2016 Orrin Sage Chardonnay Napa Valley 750 ml

Just who goes to Maui and comes home having discovered one of the most delicious and balanced Chardonnays from California they’ve ever tasted? Well, we do.  

Big, bold, and delicious, this is an obvious buy for fans of golden, rich, and expertly balanced California Chardonnay. Released at $48, offered to you at $30—it’s a good day to be a California Chardonnay lover.

The story of Orrin Sage isn’t so much about winemaker Justin Harmon (best known for his Argot wines) as it is about how good his Chardonnay tastes—golden in color, rich, and intense, like a warm almond croissant flaking in the sun, with a touch of honey-covered hazelnuts, and a hint of lemon curd. It’s a glassful of happiness. 

It was at Maui’s Monkeypod restaurant that our man Eduardo Dingler—international wine judge, saké expert, and writer for Decanter—met Jay, (an avid scuba diving friend) who was toting around a bottle of Orrin Sage. After one sip, Eduardo was on his smartphone fishing for a contact at the winery. While everyone else was glued to the setting sun, he made a phone call and secured 30 cases. From sip to allocation, the appetizers hadn’t even arrived.

Fast-forward to his mainland return and, “this really fooled me,” Eduardo told us, as a bottle of Orrin Sage was passed around the judging panel table. It fooled most of us too—the aromas alone belie its California heritage, giving in to generous, perfectly integrated notes of baking spices and sweet oak in a Montrachet-like theatricality. Big, bold, and delicious, this is a must-have for lovers of decadent, impeccably balanced Chardonnay.