Chanin, Los Alamos Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley

Just a touch over the hill. Signs of French oak aging. Nice balance, just a little light on fruit.

2015 vintage

5 yrs past prime

2015 vintage

You can tell from the first sniff that this is going to be a BIG Chardonnay in the California tradition. Upon tasting, it's surprising how balanced it is. An explosion of secondary aromas drive the nose: praline, toasted hazelnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, marshmallow, vanilla, buttered popcorn and bruised yellow apples. Medium + intensity of aromas. More primary on the palate with flavors of ripe golden apples, ripe apricot, ripe white peach with the oak flavors (new wood, vanilla) backing everything up. …

2014 vintage

Definitely reaching maturity, but good to taste it. It's on the richer style for Gavin, but has aged pretty well. Would drink up soon, though.

2014 vintage

Not too much oak, full in flavour and good integration of the alcohol (14.5), has signs of aging but was still in a good shape on the second day. Would drink now, as I see now room for development and more risk of oxidation.

2014 vintage

Sadly premoxed and undrinkable. I hope someone can figure this out. It’s just not worth the risk to age white wine for me any more.

2014 vintage

Prior bottle was only a month ago, so my notes were essentially unchanged (this wine had shown so well, there was no reason to delay). Mixed white orchard fruit and lemon notes on the nose. Medium bodied with apple and pear notes again upfront, moving to white peach through the middle. Backside shows citrus notes (especially lemon) and good structural acidity. Just like my prior bottle, balance was again a strength as the initial brightness of the fruit took on …

2014 vintage

Prior bottle was nearly two years ago and this wine continues to show quite well. White orchard fruit and oak/vanilla on the nose. Medium bodied with soft, open apple and pear qualities upfront. These fruit notes gain definition through the mid-body and the addition of peach notes adds to complexity. The wine also gains in brightness as you move from initial impressions through the mid-body. Combining this with the structural acidity and tart citrus notes on the backside made for …

2014 vintage

Fun wine at a great price. Melon on the nose. will buy again

2015 vintage

Excellent showing tonight, burgundy meets California in all the right ways. Well done.

2014 vintage

Premoxed, like many bottles of this wine from this vintage.

2014 vintage

Not bad at all especially for $30. Slightly toasted with creme brûlée, banana, and stone fruit. Full bodied abs no don’t California but still structured and leaner than something from Russian River. This could easily sell for the $65 plus range.

2015 vintage

badly premoxed - undrinkable

2014 vintage

Premoxed, broken cork

2014 vintage

A very heavy dose of oak, smoke and peat. Almond paste and lemon squares. Decent acidity in the background.

2014 vintage

A fine young Chardonnay. First of all the acidity is as you would expect from a Chardonnay, but it is rather gentle and pleasant. The nose is loaded with oak, smoke, banana and citrus with a floral finish. The palate is quite nice with citrus, honey, green apple, melon, spices, white pepper - Also with a delightful floral finish. Its very fruity and complex. Drink this with food or salty snacks at a 10-13 degree temperature. A young wine that …

2015 vintage

Prior bottle was exactly one year ago and this wine remains in a very good spot. Nose shows lots of mixed, white orchard fruit along with an undercurrent of vanilla/light oak. Medium bodied with all orchard fruit upfront with white apple and pear initially, moving towards peach in the middle with orange and other background tropical hints. Good acidity on the backside along with citrus notes, light spices and creaminess/vanilla. Agree with other reviewers that this has bit more depth …

2014 vintage

Pear, lemon, earth and just a touch of oak on the nose. Medium bodied with apple and pear upfront. Slightly tight at first, but opens up quite nicely with time. Tart citrus notes show up on the backside and the oak is used as a bridge between the upfront fruit and these backside notes, tying everything together quite well. The longer it was open, the more expression the upfront fruit seemed to take on and the better the oak and …

2012 vintage

I agree that the Sanford is the better wine here, although Bien Nacido have consistently been my favourite Chanin Chardonnays. Lush and expansive citrus notes with some bramble and spicy oak. The palate is creamy and moreish before diving into a bracing acid spring. Well balanced, but somehow more linear than his other Chardonnays. Delicious all the same.

2015 vintage

A wine dinner compèred by Douglas Blyde (London) : All preferred to the Clayhill. Buttery, oaky flavour. Richer, fuller and riper, without being too sweet. Notes of orange. Apparently only 26 barrels made.

2014 vintage

Similar in some ways but I think I prefer the Sanford version. Enjoyable with some power and touch more oak than other versions.

2015 vintage

The Los Alamos was so pure and zesty on the nose with savory herbs up front, followed by crushed stone, young peach and minerals. On the palate, I found soft textures contrasting brisk acids with young peach, lime, saline-minerals, and inner florals. The balance here was perfect, leading into the long finish, hinting at wild herbs with saline-minerality and spice.

2015 vintage

Agree with Galloni that this may be the richest/ripest Chardonnay I've had from Gavin. Still well done, just a significant degree richer.

2014 vintage

100% barrel fermented, 20% new oak. Gorgeous nutty, caramel, savoury notes. Quite full bodied. This is a rich wine with ripe peach melon and touches of mango. Very nice.

2015 vintage

My first from bottle (previously tasted 13 months ago) and the wine has improved in that time. Peach, apple/pear and vanilla on the nose with a strong emphasis on the orchard fruits. Medium bodied with apple and pear upfront, moving to peach through the middle and then lemon, other citrus and light spices towards the back. The mixture of background tannin, acidity and vanilla/oak work quite well with the fruit profile, contributing brightness and depth as well as structure. This …

2014 vintage

Ripe, citrus, mineralogy, good qpr.

2014 vintage

From 75cl, P+P. Aromatically closed; nicely thick, oily-textured entry with tropical fruits, perhaps a hint of star-fruit astringency helping to thin things out towards the mid-palate, which did, however, feel whoppingly alcoholic at 14,5% (surely not an exceptionally high level for a Central Coast Chardonnay?) This might have profited from an hour in the decanter or several hours prior slow aeration in the bottle; alas it was P+P, which I wouldn't recommend if you are opening this any time soon. …

2014 vintage

Pale golden yellow, crystal clear. Tropical fruit and peaches on the nose. More peaches, with stone fruits and tangerine acidity that has great balance. Harmonious and integrated. Very, very nice.

2014 vintage

Some Eclectic, Spectacular Wines; 8/13/2017-8/14/2017 (Santa Ynez Valley) : Too sweet for my taste. In contrast to others' TNs, seemed lacking in acid to balance the concentrated fruit.

2014 vintage

Yellow peach and fleshy tropical fruit mix with baking spice and a hint of savory nuttiness on the expressive nose that seems to fill the glass. The palate is rich, no question about it, with lots of dry extract, well-integrated oak and a lasting finish. But for every bit of creaminess and toasty marzipan you find, there’s a counterpoint of bright acidity, meyer lemon and ripe quince marmalade. Despite the exuberance of this wine, you can nonetheless see the influence …

2014 vintage

Luscious lemon citrus fruit that lasts for days. A bit too acidic at this time to fully appreciate, lay down a year or for everything to integrate.

2014 vintage

Soft peach, lemon, light floral and just a hint of vanilla on the nose. Medium bodied (14.5% ABV - slightly high for Chanin) and quite round and open. Peach upfront, with varied orchard fruits behind, along with lights hints of tropical. Very good depth in the middle. Adds citrus (primarily lemon) on the backside which leads to a deft transition to the lightly mineral accented finish. Highpoints of this wine were the soft richness of fruit through the middle and …

2014 vintage

This wine opens up with ripe pear notes and tropical fruit and on the palate a rather racy lime acidity results in a mouthwatering expression. This is a ripe Chardonnay with a rather high alcohol level, but stil there is some energy in the acidity which makes it a very nice wine.

2014 vintage

Vibrant aromatics, wet leaves outta the gate. Fullish body, round and pure on the palate.

2012 vintage

Still young in the bottle. Medium+ acid. Hot mouthfeel and viscous. Very zesty and peary. Nice touch of oak that's already nicely integrated. Had with homemade fried chicken and was a bit too sharp. But really lovely overall.

2012 vintage

Light yellow color; lifted, ripe pear, poached pear nose; tasty, tart pear, cinnamon, spice, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 91+ points

2012 vintage

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Chanin, Los Alamos Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley

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