The great Hanzell Vineyard is as much an institution as it is a winery.  This iconic estate has been making some of the most succulent, longest-lived Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs ever created in the United States since its first vintage back in 1961 with a history that goes back ever further.  Originally the property of Ambassador to Europe and Bay Area entrepreneur James Zellerbach (the Zell in Hanzell- the Han was his wife Hannah), the vines here go back to the fifties and their reputation as producing some of the most European-styled wines made in America goes back just as far.  In fact, for a winery so committed to Old World sensibilities ( Zellerbach designed the original winery after Burgundy’s Clos Vougeot), Hanzell was surprisingly ahead of its time.  Under Zellerbach’s guidance, Hanzell was the first winery in America to use temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to ferment their grapes and the first to allow a controlled malolactic fermentation to soften the high levels of acidity with which his mountain-grown Chardonnay was blessed.  These are remarkably structured, complex wines with the inherent richness to show well when young while lasting decades in the cellar should you want that to be the case.  And not much has changed over the past decades.  Current winemaker Jason Jardine (only the fourth full-time winemaker in Hanzell’s history) is a student of the winery’s history and has many years’ track record working with its organically-farmed grapes.  The 2018 Estate Chardonnay is a classic Hanzell top to bottom- a wine of presence and persistence with a complex, savory nose of toasted grain- skinned hazelnut, Asian pear, Meyer lemon and apricot.  Broad and rich on the palate, it’s the wine’s Burgundy-like acidity and the site’s inherent minerality that help make it the perfect amalgam of Old World and New.  The best news of all, besides the special price, is that, at six years past the vintage, you have the opportunity to taste a perfectly-aged Hanzell Chard at the peak of its powers.  It’s truly a wonderful experience that will remind you that Chardonnay, under the best conditions, can be a very, very complex and extraordinary wine.  Very highly recommended! 

James Suckling:  Beautiful apple and crushed stone with white pepper and lemon curd on the nose. Full-bodied with layers of fruit and creamy, light yogurt undertones to the tangy dried-citrus aftertaste. Rich, lively and complex. Solid and structured. Very drinkable now, but better after 2024 and beyond. 95 points

Vinous:  The 2018 Chardonnay is a magical, complex wine that really blossoms beautifully with a few hours of air. Layered and deep, with tons of nuance, the 2018 remains light on its feet and quite understated. Hints of apricot, tangerine, chamomile and dried flowers slowly open with a bit of coaxing. It's the sort of wine that requires several hours of undivided attention. 94 points

Wine Enthusiast: Structured and graceful from beginning to end, this white is floral and offers depth and length. From some vines still on St. George rootstock and fermented in both oak and stainless-steel, it retains lively acidity and vibrant layers of salty stone, Meyer lemon and green apple. 94 points

Wine Spectator:  Svelte, with minerally snap to the pure-tasting McIntosh apple, Bosc pear and apricot tart flavors. The juicy finish offers hints of buttered toast and light spicy accents. Drink now through 2026. 94 points

Jancis Robinson: An historic name! Very rich-tasting initially but with great tension. A good wine to choose for friends who think only Burgundy produces fine Chardonnay. Very nuanced and one can easily see why it commands this price.