Double L and the balance from outstanding neighboring estates in the SLH, including McIntryre and Tondre. The Double L Vineyard has been "Certified Organic" since 2002 but has been conscientiously farmed in this method since the original plantings in 1997.

This focused, elegant Chardonnay's aromas feature lemon, butter croissant, and summer squash. On the palate, the rich fruit flavors are complemented by a light touch graham cracker and salted butter caramel. Incredibly food-friendly, the 2017 Highland Chardonnay is a perfect match with cream-sauced pastas, roast chicken and pork, and seafood.

The grapes for this wine came from a hillside vineyard located in the very cool Santa Lucia Highlands. Though in the past they've harvested grapes from several coastal vineyards, this year they decided to focus on a single and acclaimed appellation. The hand-harvested grapes were gently pressed as whole clusters. The juice was then racked to jacketed stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels for fermentation. The barrel-fermented portion adds a rich mouth feel that enhances the fruit-forward, cold fermented component. Some of the wine goes through malo-lactic fermentation to balance the acidity (higher acidity being one of the characteristics of fruit grown in the SLH).And the wine itself? Awesome: balanced, clean, lush, tasty. The nose invites the world with beautiful tropical fruit notes and gorgeous florals (orange blossom) with a touch of citrus and wood spice. Upon tasting, the viscous palate weight leads to a nice mélange of tropical and stone fruit flavors (touches of pineapple, white peach and guava) that are uplifted in the mouth thanks to generous but balanced acidity. The finish is clean with hints of lemon grass and mountain stream while the fruit and flower flavors fold slowly, resolving like a sunset, her colors splayed across the sky that, with time, fade nicely.

San Simeon Chardonnay is a rich, mouth-filling wine with ripe tropical fruit flavors with complements of citrus and pear. The nose reveals bright fruit and oak toast with hints of vanilla and spice. Mineral notes express the rocky terroir of the vineyards. This structured and well-balanced wine shows a lengthy finish with potential to age.

Olson displays a “crunchy” acidity, not unlike Chenin Blanc. Just 5 miles off the Pacific Ocean, the climate is incredibly cold. Locals colloquially call Prunedale “Prunetucky”, and Olson is a large sand dune rising above the town, just west of the 101 and facing the ocean. Typically this wine shows dried honey, Asian pear, and roasted pineapple on top of a distinct saline note.

Monterey County's Santa Lucia Highland Region produces some of the best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the world. This region benefits from cool morning fog and afternoon breezes that result in a long growing season, producing intense fruit flavors balanced with vibrant acidity.

The label "Silver" came into being due to the fact that the wine saw no oak; it was fermented and aged in stainless steel. The wine still never sees any oak, yet in addition to stainless steel, cement tanks are utilized to give the wine a small amount of oxygen contact to enhance flavor development, similar to aging in an oak barrel.

Bright minerality and fresh-cut hay qualities are apparent on the nose, followed by zesty citrus and stone-fruit notes. Seamless fruit flavors of grapefruit, lemon and gooseberry shine through on the mid-palate, complemented by a crisp acidity that carries through from start to finish. The higher acidity in this wine makes it a perfect accompaniment to a wide array of food, particularly fresh salads, grilled seafood, and some tomato-based dishes.

Windstream Chardonnay is a luscious, structured wine with intense flavors of ripe pear and green apple. Barrel fermentation contributes nuances of oak spice and honey, while malolactic fermentation creates a round mouthfeel with a supple, creamy texture.