Chateau Montelena Napa Chardonnay and Gary Farrell Durell Vineyard Sonoma County Chardonnay are two wines named among 15 bottles in the $50-100 range that are worth splurging on. For the 2020 Napa Chardonnay from Montelena, author Brian Freedman writes, “Taut and with tons of promise for the future, this citrus- and mineral-driven Chardonnay is already a vibrant treat. Incisive flavors of hard apples mingle with white tea, chamomile, lemon, passionfruit, and white cardamom, and it all finishes with a lingering whiff of dried springtime flowers. In a difficult year, Bo Barrett, Matt Crafton, and their team have produced a wine of real beauty.” For the 2020 from Gary Farrell, he writes “Mature and energetic, with nuance and brightness to spare, this is showing its vineyard pedigree very well. Lemon-based acidity is joined by dried apricots, mashed almonds, fennel bulb, a hint of woodsy spice, and a finish of marzipan, and honey-coated sesame seeds.” Both of these wines are worth seeking out!
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Related Wines
Chateau Montelena
Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay
Napa Valley, California
A true icon. The Napa Valley Chardonnay is the wine that put Chateau Montelena and Napa Valley at the forefront of the wine world in 1976, in what is now memorialized as “The Judgment of Paris.” To great disbelief, the Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay was the top-ranking wine against four white Burgundies and five other California Chardonnays. And as they say, the rest is history.
Related Producers
Chateau Montelena
Calistoga, Napa Valley, California
In 1976 Chateau Montelena put California at the forefront of the wine world. That year a who's-who of the French wine establishment gathered in Paris for a blind tasting of French and American wines. When the scores were tallied, the top-ranking white wine was Chateau Montelena's 1973 Chardonnay. Montelena today continues to be a quality benchmark in Napa Valley, producing some of the finest Cabernet and Chardonnay in California.
Gary Farrell Winery
Russian River Valley, California
For over 37 years, Gary Farrell Winery has crafted small-lot artisan wines capturing balance and stylistic elegance from some of the finest vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley. In 1985, Winemaker Gary Farrell released his 55 cases of 1982 Rochioli-Allen Pinot Noir to widespread critical acclaim. Since that release, the team at Gary Farrell Winery has consistently focused on rigorous vineyard selection, outstanding grower relationships, and superior quality fruit. For the past 8 years, the current owners have been dedicated to enhancing Gary Farrell’s legacy with a single-minded focus on quality.
