2013 Mindego Ridge Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 750 ml

Chef Keller’s “Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster” and a Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnay ($34/gl)

In the concourse of the Time Warner Center, with magnificent views of Central Park, Per Se’s Carte des Vins is filled with First Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy with names such as Lafon, Leflaive, and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

Keller’s cuisine emphasizes freshness and simplicity — relying on surprising combinations of flavors and perfumes in lieu of more heavy-handed, classically prepared sauces. As such, there are mineral whites in abundance — steely Sauvignon Blancs from Sancerre, chiseled Chardonnays from the likes of Raveneau and Dauvissat in Chablis, and the bracing Rieslings from Alsace and the Rhine.

Not surprisingly, when it comes to California Chardonnay, only names like Aubert, Kistler, and Ramey make the cut. Of eight white wines seasonally featured by-the-glass at Per Se, just one slot is dedicated to California, making a single placement a career achievement for winemakers on the Golden Coast.

Ehren Jordan is no stranger to the sommelier circles of Manhattan’s culinary elite.

For 18 years, from 1995-2013, Jordan was the head winemaker at Turley Wine Cellars, authoring a whopping 52 wines that earned 95-100 points from The Wine Advocate and earning top placements from 6640 Washington Street in Yountville to 10 Columbus Circle in NYC. But for those of us who most appreciate his work, it’s Jordan’s versatility that separates him from the rest.

At Turley, Jordan’s high-scoring Zinfandels off of Rattlesnake Ridge, Pesenti, and Hayne Vineyards were big, bold, and powerful, full-throttle reds that flirted with 16% in finished alcohol — even as Robert Parker suggested an aging capacity of 20-30 years. But when Jordan launched the Failla label with his wife Anne-Marie, Ehren opted for cool-microclimate restraint, fashioning some of the most talked-about Pinot Noir and Chardonnays in the valley, now featured at almost every one of Keller’s Bouchon locations in the U.S.

From October of 2015 through the spring of 2016, it was Jordan’s 2013 Mindego Ridge Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnay that earned the California spot on Per Se’s by-the-glass card. Paired with Chef Keller’s “Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster” and Pommes Purée, Jordan’s Chardonnay nearly stole the show, effortlessly highlighting the purity of the dish while slicing through the salty fats and starches like a razorblade.

$34/glass or $165/bottle at Per Se. Just $44.99/bottle for the last 300 bottles today on WineAccess (total production: 295 cases) — the best delivered price in the U.S.