2021 Le Vigne Winery Chardonnay Paso Robles 750 ml

Drawn from the choicest ten acres on Le Vigne’s Domenico Estate Vineyard, this is a fabulous Central Coast Chardonnay—one that comes from family-owned vineyards that are meticulously monitored and tended from budbreak to harvest.

That labor-intensive approach—overseen by Terry Culton, one of the top Chardonnay hands in Paso Robles and a “top-flight winemaker” according to Robert Parker—makes for a wine whose marvelous complexity had us drawing comparisons to much pricier bottles. 

Rich, broad, and sleek in texture, the Le Vigne Chardonnay sends a seemingly endless procession of flavors across the palate: orange blossoms, dried apple, almond paste, butter, and honey, each rendered with bold California intensity. When we tried this over lunch at Bouchon in Yountville, we spent half an hour waving off the waiter, trying to tease out everything we were tasting.

This Chardonnay has a vibrancy that is synonymous with Paso Robles, which was called one of the “most dynamic [regions] in California'' by Wine Spectator. Here, the Templeton Gap—a literal gap in the Santa Lucia Mountains—ushers in cool ocean breezes that almost guarantee gradual, even ripening. The region sees sunny afternoons exceeding 100 degrees and nights cooling off into the low 50s, lending this Chardonnay grace and natural balance, light-years away from austerity or flabbiness.

In 2021, Terry read the vintage beautifully, with a comedian’s sense of timing and a chef’s judicious intuition for seasoning. In other words, he knows when enough is enough. He carefully monitored the grapes’ hang-time, harvesting just as concentration began catching up with the appellation’s marine-influenced freshness. Then he applied a touch of oak, which helps account for why this wine feels so silky and luxurious on the palate.