2018 Vine Cliff Winery Chardonnay Los Carneros 750 ml

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 the 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 sold it for $125, the winery sells it for $50, but we’re able to offer it for $30, a solid 40% off SRP.

Wine Access members aren’t strangers to Vine Cliff either—the 2016 rocketed to the #1 Chardonnay spot on our charts in 2020, raking in dozens of top reviews and member raves like “Absolutely great white wine!” and “It has it all.”  

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 seafood. The winery has roots that stretch back to 1871, and the 2018 is 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 2018 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, it’s hard to argue with that.