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: 2017 Black Kite "Soberanes Vineyard" Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay

2017 Black Kite "Soberanes Vineyard" Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay (Previously $45)

SKU #1507505 94 points Vinous

Outer quote mark Pale yellow-gold. Bright and incisive on the nose, displaying intense citrus and orchard fruit scents complemented by suggestions of smoky lees, saffron and sweet butter. Sappy and seamless in texture, offering concentrated pear nectar, white peach, tangerine and honeysuckle flavors that spread out slowly on the back half. Finishes with impressive length, repeating pear and floral notes and a late jolt of dusty minerality that adds final lift and cut. One-third new French oak. (JR) Inner quote mark (10/2020)

93 points Jeb Dunnuck

Outer quote mark Starting with the 2017 Chardonnay Soberanes Vineyard, which comes from the Santa Lucia Highlands, it has a ripe, slightly honeyed bouquet of melon balls, Meyer lemons, toasted spice, and white flowers. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and rock-solid on the palate, it has bright acidity, background oak, and a great finish. Inner quote mark (5/2020)

92 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark Baked mandarin orange, buttery croissant and crushed white-rock aromas show on the delicious nose of this bottling. There is plenty of zip to the sip amidst richer flavors of brioche, orange-spiced béarnaise sauce and toasty oak. (MK) Inner quote mark (8/2020)

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2017 Black Kite "Soberanes Vineyard" Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay

Price: Hidden

VN: 94

JD: 93

WE: 92

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Product Reviews:

By: Steve Bearden | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 12/12/2020 | Send Email

This starts out toasty and clean with bright Honeycrisp apple and snappy Meyer lemon flavors. A touch of almond paste flows through the middle and the finish has a dusting of mineral and refreshing acid grip. A great combination of flavor and complexity for this price point.

By: Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 12/7/2020 | Send Email

The latest winery direct screaming deal from Black Kite is the Soberanes Vineyard Chardonnay from the renowned Santa Lucia Highlands. This vineyard was planted and is farmed by SLH legends Gary Pisoni and Gary Franscioni. This vineyard sits at the heart of the appellation right next to the legendary Garys' Vineyard. The Chardonnay is planted in the lower portion of the vineyard where the soils are littered with chunks of granite and the persistent fog cools the vines during the summer months. The result is a powerful, pure wine with bountiful ripe fruit but also excellent focus, acidity and mineral underpinning. The long, moderate growing season of this region allows the winemakers to capture ripe, rich fruit without sacrificing that all important acidity that keeps the wines balanced and vibrant. Here I get tons of baked orchard fruit, bosc pear and quince. Whisps of struck flint add a nice edge to the rich golden fruit. The oak is just a subtle framing adding a hint of spice and pie crust note. The finish is vibrant as the richer flavors tapers off and more zesty citrus driven tones get their turn the come to the fore. Very well made Chardonnay with great presence and length on the palate without being over heavy or creamy. This is exactly what Santa Lucia Highlands does so well, the balance of richness and restraint. A very impressive bottle at a hugely discounted price. Set to be another quick top seller.

Fans of this product include:

Stephanie Vidales

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Chardonnay

- It's hard to believe that up until about 30 years ago, this extremely popular varietal hid behind the veil of geographical names like Chablis and Puligny-Montrachet. Now grown all over the world and bottled by its varietal name, Chardonnay has achieved a level of branding unlike any other wine. Surprisingly, though, what you get when you buy Chardonnay can differ greatly from country to country and even within one country, depending on the climate where it's grown and how it is vinified and aged. From fresh, crisp and minerally with apple and lemon notes to rich and buttery with tropical fruit overtones, Chardonnay runs the gamut. In France's Burgundy, Chardonnay is the source of the prized wines of Chablis, Corton-Charlemagne, Mâcon, Meursault and Montrachet. It also the foundation of exceptional Champagne, where it is blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier or vinified on its own into Blanc de Blancs. It is also extremely popular in California, and is gaining popularity in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and South Africa.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation: