Who is YOUR best value in highend CA Chardonnay?

WINE TALK
21

I loved the Ceritas Porter Bass at IPOB, but they list the 2012 at $60, and I thought that put it out of the “value” category. Top of the heap, for me, at IPOB for the second year in a row was the Copain Brosseau, but that’s up in the same price range as the Ceritas and Rhys.

22

Stony Hill

23

I did not know that. It always seems I fall in love with a wine, then the price starts to get out of my comfort zone. You cannot blame them- supply and demand. But, I feel ‘excited’ about a great wine at $50. $60 is on the edge.

24

My tastes have largely moved away from CA chard, but I would still say Arcadian Sleepy Hollow is the best QPR. Ceritas Bass and Rhys are also QPR vs their only peers in my mind.

25

I am guessing that pricing is what defines high-end in this question and my dividing line remains $50. North of $50 Ceritas makes the most exciting CA Chardonnays we drink, Hanzell the most venerable, Aubert the most luxurious, and in the great vintages Marcassin the most memorable.

When speaking of high-end Chardonnay value Ceritas rises to the top as their pricing is by far the most approachable of these producers.

Below $50 it is hard to beat Dehlinger and Lynmar but the Liquid Farm Chardonnays are fun and noteworthy quality-wise.

26

Ceritas assuming 50 and up as being in the high end category.

Pile on with another vote for Liquid Farm White Hill for under 50.

Had the Matthiasson Linda Vista Chard at IPOB and remember liking it a lot for the price - my notes say awesome value. Picked up a couple '11 and '12 the other day to revisit. QPR grab at around 25 or less.

27

[rofl.gif] Lock it Dano!

Ceritas is worth seeking too and Fred Scherrer is doing some good things with Chardonnay.

28

Question about Liquid Farm - it appears that you have to join the wine club to purchase direct? Is this true?

29

I think that is not true:

http://www.liquidfarm.com/wine-club.html

You can join the mailing list and not select the “Wine Club Interest:” box it seems. And since this IS the internet, I can claim to know what I am talking about.

30

Peay Sonoma is pretty good. Montelena is still to be had for $40.

31

Stony Hill
Kalin
Mount Eden
Mayacamas
Ridge

32

Lots of great offerings already mentioned here, but if the question is bang for the buck I think the 2 Ridge Single Vineyard Chardonnays (when offered) deserve to be mentioned. At ~$28 they are a steal in my opinion.

33

In no particular order:

Arcadian Sleepy Hollow (around $35?)
Mayacamas (around $30)
Poe Ferrington ($48)
Liquid Farm White Hill (around $35)
Liquid Farm Golden Slope (around $50)

The single craziest value in high quality California chardonnay was the 2010 Anthill Farms Campbell Ranch for $18. But that seems to have been a one-off wine for them, or at least it’s the only one they’ve sold thus far.

Since the thread seems not to have been locked yet, I’ll say that I’m a big fan of Dehlinger and a customer of theirs, but I’d put their chardonnay a step behind the ones I listed above for my personal preference.

34

+1 Dehliinger and Mount Eden

35

Stony Hill
Arcadian

Mayacamas, Mt. Eden, Liquid Farm, and Ridge are on my (very) short list of CA Chard producers I still want to try.

36

Kind of an outlier, but Bedrock made a Brosseau Chard a few years back. Ridiculous price, may have been under $30. Still waiting for that one to come back.

37

This http://www.argotwine.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=71&products_id=200

38

Eric Kent is very consistent, solid value IMO.

39

$50 ago?

40

Ceritas, Littorai and I would add Lioco such as Lioco Charles Heintz, or Lioco from Demuth or Hanzell Vineyards. I would like to try the Dehlinger and Ant Hill which I have not had.