About the California wine region
Though less than half a century old, and remarkably young compared to its European counterparts, the wine industry in California has managed to enchant the country’s wine buying public as well as receive accolades from “across the pond.” This may be because of two realities. First is the undeniable quality of the wines—remarkably fruity, full and satisfying, rarely too austere or tannic to be savored from the first day. The second is the “buy American” angle. A very high number of American wine buyers simply prefer domestic to foreign wines.
The state plays host to an enormous range of microclimates and soils as well as a lot of sunshine, hot summer days and dry harvests. All these factors contribute to healthy ripe fruits that make European producers, in less dependable climates, green with envy. More than three out of every four years, California’s best sites produces excellent wines.
The U.S. is not protectionist when it comes to taxing imported wines compared to many other countries, but the California wine industry is inherently protected because of consumers wanting to buy American.
To most people, the Napa Valley is the home of California wine, and Cabernet is the clear king in Napa. Burgundy varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have moved to cooler areas, for the most part closer to the Pacific. This includes the western stretches of Sonoma County, the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, and the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez valleys of Santa Barbara County. In regions as contrasting as Mendocino County, the Sonoma coast, Carneros, Paso Robles, and Santa Maria Valley, Syrah vines have yielded interesting wines. Excellent Zinfandel is also produced all over the state and may be the only California wine emulated abroad.
The vineyard designate, the 2018 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is largely in the same mold, although it was brought up in slightly less new oak (25%) and is just a touch lower in alcohol and higher in acidity. Despite those...
The 2018 Chardonnay Trout Gulch is loaded with personality and class. Citrus, dried flowers, mint and sage are some of the many nuances that grace this Chardonnay from the southern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. In...
Starting with the 2018 Chardonnay Stagecoach Vineyard, which comes from a site on Pritchard Hill, it has a medium gold color as well as a classic Napa Valley Chardonnay nose of buttered stone fruits, hazelnuts, golden...
This is the second year this wine has been made from grapes grown at the Martinelli Charles Ranch, set at high elevation and only two miles from the ocean. Freshly cut pear, anise and integrated oak arise from the glass...
A delicious, bright and fruity white with sliced-apple and honey character. Medium body. Crisp acidity to the lovely fruit. Subtle and clean. Drink now. Screw cap.
From one of the top sites in the Russian River Valley and brought up in 40% new French oak, the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Ritchie Vineyard offers an Haut-Brion Blanc-like bouquet of caramelized pineapple, honeyed flowers...
The 2018 Chardonnay Lolita Ranch has pure aromas of roasted almonds, saline, white peaches and honeysuckle with an underlying mineral character. The palate is satiny, seamlessly fresh and transparent, with bright, citrusy...
Tightly woven aromas of lime pith, acacia and crushed chalk make for an enticing nose in this single-block expression. There's a great sizzle on the sip, where vibrant flavors of yuzu, sea salt and lemon juice meet with...
This winery's Chardonnays have existed on their own unique plane since the days when Greg Brewer was the winemaker. There's a yogurt-like dairy kick to the nose alongside orange peel, dried pear and sea salt. The palate...
Aromas of baked peach, nectarine and butternut squash in lemon-butter sauce make for a warm and approachable nose in this bottling. There's a firm, lemony grip when the wine hits the palate, and then it broadens to pome...
94+ The 2018 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast spent 15 months in 30% new French oak. It's pure class, offering bright citrus and pineapple fruit as well as lots of white flowers, salty minerality, and just a touch of background...
Starting with the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Les Petits Morlet, this comes from declassified lots from the La Proportion Doree cuvée and is 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon aged 14 months in all used barrel. It has a...
The 2018 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict is such a wonderfully complete wine that expresses all of the pedigree of this historic Sta. Rita Hills site. Sweet, perfumed aromatics and radiant fruit envelop the senses. Lemon...
Spiced orchard fruits, dried pineapple, toasted bread, and beautiful spicy nuances emerge from the 2018 Chardonnay Bentrock Vineyard, a slightly more generous, rounded beauty that has good concentration, plenty of...
The 2018 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills opens with touches of flint and struck match with notes of crunchy tree fruits and nutty accents. The palate is medium-bodied with the same flint, nutty character, bright acidity and a...
Light, bright yellow-gold. Mineral-driven pear, orange and floral qualities on the intensely perfumed nose, along with a hint of iodine. Silky, focused and lively in the mouth, offering sharply defined citrus and orchard...
Grippy in a warm swath of tropical fruit, this barrel-fermented wine offers a tang of lifted acidity that adds to its overall length and breadth. It shows baking spice and flecks of vanilla bean that stud the fruit...
Sourced from excellent sites including Heintz Vineyard, Dutton Ranch and Running Creek Estate, this white has wide appeal. Tropical-fruited in flavor and unctuous in texture, it is balanced by sleek acidity. - VIRGINIE...
Opulent aromas of cooked apple, lemon rind, light praline and stone. Full-bodied with linear and lively acidity that runs through the wine. Energetic and bright with tightness and structure. Steely. Drinkable now, but...
Rich in anise, lemon cream and pineapple, this is a lushly styled yet balanced white, fine-tuned and sleek on the palate. Medium-bodied, it holds its acidity well, balancing the fruit and density with ease and charm. A...
The 2018 Chardonnay Wenzlau Family Vineyard speaks with tremendous authority. A wine of real direction and personality, the 2018 has so much going on. Pear, lemon confit, white flowers, crushed rocks and dried herbs are...
Tasted out of bottle, the 2018 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch is beautifully done, with a vibrant yet rich style carrying notes of buttered lemon, orange blossom, white flowers, and toasted bread. With bright acidity...
The 2018 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard offers slowly blooming scents of white peaches, baklava and loads of white flower aromas. The medium-bodied palate surprises, exploding into an array of concentrated, savory, honeyed...
In 2018 just one tonne of the original, own-rooted, dry-farmed Chardonnay vines planted at Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in 1971 became available for lease, and Arnot-Roberts was 'elected' by a local producers to be the...
The 2018 Chardonnay Haynes Vineyard is another stellar wine in this range. Deep and layered in the glass, the Haynes captures a striking interplay of textural richness, savoriness and energy. Lemon confit, sage, dried...
This dramatic wine offers a tantalizing bread-dough aroma that leads to bold flavors of toasted oak, baked apple, nutmeg and butter. Medium in body, it's wrapped in a smooth texture that also retains a tang of crisp...
Just as good, the 2018 Chardonnay Platt Vineyard, from a site in the Sonoma Coast, saw a similar élevage, spending 11 months in 15% new French oak. Rocking white peach, white currants, citrus, and floral notes all emerge...
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- Brent O., July 2019 “I have found that a lot of the wines available at JJ Buckley are either not available at my local vendors or are at a much lower price. The service over the years has always been exemplary. I will continue to make purchases from JJ Buckley”.
“I have found that a lot of the wines available at JJ Buckley are either not available at my local vendors or are at a much lower price. The service over the years has always been exemplary. I will continue to make purchases from JJ Buckley”.
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