Winemaker Notes
Pair this wine with seafood, white meats with citrus glazes, or simply enjoyed on a nice afternoon.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Juicy and lively, with racy acidity and medium-bodied richness, the 2014 Chardonnay Coastview Vineyard is 100% Chardonnay that spent 11 months in 22% new French oak. Giving up plenty of orchard fruits, hints of toasted nuts, buttered citrus and brioche, it benefits from a decant and will drink nicely for 4-5 years, if not longer. This is a classy Chardonnay that's made in a more lean, fresh style.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
At elevations reaching well over 2,000 feet, the Mt. Harlan AVA in the Gabilan Range is an anomaly among its surrounding Central Coast appellations. Recognizing the splendor of the area and its ideal limestone-rich soils, Josh Jensen chose Mt. Harlan as the home of his Calera Wine Company in the 1970s. Awarded his own AVA in 1990, Calera is the only commercial winery in the appellation.