The 2019 Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay recently received a 92-point rating on the “8 Outstanding Napa and Sonoma Chardonnays” list in the March 21st article on WineSpectator.com. Reviewer MaryAnn Worobiec calls it “Outstanding; a wine of superior character and style.”

“8 Outstanding Napa and Sonoma Chardonnays”
Chardonnay
2019 MacRostie Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay

There are plenty of terrific Chardonnays from Napa and Sonoma to celebrate this week. This selection shows off lots of winemaking talent, as well as the skill for vineyard selection and blending that has made Golden State vintners so successful with Chardonnay. Even better, each of the wines below notched 90 points or more on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale.

Steve and Thale MacRostie founded their namesake Sonoma winery in 1987, working with local growers to purchase the area’s best grapes for both single-vineyard expressions and regional blends. These days, winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen is at the helm, creating this beautiful Chardonnay from the well-known Sangiacomo vineyard. She uses grapes from two specific blocks of Sangiacomo, Catarina and Kiser B Block, and the wine was racked into a mixture of new, one-year-old and neutral French oak barrels for fermentation and aging. The result is a Chardonnay with terrific purity and flavors of green apple, pineapple and lemon curd with spice, brioche, ginger and lemon blossom details.

Meanwhile, Eric Kent’s expression of Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is a barrel selection of wines from four vineyards, aged in older puncheon barrels. The result is a fresh, vibrant Chardonnay with mouthwatering acidity and tangy citrus and apples flavors. Finally, Ferrari-Carano‘s Sonoma County bottling uses grapes from 60 vineyard lots throughout the region. Winemaker Sarah Quider ushers the grapes through the winery as they are destemmed, pressed and cold-settled into stainless steel tanks. After fermenting in barrels, the wine is aged sur lie in French oak, and stirred twice a month to encourage rich texture. The 2020 vintage displays rich toffee, lemon drop and apricot flavors with nutty notes on the finish.

“Starts off with terrific purity to the core of juicy green apple, pineapple and lemon curd flavors, expanding into details of spice, toasted brioche, candied ginger and lemon blossom on the long finish. Drink now through 2034.”

March 21, 2022
MaryAnn Worobiec, WineSpectator.com