Ground Shipping Included!

I am not in the habit of casually offering $180 a bottle California Chardonnay, but, in this case, I want to introduce a wine I think might be worth it. I’ve known the Platt Vineyard for many years, having seen it up close and personal while visiting the Kistlers’ Occidental property right next door. It’s a magnificent site that hovers over the Pacific Ocean like a gorgeous mirage. First developed by Lew Platt, the late Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, the amazing Chardonnay from this vineyard has over the years made exquisite wines for the likes of Ted Lemon at Littorai, Ehren Jordan at Failla and David Ramey, among others, before it was sold a few years ago to France’s AXA Millesimes, the owner of a multitude of top, top wine properties around the world. They installed winemaker Derek Flegal and consultant Thomas Rivers Brown to make the wines and 2023 marks the much-anticipated debut of Platt as its own entity. And what a debut it is! There are two Chardonnays- despite also making two great Pinot Noirs, I think the vineyard’s best foot forward is in Chardonnay. The small-production Reserve cuvee was culled from two of the best parcels on the property and is, indeed, one of the best Chards we’ve tried from California in many years. Fermented in barrel on its native yeasts and aged for 14 months in French oak barrels—33% new and 67% used, it’s a wonderful exposition of the site’s remarkable mineral intensity and coastal influence. Ultra-complex and layered, even at this early stage of its life, imagine a great bottle of Corton-Charlemagne amplified by more California sunshine and a proximity to the coast’s diurnal temperature swings and fog, and you get a sense of how amazing is this unicorn Chardonnay. Not as overblown as it might sound, it’s a tightly wound, concentrated wine aromatic of citrus oil, blood orange, lemon peel, yellow cherry, skinned almond and salty mineral. The oak is an artful addition that brings even more texture and a dash of vanilla to the palate. A meal in itself, serve it alongside only the richest poultry, duck and seafood preparations and, if ever there was a Chardonnay made for a juicy steak, this is it! Very limited but, right now, we have a bit. Expensive, but worth it!

Vinous, 100 Points: The 2023 Chardonnay Estate Reserve is magnificent. Tangerine peel, hazelnut, spice, menthol, baked apple tart and pastry are some of the many nuances that open in the glass. The Reserve offers a captivating mix of vibrancy and textural viscosity. Creamy, resonant contours wrap up the plush close. There’s striking richness and mind-blowing overall balance to match a long finish that reverberates for an eternity. The Reserve is a blend of sections within three blocks on the property planted mostly with variations of older Wente selections that are distinguished by longer hang times. It is one of several wines I have tasted from this part of the West Sonoma Coast that suggests Chardonnay may ultimately hold more potential than Pinot Noir. What a wine!