2021 Arista Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard
$99.99/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now
100 JD / 98 JS
Planted in the mid-1970s on all Goldridge soils, the 2021 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard comes from the highest blocks at the top of this esteemed vineyard and was aged in 40% new French oak barrels. It’s a stunner in the glass, with loads of layered depth and complexity. and it checks a ton of boxes. The nose opens to luxurious aromas of white peach, citrus blossoms, marzipan, wet stone minerality, and citrus oils. Full-bodied, the palate gains fantastic glycerol richness while staying light on its feet, with seamless acidity and a long finish. Its oak spice frames the wine with precision, giving it a refined, polished feel and offering a Grand Cru-esque sensibility. This is an outstanding wine to drink over the coming 10-15 years.—Jeb Dunnuck
Extremely focused and energetic nose of sliced limes and Meyer lemons with lemongrass. Some stone and hints of flint. Full-bodied with superb density and structure and phenolics that you can feel. It goes on for minutes. Slightly chewy at the end. From Wente clones planted in 1974. Better in three or four years.—James Suckling
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2022 Kistler Chardonnay Sonoma Mountain
Only $69.89/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now
Not Rated
Founded in 1978, Kistler continues to produce top notch Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Until 2017, Steve Kistler, a graduate of Stanford University oversaw the vineyard work. Mark Bixler, who has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley ran the business and sales side of the winery as well as helped in the lab. Jason Kesner, who acted as Steve Kistler’s assistant now oversees all production, farming, and day-to-day business.
