Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Kali Hart Chardonnay is a crisp, fruit-forward expression of the cool Central Coast of California. Aromas of brioche and warm spice meet notes of sliced pear and pineapple with an underlying layer of toasted vanilla. The finish lingers with ongoing hints of tropical fruit.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A robust, full-bodied wine with nicely ripe fruit, ample oaky, toasty accents and a mouth-filling texture. Baked apples and poached pears are lifted by tangy, citrusy acidity for good balance despite the richness. Sustainable.
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Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay Kali Hart is bright, round and tropical. Ripe pineapple, pear, sweet lemon and an inner core of tense minerality and juicy acidity meet in this fabulous entry-level wine. The Kali Hart surely represents one of the best values in domestic Chardonnay. Its structure is surprisingly serious for such an affordable wine.
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.
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.