2019 Neely Chardonnay Home Block Estate Spring Ridge Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains 750 ml

The 2019 Neely Home Block Chardonnay is from one of the Santa Cruz Mountains’ most storied sites, known for beautiful wines that combine rich textures and lively energy…and that age beautifully. Now, six years from harvest, it’s blossomed wonderfully in the cellar.

Their Spring Ridge Vineyard is one of the best places to grow Chardonnay in California. It’s in a storied section of the Santa Cruz Mountains—winding around the ridge crest from their estate you arrive at Rhys, then Mount Eden Vineyards, then Ridge’s Monte Bello vineyard, some of the biggest stars in the area.

Their Home Block was originally planted in 1981, long before Rhys was making $100+ Chardonnay from the area, by the Varner brothers—who would go on to make wine from the site for decades before their retirement, establishing a reputation as some of the greatest producers of Chard in California. In his review of one Home Block Chardonnay, Robert Parker declared “Along with Mt. Eden, these are my favorite Chardonnays from the Santa Cruz Mountain appellation.”

The Home Block is the highest-elevation section of the vineyard, starting at 800 feet above sea level and climbing from there to the Neely’s family’s own house, which is where the block takes its name. Their part of the Santa Cruz Mountains has been remarkably free of phylloxera, so the vines there are ungrafted—planted on their own roots—and are farmed organically.

The combination of altitude, the area’s cool climate and long growing season, and the east-facing exposure makes for a Chardonnay that’s dramatic in its combination of richness and vibrancy. Fermented and aged in French oak—none of which was new—it’s got beautiful texture and a finish that’s remarkable for its length.

We figured we’d be paying full freight, or perhaps a premium for this bottle. After all, this is a library gem from an organically farmed, own-rooted vineyard—and absolutely spectacular in the glass, with lemon balm and green apple mingling with a bit of marzipan and a dash of yellow flowers. But Neely wanted them out the door, and made us a “take-it-all” offer that dropped our jaws.