NYC, Long Island and The Hamptons Receive Free Delivery on Orders $300+
Refer Your Friends & Earn Referral Bonuses!

California Wines

California Wines

California Wines

California Wines

With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world’s most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region’s produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it.

While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California’s most talented.

Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover worth their salt would die to visit. California’s quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine, making it feel like a unique, standalone piece, rather than a derivative.

A New World region rises to join its viticultural forebears. Its meteoric rise to fame has been nothing short of stunning, and today California can compete with the world’s most prominent wine regions.

Sort:
View as List Grid
per page
2021 Kistler Chardonnay Cuvee Cathleen

A great chardonnay that shows opulence with structure, with lemon drops, cooked apple, dried peaches, flint and oyster shell. Some pumice and basalt. It’s medium-bodied at the beginning but it builds on the palate with superb depth and power. Spicy at the end, like Hunan peppers. Incredible character. Complex with a capital C. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Cuvee Cathleen comes from a single 6-acre block in Kistler vineyard that faces the afternoon sun. It needs a lot of coaxing to lure out evocative notes of lemon verbena, lime leaves, and sea spray, giving way to nuances of fresh apples and Bosc pears with a touch of Marcona almonds. The medium to full-bodied palate is so, so tightly knit, with soft-spoken mineral and savory nuances accenting the bold citrus and apple flavors, finishing very long and energetic. Chardonnay doesn’t get better than this.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIThe 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard Cuvée Cathleen is one of the best wines I have ever tasted from Kistler. Complex and multi-faceted, the 2021 offers up an exciting mélange of ripe orchard fruit, dried flowers, mint, spice and anise. There’s an energy to the 2021, a feeling of noble complexity, that is so alluring.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2021 Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen is bright and crystalline. Scents of oyster shell and saline give way to white peaches, almonds and spring honey. The light-bodied palate is ethereal and vibrant with coiled, mineral-driven fruit and a surprisingly mouth-coating texture. Give it a few years in bottle to unwind.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA youthful yellow hue, the 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard Cuvee Cathleen is sunny with a bit of white pepper spice and aromas of green tea and citrus rind. Full-bodied, with good richness and a more pithy texture, it’s ripe with green almond, melon rind, mushroom earth, and pear. It‘s long on the palate and the same bit of grippy texture the Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard has. Drink it over the next 10 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDOffers a deep, complex mix of butterscotch, peach, marmalade and lime zest notes, with a touch of lemon confit, lemon balm and caramelized pineapple. The frame is dense and firmly juicy, with details of nutmeg and toasted almond on the finish. Drink now. 425 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

100
TWI
As low as $289.00
2021 Kistler Chardonnay Dutton Ranch

The 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch has expressive notes of honeycomb, ripe orchard fruit of peach, white mushroom, and fresh spice. Full-bodied, it has a more rounded and creamy texture on the palate, with lemon curd, citrus oil, and ripe apple. Its pristine fruit holds good freshness, and this very pretty wine has a distilled quality that makes I feel like it will last forever. This is a gorgeous wine to enjoy over the next 12-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is buzzing with energy and promises a long life in the cellar. It features scents of golden apples, cashew, honeysuckle and beeswax with streaks of matchstick. The light-bodied palate’s expansive, satiny texture is foiled by its mouthwatering acidity, and it offers concentrated, perfumed fruit that lingers impressively on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch bursts with bold notes of key lime pie, kumquats, and citron blossom, leading to hints of brine, dill seed, and white pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers tight-knit citrus and stony flavors, with a crisp backbone and long, wonderfully pure finish.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIIntense aromas of ripe apple, oyster shell, pie crust dough, and lemon rind. Some candied apple and flint. It’s medium-bodied with lovely fruit and medium phenolics that hold it all together. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSA complex white, offering notes of flint, nutmeg, cardamom and baked apples, with details of grilled Meyer lemon, vanilla custard and toasted, salted hazelnut. All of these flavors are balanced and seamless, with plenty of momentum and a fresh thread of acidity. Drink now. 1,050 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is the most accessible wine in this flight of Chardonnays. Tropical accents meld into orange confit, hazelnut, butter and sweet spice. The flavors are pretty intense, and yet the 2021 remains wonderfully light on its feet, with pretty floral top notes that add tons of charm and sheer appeal.Vinous Media | 93 VM

96
TWI
As low as $189.00
2021 Kistler Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard

The 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard needs a little shaking before it prances out with showy notes of fresh apricots, Golden Delicious apples, and ginger ale, followed by hints of honeysuckle, nutmeg, and lime cordial. The full-bodied palate is super intense with concentrated citrus, stone fruit, and gingery layers, supported by an amazing backbone of freshness and a silken texture, finishing especially long and minerally. This is amazing.The Wine Independent | 98 TWIA very wild and tropical Hudson chard with distinctive aromas and flavors of dried pineapple, pear and cooked lemon with some pie crust. Plenty of phenolic tension, too. Flavorful finish. Beeswax. Zip of acidity at the end. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is bright and effusive as it soars from the glass. Yellow flowers, orchard fruit, mint, spice and a kiss of French oak lend notable aromatic presence. Deceptive in its mid-weight feel, the 2021 is classic Hudson in its flavor profile and overall feel.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is powerful yet seamless, although it’s youthfully coiled and deserves plenty of time to unfold in bottle. It’s savory on the nose to begin, with wafts of iodine that give way to fresh citrus and peach. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and mouth-coating with concentrated lime-and-flint flavors counterbalanced by vibrant acidity, and it has a long, flavorful finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPTaking on a sunnier feel aromatically, the 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is ripe with attractive aromas of orchard fruit, ripe lemon balm, and fresh herbs. The palate is ripe and full-bodied, with a rounded mouthfeel and notes of ripe apricot, orange, and fresh flowers as well as a bit of toasted spice. It’s approachable now or over the next 6-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDRich and succulent, with flavors of caramelized apple, grilled pineapple, apricot and ripe, juicy peach, plus a drizzle of wildflower honey. Notes of salted, ripe melon linger on the finish, which gains plenty of momentum, with vibrant acidity. Drink now. 1,050 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

98
TWI
As low as $189.00
2021 Kistler Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard

A very fine and polished chardonnay with focus, polished phenolics and a refined nature. It’s medium-bodied with beautiful fruit. Hints of salted caramel to the cooked apple and pineapple flavors. It’s poised and gorgeous and shows you what it has in a sophisticated way. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard is SO spicy - it sashays out with opulent scents of candied ginger, allspice, and cinnamon, giving way to a profound core of juicy nectarines, apple pie, and Bosc pears, plus a hint of orange blossom. The full-bodied palate is decadently expressive, delivering loads of baking spice and warm pear flavors supported by seamless freshness, finishing long and decadent.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIAromatically the 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard exhibits notes of gravelly earth, with Meyer lemon, and white flowers. On the palate, it takes on so much focus, with vibrant energy, and feels more linear in its approach, with driving citrus, lime, bright green apple, and a touch of nuttiness on the finish. It’s long and driving. Drink 2025-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard features alluring tones of spring honey, panna cotta, crushed almonds, jasmine and a core of white peach. The medium-bodied palate has a deeply concentrated core of peachy fruit balanced by a gentle chalkiness and refreshing bursts of tangy acidity. Powerful yet energetic, it has a long life ahead.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2021 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard is packed with the essence of tangerine oil, hazelnut, dried flowers, herbs and ripe apricot. Potent and layered, the Stone Flat is super-impressive right out of the gate. It’s another wine with real density. All the elements are dialed up in 2021. Stone Flat is distinguished from Durell, which is adjacent, because of the use of 420A rootstock (versus 3309 at Durell). That, in the theory, results in a wine with lower pH and therefore higher acidity, but that is not the impression conveyed in tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMRich and succulent, offering notes of flint, grilled peach, dried apricot and mango at the core, with a strong thread of crushed rock, plus a hint of ripe, salted melon. Lemon curd and white flower accents linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

97
TWI
As low as $189.00
2021 Kistler Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge Vineyard

The 2021 Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge is bright and beautifully focused from start to finish. Crushed red berry fruit, blood orange, mint, spice, rose petal and white pepper are all finely delineated. The 2021 impresses with its tension and overall energy. A move to picking this fruit earlier has resulted in a Pinot endowed with notable tension. I love the focus here. The 2021 is a stunner.Vinous Media | 98 VMPlenty of strawberry and orange peel character with hints of spice and mineral character. Full yet tight and focused with very fine tannins that run the length of the wine. You don’t see it but it pulls at the end. Excellent pinot. Drinkable but give it three or four years. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSA nearly opaque, dark red with a purple tinge, the 2021 Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge Vineyard has a more floral profile of fresh lavender, black cherry, wild black raspberry, and dark earth. Full-bodied and juicy, it has ripe tannins, a good bit structure, and more savory tones on the palate that will need a bit more time, but this is a fantastic and structured wine with meaty fruit of black cherry, smoky earth, and wild herbs. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDMedium to deep ruby-purple in color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge Vineyard explodes from the glass with vivacious scents of Bing cherries, redcurrants, and cranberries, leading to wafts of lavender, rose oil, and crushed rocks with a touch of bay leaves. The medium-bodied palate is bright and breezy, with ethereal flavors and fantastic freshness, finishing with a satiny texture and wonderful lift.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2021 Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge Vineyard has broody scents of rhubarb, blueberry, lilac and lavender, plus alluring botanical undertones. The medium-bodied palate balances an intense core of layered, briary fruit with loads of grainy tannins, and vibrant acidity gives a shimmery feel to the long, flavorful finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPRipe, vivid and succulent, with tightly focused blackberry, black cherry and boysenberry puree flavors at the core, which is laced with enticing notes of black tea, singed anise and red licorice. Long and focused, with a gorgeous mouthfeel as creamy fruit and the velvety structure meld beautifully through the lengthy finish. Drink now through 2035. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

97
VM
As low as $159.00

Need Help Finding the right wine?

Your personal wine consultant will assist you with buying, managing your collection, investing in wine, entertaining and more.

loader
Loading...