San Simeon Monterey Chardonnay 2017
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San Simeon Chardonnay is a rich, mouth-filling wine with ripe, tropical fruit flavors with complements of citrus and pear. The nose reveals bright fruit and toasty oak with hints of vanilla and spice. Mineral notes express the rocky terroir of the vineyards. This structured and well-balanced wine shows a lengthy finish with potential to age.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Rich, hedonistic and ?lled with plush white fruit ?avors with a pillowy texture. Luscious butteriness extends into the ?nish, with roasted pineapple notes.
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2021-
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San Simeon Wines are terroir-driven wines shaped by unique soils and the Pacific Ocean’s influence, which cools the vineyards at night to give the wines their distinct freshness. The name pays homage to the vital role the fog and cool air from the sea plays in the vineyards, and the label honors the heritage of the region by featuring the historic San Piedras lighthouse. San Simeon wines are crafted to provide a sense of place and can only be described as… Rugged. Refined. Respected.
The Riboli Family has made a steadfast commitment to producing the highest quality grapes from estate vineyards in two of the most prestigious regions along California’s Central Coast: Monterey and Paso Robles. Our vineyards are meticulously farmed to yield grapes with concentrated flavors and aromas, while our winemaking techniques create unique wines of the highest quality and character. They pay special attention to the cultivation of their vineyards and have confidence you’ll taste the fruits of their passion in the complexity of their wines.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.