2017 Chanin "Bien Nacido Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay (Elsewhere $40)
SKU #1479509
96 points
Wine Enthusiast
Extremely delicate and pure aromas of lemon, nectarine, gardenia and lily are soft and inviting on the nose of this bottling. The palate sizzles with acidity, offering focused but austere flavors of lemon zest and crushed gravel that surround an immensely chalky core. *Top Cellar Selections of 2019* (MK)
(12/2019)
94 points
Decanter
Chanin’s 2017 Bien Nacido Chardonnay is sourced from the original vines planted in 1973. The nose combines bright purity with a rich, honeyed quality, giving off aromas of creme brûlée, lemon curd and pineapple rind. The palate is seamlessly half oceanic and half confectionery, with notes of salted caramel, candied apples and saltwater mist. A wine light on its feet, with a bright and focused finish. (ML)
(7/2019)
94 points
Jeb Dunnuck
There are only 35 barrels of the 2017 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard, which comes from the crème de la crème of vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley. Aged 15 months in 10% new French oak, it has a textbook bouquet of stone fruits, crushed rocks, toasted spice, and the salty, iodine, seaside-like marine influence that's so common from this region. Medium-bodied, balanced, tight, and juicy on the palate, it has beautiful purity of fruit and a great finish.
(10/2019)
94 points
Vinous
The 2017 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard is bright, energetic and full of character. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and white pepper all give the Bien Nacido a super-distinctive upper register. In the glass, the 2017 is bright and tightly wound, with lovely veins of salinity that lend focus and drive. I would give the 2017 at least a year or two in bottle, as it is decidedly taut in the early going. (AG)
(9/2019)
93 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From 40-year-old vines, the 2017 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard has a very pretty, giving nose of sweet hay, toast, toasted hazelnut, pastry crust, yellow peach, baked apple pie, baker's yeast and stony hints. Medium to full-bodied, it has a great core of warm spiced fruit with a creamy texture and long, mineral-driven finish. (EB)
(9/2019)
91 points
Wine & Spirits
This is impressively lean and leesy when first poured, with a terse lemon-lime aroma and tight, tart flavors. It has impressive energy and a succulence that hints at the lemony sun that peeks out from the morning fog, and should get even better with bottle age.
(10/2019)