2016 Calera Chardonnay Central Coast 750 ml

We couldn’t wait to make this magic, golden-hued release from a Central Coast icon available to our members. From the first sip—thrilling with dense pineapple and bright grapefruit peel, fragrant with jasmine—it ticked every box for what we want in a top California Chardonnay, and at a seldom-seen bargain price.

Vinous calls the 2016 Calera Chardonnay “absolutely delicious, not to mention one of the very finest values readers will find in California Chardonnay.” Naming it an Editors' Choice selection, Wine Enthusiast awarded 91 points, praising the “strong mineral quality.”

Rich and graceful in equal measure, it’s deep and round, interweaving tropical and citrus fruits into a marvelously layered, smooth texture kissed with oak, while a mouthwatering acidity keeps everything in check. The normal $25 selling price would not be asking too much for this level of lush nuance. Yet for a short window of time, Wine Access members can land it at just $15.99 a bottle!

Bottles like this one are why Calera has come to be known for defining the Central Coast Chardonnay expression, and at under $20, it has little competition in the quality-to-price contest. Snap up a case if you can because it’ll go fast and you’ll definitely want to keep it around.

Influenced by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti where he worked a harvest, Calera founder Josh Jensen brought a Burgundian touch to the cool, windswept region east of Monterey. Beginning in 1975, he made a name for himself as a winemaker “who can do no wrong,” said Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. “He produces beautiful whites and reds that are singular and packed with flavor.”

In addition to coveted estate releases, Jensen and winemaker Mike Waller began tapping some of the best vineyards in the area to create bottles that would serve as a distillation of the entire appellation. Bien Nacido, Talley, Lone Oak, and Cienega Valley are just a few of the heavy-hitting sites drawn on to assemble their dazzling Central Coast Chardonnay.

In the 2016 growing season, summer swept in triumphantly, delivering easy-ripening warmth in July and August while cool nights maintained vivid freshness in the grapes. Small, dense clusters were harvested beginning in August, with the wine seeing 10 months in French oak, 10% of it new.

The luscious, cool-climate complexity here is just too good to miss out on at $15.99, a California Chardonnay bargain the likes of which we don’t see often.