2019 Keller Estate Casa Chardonnay Petaluma Gap Sonoma Coast 750 ml

Keller Estate’s La Cruz Chardonnay is a perpetual Wine Access favorite. Crafted by Kosta Browne– and Merry Edwards–trained winemaker Julien Teichmann, it’s full, lush, and powerful—a California star and a tribute to Keller’s vineyard, which lies in the heart of Sonoma’s prestigious Petaluma Gap AVA.

The La Cruz sells for $48 at the winery, but Teichmann and the Keller Estate team also produce the Casa Chardonnay Petaluma Gap Sonoma Coast—and it’s the best Chardonnay deal going in the Petaluma Gap AVA. The 2019 absolutely slays its peers in the category, coming in at one-half and one-third the price of bottles from Chappellet and Robert Craig.

Unlike other parts of the Sonoma Coast, which are often fogged-in all day, Petaluma Gap gets a strong sea breeze that clears it out, ensuring plenty of sunshine and causing the grapes to develop thick skins but never get too ripe. The La Cruz Vineyard, the lower of Keller Estate’s two home sites, is planted on an ancient seabed, and its mineral-rich soils help the Chardonnay thrive. The resulting wines have signature stone-fruit and spice notes we always love, while varied Chardonnay clones ensure that there’s significant complexity as well.

When autumn rolls around, Keller is able to let the grapes at the La Cruz Vineyard hang until they’re lusciously ripe, knowing that the bluster off the Pacific will not only keep the grapes free of disease, but lend the finished wines vibrancy. The long hang-time allows Teichmann to produce the full-throttle Chardonnay that has earned Keller its sterling reputation.

You won’t find a better bargain in Petaluma Gap Chardonnay than this standout.