Saintsbury

This is Sainstbury’s luxury Chardonnay. Double the price of its “regular” bottling of this varietal (from the same vineyard), this single-vineyard Chardonnay is well-appointed alright, but don’t think for a second it’s what I’ll call the “old-style” California Chardonnay. That is, it’s not sweet, nor is it over the top accentuated by an oak tree. No, this is a gorgeous, long-lived wine made in the Burgundian manner.

It’s stylish, rich and perfectly balanced, with lovely tropical fruit. It’s a keeper too, I’m guessing up to 10 years. Now, that’s saying something for a California Chardonnay. If you can afford it, add this to your shopping cart, along with a growing list of other such Chardonnays you need to come back to.

Saintsbury has owned the Brown Ranch since 1990, nine years after David Graves and Dick Ward began learning about Carneros fruit. This is the ninth vintage from this parcel. The wine fermented for seven months in French oak – 40 percent of which was new – and then another half-year in stainless steel on the lees. There were less than 1,900 six-bottle cases produced.

Reviewed October 25, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb.