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2016 Vine Cliff Winery Chardonnay Los Carneros 750 ml
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
Classic Carneros Chardonnay
The sommelier at The French Laundry had just finished pouring a nearly $1,000 bottle of Remoissenet Le Montrâchet for the four-top next to us, and was on his way over to our table with a bottle of 2016 Vine Cliff Chardonnay Los Carneros—and a knowing smile on his face. We knew what that look meant: He recognized that we’d found one of the hidden gems on the renowned wine list. And he couldn’t wait for us to taste it.
No wonder the Vine Cliff Chard is such an under-the-radar sommelier favorite: Vintage after vintage, it outperforms the best of California for a fraction of the price. And this one was explosively delicious, a perfect white wine that revealed layers of acacia, butterscotch, candied pineapple, and hazelnuts with each sip.
We polished off the bottle with our butter-poached Alaskan king crab, and vowed to lock down as much as we could the next day for our members. The French Laundry sells it for $125, the winery sells it for $50, but we’re able to offer it for $30, by far the best price in the country, and 50% off the SRP on purchases of eight bottles or more.
We had visited Vine Cliff’s beautiful winery before, and knew that it had everything going for it. Sourced from cool Carneros, their Chardonnay deftly balances weight and bright acidity thanks to the vines’ exposure to chilly Pacific breezes. As sommeliers often say, “What grows together, goes together,” making this wine a perfect match for wild Pacific seafood. The winery has roots that stretch back to 1871, and the 2016 has to be one of their best releases yet.
Vine Cliff has all the pieces in place for greatness. Winemaker John Wilson has honed his skills with some of the most revered producers in the world, including Ted Lemon of Littorai and Thomas Rivers Brown at Outpost Wines, Round Pond, and more.
The 2016 Vine Cliff Chardonnay Los Carneros embodies all the generous fruit and crystalline structure that the best of the appellation offer—usually for much more money. And as we discovered that evening at The French Laundry, it’s just as fantastic on its own as it is with Michelin-starred food. For $30 or less, it’s hard to argue with that.