2022 Herman Story Chardonnay Witness Protection, USA, California, Santa Maria Valley, Wine Review

This is a Chardonnay from California's Central Coast. The label reads 13.9% and despite being warned this was a huge Chard, it seemed very reasonable. Light to medium gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is showing some oak notes but not overpowering. Also a bit of lemon peel and lemon curd. Clean. Medium to full bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, this is very refreshing. Flavors of lemon curd with slight vanilla and slight spice. Good finish. Showing youthfully, this got better with a touch of air but no need to wait. Drink over the next five to eight years. It is great on its own and would work nicely with seafoods but also pork or chicken. Grilled Salmon with a dill sauce would be a great choice.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Vintage:

2022

Current Price:

$72.00USD

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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Napa Valley Chardonnay: Foods to Pair With, and Meals that Call for, Napa Chardonnay

Chardonnay—a chameleon of a grape. There are an especially large number of choices to be made in terms of winemaking when it comes to Chardonnay. It can be still or sparkling. It can be aged in oak or un-oaked, filtered or unfiltered, subject to malolactic fermentation or not. Even the type of oak used, or the decision to keep the wine in contact with dead yeast cells during the winemaking process affects the style of the final product. These factors (not to mention the concept of terroir) result in endless Chardonnay styles that can range from Burgundy’s crisp, austere, mineral-driven wines to Australia’s tropical fruit-packed, viscous style.

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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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Santa Barbara County Wine: The State of the Grape 2008

In about 1820, a San Antonio winery was built in what is now Goleta, just north of the City of Santa Barbara. The wine was made predominately for the missions as sacramental wine, but the padres undoubtedly made a little extra on the side. The lonely adobe winery is still standing and nearly 200 years later, the wine industry in Santa Barbara County is thriving, in spite of the fluctuations of the economy, transitional markets, fickle consumers and inconsistent harvests.

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2016 Liquid Farm Chardonnay La Hermana, USA, California, Santa Maria, Wine Review

Vintage:

2016

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$40.00USD

I have had a fair amount of wine from this producer over the years with various results for my tastes. Sometimes, the wines carry too much oak and others they are amazing. No doubt, some of the difference is due to the fruit and some the vintage. And tastes vary. This one straddles the line for me and goes right up to the edge but doesn't cross that line. For those who have issues with obvious oak this might cross that line. Medium golden in color. The nose has vanilla, lemon, fresh cut lumber and spice. On the palate, the vanilla and lumber come thru along with a delightful sour le

2022 Herman Story Chardonnay Witness Protection, USA, California, Santa Maria Valley, Wine Review

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2016 Liquid Farm Chardonnay La Hermana, USA, California, Santa Maria, Wine Review