Artesa Vineyards & Winery Estate Vineyard Chardonnay 2016

Alana L rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

Hand-harvested at night and whole-cluster pressed to retain maximum freshness this Chardonnay is intense, balanced and with a lovely acidity, this balance between the creaminess and freshness achieved by the winemaking choices of allowing 50% to undergo malolactic fermentation and 50% not to, as well as ageing 70% in French oak barrels and the remainder in stainless steel vats. Aged on its lees for 9 months with weekly stirring. Fruit forward on the nose (apples, Meyer lemons, tangerines) continuing the palate with notes of honey and pear. It’s fresh, with lovely texture, acidity and minerality and a medium plus finish.

Think smoked salmon, gravlax, creamy ceviche or even fried chicken as a great pairing!

California leads the world in Chardonnay, its most planted variety and was the first in the world to bottle Chardonnay under varietal labeling, establishing the practice for all of the New World, and its unique clonal selections for the variety are now grown around the world.

Tasted as part of the "California Wine Month: Classics of California Chardonnay", an interactive panel discussion and tasting considering California’s classics of Chardonnay, its unique history, and its range of styles from different parts of the state; hosted by writer and speaker, Elaine Chukan Brown and California Wines and featuring panelists Ivo Jeramez, Director of Winemaking, Grgich Hills; Niki Wente, Fifth Generation Winemaker, Viticulture, Wente Vineyards and Kristen Barnhisel, Winemaker - White Wines, J.Lohr.

Cheers!