Chardonnay Case-Buy Deal of the Year
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2016 J. McClelland Chardonnay Oak Knoll District Napa Valley 750 ml
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
Single-Site Oak Knoll Napa Chardonnay
Half-Off Single-Site Oak Knoll Napa Chardonnay
Just below Yountville, north of Napa, the Oak Knoll AVA is one of the best places to grow Chardonnay in Napa. But Oak Knoll is a hotbed for expensive Cabernet, so very few Chardonnay vines remain, and single-vineyard bottlings are extreme rarities—and have the prices to match—which makes today's 2016 J. McClelland Oak Knoll District Chardonnay from Simone Vineyard one of our best Napa deals yet.
This 2016 combines 50 years of winemaking history and farming with the talents of Paul Scotto and Mitch Cosentino—two of Napa’s great under-the-radar winemakers. In other words, this white has all the pedigree of those pricey bottles, without the standard markup.
If the name Scotto sounds familiar, that’s because the family has winemaking roots dating back to 1883 in Ischia, Italy. And, there’s a big New York connection—whenever we visit Gotham, we try to make a pilgrimage to the Carrol Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn to pay a visit to Scotto Wines, the family’s retail store that was established in the 1940s. It was over a tasting at the store that we discovered this creamy Chardonnay, and worked out a deal to showcase Oak Knoll terroir for Wine Access Members. In Scotto style, it took one handshake and two bottles of wine.
The wine we couldn’t resist sharing is a full and creamy 2016 which showcases layers of melon, caramelized pear, marmalade, pineapple, and lemon chiffon.
Fifth-generation family member Paul Scotto didn’t work in the store, but studied at UC Davis and began working for the family’s Napa winery, Scotto Cellars, in 2009. Mitch Cosentino’s eponymous winery catapulted Paul to stardom and earned him the "Andre Tchelistcheff Winemaker of the Year" award.
His 2016 effort is a perfect snapshot of Oak Knoll’s storied vines: a full-bodied Chardonnay with layers of ripe flavors balanced by taut natural and vibrant acidity—it’s a decadent, luxurious, mouthwatering treat that demands rich seafood like grilled lobster mac n cheese or crab risotto. However you pair it, McClelland is a screaming deal and summertime must-have.