Perched in the remote Gavilan Mountain Range, 1,800 feet above California's Salinas Valley, this rugged vineyard sits at the base of an extinct volcano bordering the Pinnacles National Park. Chalone Vineyard is one of the few wineries in the U.S. growing grapes in limestone-based soils, the same as in Burgundy. The spare, well-drained ground, limited rainfall, and low crop levels attracted Dick Graff, who wanted to make top-flight Burgundian-styled Chardonnay. Graff made his first vintage under the Chalone Vineyard label in 1966, producing what became a benchmark for California Chardonnay.
Today, we continue to focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We also produce limited amounts of Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Syrah. All of our estate wines are grown and bottled at the estate, meaning we control everything from vine to bottle.
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California » Monterey
The Monterey Vineyard Description The grapes for The Monterey Vineyards wines come from vineyards located in the northern most area in the region’s long valley, which
"Capturing the distinctive characteristics of our unique terroir, our Estate Chardonnay holds fragrant aromas of ripe pear, green apple, hazelnut, vanilla and baking spice. Bright
"Fragrant heirloom roses, ripe black cherries and a touch of tobacco invite the senses into this approachable and enjoyable Pinot Noir. The red fruit brightens
"In our Chardonnay, bright, fruit-focused flavors keep cadence with sweet essence of oak. Baked pear, Braeburn apple and sweet tangerine are accented by wafts of
Wine Enthusiast 91 " Great price for a Chardonnay of this quality. It’s dry and crisp, yet very rich in fruit, showing tiers of pineapples, tangerines,
Wine Spectator 90 “Strikingly rich and complex, with a dense core of dark berry, black licorice, earth and cedar flavors that hold their own, easing up
The stony terroir and a variety of clones gave this Chardonnay wine a broad flavor spectrum. Barrel fermentation, malolactic fermentation and sur lie aging enhanced
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