2017 La Luke Chardonnay Carneros Sonoma County 750 ml

We’re happier than usual today. That’s because we’ve unlocked access to Wine Spectator Top 100 winemaker Stéphane Vivier’s Burgundy-inspired Chardonnay. Known as a relative bargain among winemakers at its $60 SRP, we’ve got these bottles down to $31 for Wine Access members. 

Every year, La Luke disappears (usually before leaving Napa Valley) because insiders know that anything with Stéphane Vivier’s signature is a wild value, and the La Luke Chardonnay is no different. The 2017 is characterized by its tantalizing nuance, opening with aromas of golden apple, quince, fresh morning dew, toasted nuts, and baking spice. The palate is even more focused, with delicate citrus, oyster shell minerality, and a fresh acidity that provides an energetic lift to the ripe fruit and restrained oak. It’s that classic Burgundian structure that will allow the 2017 La Luke to cellar for up to a decade. 

Wine Enthusiast praised its “impressive structure and elegance.” Parker’s Wine Advocate likewise chimed in, noting the wine’s “silken texture,” before finishing on an exclamatory “Lovely!” 

Vivier’s genius with Chardonnay has been long established locally, but it’s about to reverberate globally—especially now that Vivier was hand-picked to lead iconic Napa Chardonnay house Stony Hill. Yet the Burgundy native’s modesty is almost as reliably charming as his wines. His affable, self-deprecating demeanor makes it easy to forget his formidable credentials, especially when he jokes, “I am a lazy winemaker.”

We’ve never believed him. Especially after tasting his 2017 La Luke Chardonnay—a wine that could easily be mistaken for a classic white Burgundy, but for its serious California swagger. 

But we know what he’s implying. In Burgundy, the most exalted winemakers are indeed known for their laissez-faire approach, allowing the alchemy of nature to do what it does best. Or if you ask Vivier, “lazy winemaking.”

La Luke is Vivier’s passion project with proprietor Lynn Larson, whose Carneros clay soils are uniquely well-draining—they’re thin and flecked with small rocks, much like what you’d find in the Grand Cru vineyards of Chablis. That, along with the foggy mornings and windy afternoons, creates a perfect environment for slow-ripening Chardonnay, which is why the grapes are imbued with such delicate nuance and palpable minerality.

La Luke is the ultimate way to experience a Stéphane Vivier Chardonnay for under $60. Or if you claim it today, roughly half of that.