Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay

Fact sheet

Type

White

Grape

Chardonnay

Country

United States

Region

Santa Maria Valley · Central Coast

Appellation

Santa Maria Valley

Body

medium

Acidity

high

Sweetness

dry

Rated vintages

• 201589 pts

  Extremely light and delicate aromas of lemon, Gala apple and pear flesh show on the cleanly delivered nose of this bottling by Steve Dooley. There is also a lot of restraint on the palate, perhaps even a tad too much, with fluttering hints of chalk, sour limes and riper pear. Th…

• 201493 pts

  Mexican lime, crushed chalk, light jasmine, daffodil and lemon-lime soda show on the nose of this bottling by veteran Steve Dooley. Tight cement and lime-rind flavors pop on the palate, where a sharp kumquat quality dissects the Bosc-pear warmth and the nuanced influence of damp…

• 201392 pts

  The veteran San Luis Obispo-based winemaker heads south to the historic vineyard to produce this wine. A wildly dynamic nose suggests unripe lemon skin, pencil lead, oak and smoky wisps of a beach campfire. The woody, cedar element—though not really oaky—provides an intriguing p…

• 201192 pts

  It's hard to define minerality in a wine, but this Chardonnay has it. It tastes and feels like a lick of chalky stone. That's on top of and below the intricate pineapple, orange and Meyer lemon fruit that's so delicious, and finishes so dry and spicy.

• 201092 pts

  Delicious and crisp in acidity, this is dry despite its flavors of honey and ripe, jammy tropical fruit. How this wine achieves such a quality is magic, but the brisk acidity helps, as does its stony minerality. Ready to enjoy now.

• 200988 pts

  A rich, full-bodied, oaky Chardonnay, with the pleasing texture of cream. It's spicy and very flavorful in pears, mangoes, vanilla custard and buttered toast. Could be a little livelier, though.