2019 Appliqué Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Sonoma County 750 ml

“Give me the rundown on Appliqué Chardonnay. People wanna know. They’re nuts over it.” 

That’s the text we got from a buddy, as he shared his very last bottle of the 2018 Appliqué with some friends. It was 6:22 PM on a Friday afternoon—prime Chardonnay time—and as the last drops left their glasses, everyone at our friend’s place was desperate for a shot at more. 

So we told him what we’re telling you today: The new vintage of Appliqué Chardonnay is en route—and it might just be the best one yet.

As usual, we can’t say much, other than that the 2019 Appliqué comes from a Sonoma County winery that has (very recently) racked up 95 points from Wine Enthusiast, 93 points from Antonio Galloni of Vinous, and a 98-point double-gold-medal performance at one of Sonoma County’s top competitions. Hailing from the same two outstanding Sonoma Coast sites as the last vintage—one of which Kistler made world-famous—this Chardonnay would be a bargain at the source winery’s $55 SRP.

But Appliqué doesn’t wear that label, so it doesn’t bear that price tag. We bought this Chardonnay as a shiner (a bottle sans label) and slapped the Appliqué name on, which is why we’re able to sell it at a third of the price: an irresistible $18 per bottle. 

And while the source might remain a mystery, what you get in the glass won’t. This is a rich, golden exemplar of California Chardonnay, with lavish aromas of pear, butter, and toast filling the nose. On the palate, there are up-front flavors of pear, apple tart, nuts, and vanilla, which give way to a smoke- and toast-kissed buttercream mid-palate. Mouth-coating and creamy with a fresh streak of cutting acidity, the bone-dry finish is luxurious and long—the kind that will leave you marveling at the pleasure, and the price. 

The first Appliqué wine we offered was a stunning Chardonnay from a 1,700-foot Sonoma site that produced a 100-point wine in Robert Parker’s book—that wine sold so fast our heads spun. The demand for full-bodied, oak-framed North Coast Chardonnay showing Rombauer or Ramey richness was clearly off the charts. But the question remained of whether we could again score grapes of that caliber at a closing sale price.

Thanks to Wine Access members, our success has continued to open doors, allowing us to connect our members to wines and vineyards that are typically the exclusive province of elite buyers.

To wit: The two majestic Sonoma vineyards that form the base of this Chardonnay. We can’t name them, but you’ve heard of them. One produces wines that Vinous’s Antonio Galloni have called “Meursault-like,” from where the warm sun cuts through the rolling morning fog and tempers cool San Pablo Bay breezes, packing grapes with exotic fruit concentration. The other, a rocky and well-draining site a stone’s throw from the iconic Sangiacomo Vineyard, is a perennial favorite of Kosta Browne. 

Our confidence in this wine is through the roof: We’ve shipped it cross-country to a sommelier friend in Philadelphia. We’ve sent bottles all over the Bay Area, to friends and family who have a taste for California classics like Grgich, Rombauer, Ramey, et al—but still blow up our phones at happy hour, when they realize how quickly their Appliqué supply is disappearing. 

Don’t let that happen to you. At this price, estimate generously, then double it. Because a lot of people are talking about Appliqué, but we’ve never heard anyone mention that they bought too much.