White Wines    Chardonnay    Santa Maria Valley    California   
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Date Printed: 2/9/2012
Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay 2006
Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay 2006
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(search item no. 94560)
Wine Enthusiast rating: 90 points
PRICE ON 2/9/2012: $19.99

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2009 Wine Enthusiast rating: 91 points
2009 Wine Enthusiast rating: 91 points
2008 Wine & Spirits rating: 91 points
2007 The Wine News rating: 88 points
2004 The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
2002 Wine & Spirits rating: 89 points
2001 Wine & Spirits rating: 94 points
2001 Wine & Spirits rating: 94 points
2000 The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
2000 Wine & Spirits rating: 90 points
2000 Wine & Spirits rating: 90 points
1999 Wine & Spirits rating: 92 points
1999 Wine & Spirits rating: 92 points
1999 The Wine Advocate rating: 91 points
1999 International Wine Cellar rating: 87 points
1999 International Wine Cellar rating: 87 points
1998 The Wine Advocate rating: 89 points
1997 Wine Spectator rating: 87 points
1997 Wine Spectator rating: 87 points

Winemaker's Notes:

 The 2006 vintage is bright with citrus, apple, peach, and vanilla aromas. Rich, mouth-filling flavors of grapefruit, citrus blossom, white peach, and sweet oak lead to a crisp finish with a lasting impression of spicy oak.

Named for proprietor Barbara Banke's eldest daughter, Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay is a vineyard designated, estate grown wine. The vineyard is located along the famed Santa Maria Bench in Northern Santa Barbara County. To yield the best wines—intensely flavored wines that showcase both varietal and terroir equally— the vineyard is pampered throughout the growing season. Our farming crew begins leaf thinning in early summer to allow more sunlight to reach the clusters, which facilitates even ripening and better flavor development. We limit irrigation to restrict vine vigor and focus the vine's energy on fruit production. Green harvesting is employed to remove secondary clusters and to foster growth of the primary clusters. When the grapes reach full maturity, individual blocks are handpicked one at a time by our seasoned vineyard crew.
My Notes:

Additional wines from Cambria Winery:

About Cambria Winery:

 Cambria is a private, family-owned estate winery that has carved out a reputation for producing lush, tropical Chardonnay, velvety-textured Pinot noir and rich, spicy Syrah since its inception in 1987. Cambria's proximity to the ocean and east-west orientation gives this 1,400-acre property the diversity it needs to grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah under perfectly suited conditions. As an estate property, Cambria's Vineyard Manager and Winemaker work in tandem to perfect the winegrowing process. Together, they select only the finest grapes from the estate to bear the Cambria name. Every grape is hand-harvested and crafted into wine with the utmost care and respect foe the varietal.

In recent years, Cambria has concentrated its vineyard and winemaking resources into amplifying different aspects of the Cambria estate. This effort launched an in-depth exploration of the vineyard and varieties on this cool-climate property. The result has elevated the quality of Cambria's core wines, created new site-focused and distinct winemaking styles, and dramatically highlighted the bold flavors of each variety. Today, the flagship wines, making up 90% of the production, include Katherine's Chardonnay, Julia's Pinot Noir and Tepusquet Syrah. Each wine represents the broad definition of flavor, for that variety, on the estate.