Wine & Spirits - October 2021 - 46

Year's Best US Chardonnay
Our blind panels recommended 314 US
chardonnays; we feature our editor's top
selections. Joshua Greene covers California's
North Coast; Patrick J. Comiskey
covers the rest of California and the US. All
wines tasted and all reviews are searchable
at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.
CALIFORNIA
cENTRAL cOAST
93 | Scar of the Sea
91 | Bishop's Peak
$24
2019 San Luis Obispo County Chardonnay
^ Bishop's Peak is not far from the Adobe
that defines the Talley's estate; the family
named its second label after the mountain,
offering wines notable for their quality-price
ratio. This is savory at the outset, scents of
honeycomb and wheat adorning nectarine
ad pineapple. The flavors are tart, green
apple and dried pineapple, nervy and mouthwatering,
generous for pork. -P.J.C. §
$42
2019 San Luis Obispo County Bassi Vineyard
Chardonnay ^ From an exceptionally
cool site, less than 2 miles from the Pacific,
this wine leads with a whiff of matchstick,
which comfortably overlays a rich mélange of
fruit. You might find green and gold apples,
tart and round at once, filled with flavor,
even as the texture feels racy and electrically
tart. It's quite a performance, for a grand plateau.
-P.J.C. §
92 | Edna Valley Vineyards $40
2019 Edna Valley Winemaker's Series Heritage
Chardonnay ^ Seductively floral when
first poured, this has scents of lemon verbena
and jasmine, a toasty lees accent and flavors
of dried pineapple. The interplay between
floral and fruit is complex, setting up a pairing
with herb-seared Petrale sole. -P.J.C. §
92 | Seabold
$40
2019 Monterey County Olson Prunetucky
Sands Chardonnay ^ Broad and golden, this
chardonnay is drawn from a cool sandy site
near the mouth of the Monterey Bay, where
it developed surprising richness for a 12.8
percent alcohol wine. Its broad apple flavors
feel like they've been spritzed with lemon,
for your next plate of roast mussels. -P.J.C. §
92 | Talley
$65
2019 Arroyo Grande Valley Rosemary's
Chardonnay ^ Scents of caramel and cinnamon
adorn flavors of tree fruits, ripe apple
and quince, even a hint of sweet corn. The
wine's richness is offset by a mildly smoky,
oak-girded texture. Ideal for corn and mushroom
succotash. -P.J.C. (21 cases) §
46
90 | Blue Canyon
$13
2019 Monterey Chardonnay (BEST BUY) ^
Made in a rich style, this Monterey quaffer
is full bodied with nutty caramel scents and
roasted apple flavors, but it's driven by persistent,
satisfying acidity. -P.J.C. (4,447 cases) §
89 | District 7
$18
2019 Monterey Chardonnay (BEST BUY) ^
With its scents of golden raisin and mango,
this is not a shy wine; its tropical flavors have
a nutty accent, mildly restrained by lees
notes. For poolside sipping. -P.J.C. §
91 | Talley
$55
2019 Arroyo Grande Valley Rincon Chardonnay
^ From the family's oldest estate
vineyard, planted in 1984, this wine seems
to have Arroyo Grande fog circling the glass.
It's smoky and saline, with scents of cider and
caramelly oak, and flavors to match. You'll
appreciate the texture-lean, chewy, exceptionally
well-built for aging. -P.J.C. §
91 | Testarossa
$53
2019 Chalone Brosseau Vineyard Chardonnay
^ True to form, this chardonnay from
the warm, craggy Brosseau Vineyard feels
sunny and solar, bright in its tree fruit scents
while firm, powerful and forward in its apple
and pear flavors. Its mineral finish holds the
wine together and would serve a good foil for
a white pizza. -P.J.C. (168 cases) §
90 | J. Lohr
$25
2019 Arroyo Seco Arroyo Vista Chardonnay
^ Rich and broad, with scents of pear cider
and banana, this honeyed white is a touch
over the top, but has plenty of fresh and
vibrant acidity to counterbalance all that
flavor. -P.J.C. (4,600 cases) §
90 | Stephen Ross
$28
2019 Edna Valley Chardonnay ^ This multivineyard
blend is an open-armed mélange of
honeyed pear and citrus scents. The wine's
richness is offset by a foggy, cool acidity, and
then it finishes with a lean snap. For a seafood
feast, like snapper. -P.J.C. (516 cases) §
WINE & SPIR IT S Oc TO b ER 2021
https://www.jlohr.com/wines http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com https://www.bluecanyonwines.com https://www.district7wines.com
Wine & Spirits - October 2021

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