Written by: Kim Marcus | Wine Spectator
Issue: JAN. 31 – FEB. 28, 2022
California’s coastal counties south of San Francisco offer a fertile hunting ground for Chardonnays that compete well with their North Coast counterparts, in most cases at a fraction of the price.
The vast majority of vineyards here are spread over four counties. From north to south, these are San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. They are collectively part of what’s called the Central Coast, where Chardonnay accounts for about half of vineyard plantings. The topography is defined by mountain ranges, broad valleys and rolling landscapes that funnel in cool Pacific air, which helps make quality grape growing possible in the hot California sun.
Indeed, many large wine companies based in the Golden State draw grapes from these areas for multicounty blends. In San Benito County, the smallest of the four counties, the best-known winery is Calera, which uses fruit from throughout the Central Coast to make its rich and spicy Chardonnay. Monterey County is a grape growing workhorse and is defined by the broad reach of the Salinas Valley, where fogs sweeping in from its northern mouth at Monterey Bay are powered by strong ocean breezes. Large, expansive vineyards are the norm in the valley’s floors and benchlands, planted in alluvial deposits of gravel mixed with fertile loam.
Monterey’s distinctive appellations include Chalone, Arroyo Seco and the Santa Lucia Highlands. The latter district offers the top-scoring Morgan bottling, which shows concentrated tropical fruit and spice flavors. Chalone, featuring volcanic uplands and limestone deposits, is home to the winery bearing the same name, whose estate bottling has a rich acidity that nicely supports its fruity flavors.
In San Luis Obispo County, the leading district is Edna Valley, where the vineyards are planted just miles from the ocean. Its Chardonnays carry a distinctive savory cut, with one of the best examples of this style being the Mount Eden.
Santa Barbara has established itself as an epicenter of quality in recent decades, as vintners have pushed the boundaries— and quality—of grape growing. Santa Barbara is unique in California because many of its valleys are on east-west orientations rather than the more typical north-south topography, creating diverse terroirs.
Look to wines from Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley for added dimensions of flavor and quality. The Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard shows what Santa Maria can do, with its deft combination of spice and white fruit flavors richened by aging a portion of the wine in barrel. Diatom from Sta. Rita Hills is made and aged in stainless steel tanks, and its fresh fruit flavors are a vibrant expression of Chardonnay without the influence of oak.
It’s a big world of Chardonnay in California with many different styles, and these Central Coast counties help power it with their wide range of smart buys.
92 points – Morgan Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands Highland 2019
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