Santa Cruz

Some of the best Chardonnay for my tastes comes from Santa Cruz, California.  The wines tend to be crisp but full and age quite well.  A new one recently tried is the Shawn Walker McBride Maeve Vineyard.  I am not sure why this carries that label as other varietal wines carry a Crosby Roamann designation as the producer with a very similar label.  In any event this one is also very good.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has red apples with a touch of lemon and a nice minerality.  Medium to full bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is crisp with flavors or apples an

Rhys makes some of the best Pinot Noirs anywhere.  This one is one of their best.  Medium ruby in color. The nose has cherries, soy and baking spices. Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is complex and concentrated. Layers of cherries and black cherries along with spice and char.  Long finish.  This is great on its own but would work with many foods.  Roasted duck or chicken would be perfect.  At age 10, just starting to show some maturity.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

There is always a question as to how well white wines age in general and the Rhys chardonnays specifically.  This one, anyway, is ageing quite well at age 12.  Light gold/green in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemon curd, vanilla and minerality.  Full bodied.  Good balance.  No tannins.  On the palate, this is nearing peak but not really showing any signs of old age.  Flavors of lemon curd, some citrus, vanilla and char.  Long finish.  This is deep and complex.  Great on its own, better with food.  It would be great with sea food, but was also great with Pasta Primavera.  I would t

The definition of a "pretty" Pinot Noir.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is feminine/elegant with cherries, slight plums, spices and some minerality.  Medium bodied.  Wispy tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, cherries, some black cherries and spice with slight char and minerality.  Long finish.  This is lovely on its own, but even better with food.  It went great with Cauliflower steaks but would work well with Salmon steaks as well.  Drink over the next ten years.

Rhys may be my favorite Chardonnay producer (that I still choose to afford) and Santa Cruz may be my favorite region for Chardonnay.  But, still, this is their basic offering and I had low expectations.  They were far exceeded.  What an excellent wine.  I ended up drinking two bottles over three days and that is unusual.  Light golden in color with slight silvery/green hues.  Clear and bright.  The nose is great.  Very mineral driven but also some lemon creme, vanilla and a touch of grapefruits.  Medium to full bodied.  Lots of energy.  Light tannins.  Great acidity and balance.  On the pal

Rhys makes some of the best Pinot Noir's (and Chardonnays) anywhere.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, spice, char and slight earthiness.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is complex and layered from the first sip.  Cherries, earth and smoke.  Long finish.  This took a while to get to this point, but it is drinking well. It should continue to drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own but better with food.  Roasted duck would be perfect.  

One of my favorite vineyards for Chardonnay and Jamie Kutch does great things with it.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apples with spice and slight vanilla.  Great texture.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, the apples and vanilla come thru.  Vibrant wine.  Plenty of depth.  Delicious now but should age gracefully.  Drink over the next fifteen years.  Nice on its own, this would work well with many foods.  Baked seafood would be one.  

This was really special.  One of the best Pinot Noir's I have had in a long time.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly clear and a bit on the flat side.  The nose has sour cherries, cherries, spice with loads of minerality.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this has layers of complexity.  Black cherries, sour cherries, minerals and earthiness.  Delicious.  Lively acidity.  Long finish.  At age 15, it still has some youth but starting to show good development.  This would be great with a bean casserole.  Drink over the next ten years.  This bottle was bought on

Another classic Chardonnay from this producer.  Santa Cruz is south of San Francisco.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemons, slight vanilla and spice.  Crisp texture.  Great acidity.  This is just starting to open and has a long life left.  Lemons and green apples with some underlying spice.  Long finish.  Drink over the next ten years.  

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!