2018 Schug Winery Chardonnay Carneros 375ml (375 mL) Half-Bottle

You may not know Walter Schug, but you definitely know his wines. The German-born winemaking expert and founder behind today’s golden release was the mastermind behind America’s first official Bordeaux blend—yes, that’s Joseph Phelps Insignia—as well as the country’s first late-harvest Riesling, its first Syrah, and more. 

But being a Napa superstar wasn’t enough for Schug, who left it all behind to focus on the Burgundian varieties of his youth—the path that led directly to this wine, one of the Valley’s great under-the-radar Chardonnays, available today in rare half-bottles. 

Schug’s sexy, powerful 2018 Chardonnay wowed us with its combination of elegance and concentration (an alliance we expect in $50+ whites) when we visited their rustic, timbered tasting room and winery a few weeks ago. Outside on their sprawling lawn, we couldn’t believe we were visiting this estate—an icon hiding in plain sight—for the first time. 

Golden in color and generous from start to finish, the 2018 embraces the California style without looking back: Flecked with saffron-hued floral aromas and hints of roasted hazelnut and lemon peel, its butterscotch and yellow apple undercurrents are kept in perfect balance by Chardonnay’s hallmark mouthwatering acidity.

Our second-generation Schug host, Axel, explained how the family chooses to forgo a secondary malolactic fermentation on this Chardonnay, instead allowing the wine to retain its vibrant natural acidity and varietal focus.  

Nestled at the base of the cool, windswept Carneros hills, Schug is concealed down a country lane that’s easy to miss at the corner of Highway 12 and 121, and we’ve passed the discreet Schug sign hundreds of times on our drives between Napa and San Francisco. 

Schug sells their wines almost exclusively through their club, a devoted list of Pinot and Chardonnay obsessives, but we managed to wrestle away a 22-case allotment of this Chardonnay especially for wine Access members. Today, in a one-time deal, half-bottles of this golden Chardonnay of this pioneering California family is just $18.

Walter’s kids Axel, Claudia, and Andrea lead the Schug charge today, and have only increased the quality of the wines, making them nearly impossible to source once they’re released to their loyal wine club members.

Made from a selection of pristine Carneros vineyards, the 2018 was fermented and aged in 20%  new French Oak barrels, lending this wine its irresistible creamy texture, which supports classic flavors of ripe green pear and peach. After a full eight months of aging on the lees, the wine embodies all the generous fruit and crystalline structure that the best of Carneros offers—usually for much more money.