2017 Ceritas Chardonnay Trout Gulch, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

This winery is fast becoming one of my favorites for Chardonnay and Santa Crus is definitely my favorite region in the world for Chardonnay. That is a pretty bold statement but there it is. Light golden in color. The nose has lemons, lemon candy, minerals and slight vanilla. On the palate, this is ever so slightly sweet/ripe with lemons and great minerality. It has such great energy and cut. It glides down the palate, and lasts forever. Delicious. Complex. This is obviously young but seems like it should be a twenty year wine. It drinks great on its own but will work well with sea foods and lighter fowl dishes.

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Vintage:

2017

Current Price:

$70.00USD

Top Ten California Chardonnays - 2016

I tend to taste and drink a lot of wine over the course of a year. I am in a few tasting groups, sometimes the wines are consumed at various local wine store tastings and a number drunk with friends and family.

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2018 Ceritas Chardonnay Trout Gulch, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage:

2018

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Current Price:

$75.00USD

One of my favorite Chardonnays from one of my favorite regions for producing Chardonnay. This is fantastic. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is great with a stony minerality, vanilla cream, chalk and sea air. On the palate, this is medium body but concentrated and powerful. A nice streak of acidity balances the lemon-vanilla cream notes with an underlying minerality. Long finish. This is still very young of course and should continue to gain complexity. It needs five more years until peak and should be great drinking for ten to fifteen after that. This seems like i

2019 Ceritas Chardonnay Trout Gulch, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage:

2019

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Current Price:

$64.00USD

Wow. What a great young Chardonnay! My kind of Cal Chard. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is crisp with chalk, slight lemon, floral notes and a hint of "ocean air". Medium to full bodied. On the palate, this is crisp and refreshing but also deep and complex. Lemons and minerality. Lovely texture. Long finish. This drinks well on its own and will be very food friendly. It would be great with Chinese food. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years. Some of the best Chardonnay's anywhere come from Santa Cruz!

Best Napa Chardonnay (For the Money)

IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts for their recommendation for the best Napa Chardonnay (for the money): California Chardonnay has entered a new golden era, and there are terrific, cooler climate examples available from all over the State. These great new Chards tend to be balanced, with minerality and strong acidity, as well as less obtrusive new oak than was the trademark of California Chardonnay even five years ago. Napa does not have a particularly cool climate, so the wines from this region tend to have more ripe, tropical fruit characteristics, and more richness, as well as more of a creamy mouth feel, thanks in large part to the new oak typically used for fermentation and aging. Nonetheless, for those who like the rich, tropical fruit style of Chardonnay, there are some great examples from Napa that are relative values. My top pick for the money is the Arnot-Roberts Watson Ranch Napa Valley Chardonnay, with the current release going for a relatively reasonable average of $35. Here I get more lemon and lemon cream than super-ripe tropical fruit, but with solid weight and creamy texture. Also quite good but considerably pricier, at about $50, is the Hestan Vineyards Chardonnay, made by sought after Napa winemaking consultant Mark Herold. - Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com

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2018 Kutch Chardonnay Trout Gulch Vineyard, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage:

2018

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Grade:

I just love this vineyard (across multiple producers) and Jamie's take on it is excellent. Light golden in color. The nose is beautiful with lemons, vanilla, a noticeable (but not overdone) note of toasty oak and slight almond flour note. Full bodied. On the palate, this is on the bigger side but no bomb. Great acidity. Lively with energy. It is delicious. Lemon fruit with a touch of toast and vanilla. Long finish. This seems like it should easily go ten to fifteen more years. It went wonderfully with a chopped veggie salad that included asparagus and drinks great on its own.

2017 Ceritas Chardonnay Trout Gulch, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

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